Tumble dryer tumbles but doesn't dry - big repair?

Herbyme

Hi all,
Hoping for some advice, my Hotpoint CTD40 tumble dryer goes round but doesn't heat up. Sometimes the on/off and time delay switches flash when I try to get it working. I've emptied the water, cleaned the filter and condenser. Filter was quite furry but not too bad, condenser was pretty clean though I hadn't rinsed it for quite a while.

Any thoughts about how expensive a repair it's likely to be, and whether it's worth it for a 3-4 year old machine? We use it mainly in emergencies (wet school trousers!) and to take the crispy edge off things like towels dried indoors, so it's not heavily used.

Many thanks in advance for any advice!

macman

The element has probably failed. You are supposed to clean the filter at each usage.
Even a Hotpoint should do more than 4 years, so worth fixing, cost of part plus labour, maybe around £50 for the latter.

ormus

sounds like the element. about 20-50 quid.
if you have to pay labour charges too, then its probably not an economic repair.

Herbyme

Having checked with the shop we bought it from, it turns out it's over 5 years old so on that basis I don't think it's worth paying the £60 call out fee plus parts, thanks all!

iamcornholio

Rather than the element, it could be the thermostat/sensor which has tripped/blown - which is common for driers blocked with fluff.

IIRC, some of these can be reset by poking a pin in them, but in any case the actual fault will need to be looked at and found, but a thermostat is potentially less than an element

Herbyme

Thanks iamcornholio, how would I spot the thermostat/sensor? Quite happy to stick a pin iin it but wouldn't know what to look for!

faerie~spangles

Ask on the whitegoods forum

jackieb

Is there a red reset button at the back of the machine? I remember I had one on one of my dryers but can't remember which one it was. I also have this model of dryer you have but rarely use it (I get my OH to occassionally dry stuff in it - it's out in the garage and I hate going there - so I can't remember if it's this machine or not).

Herbyme

faerie, sorry but I don't know where that is, probably should have been on there to start with, what's it under? Many thanks
Jackie, thanks but sadly no reset button. It would have been a good idea though, why don't they think of things like that?!

kwatt

It's probably the thermostats, very common failure.

Which we sell here but do watch the serial number though as they were changed on production.

Element failure isn't so common on that range although it does happen at times.

HTH

K.

Herbyme

Thanks kwatt. The only snags are:
what do I do if I buy that and it's not the thermostat?
I have never ever repaired anything more complicated electrically than a lamp flex that my rabbit chewed through!
How complicated is it to do for someone with no knowledge at all?