A Frigidaire Affinity dryer blinking lights is already a headache on its own. However, having it stop in the middle of a cycle is a much bigger issue altogether. With repairman fees rising every year, it’s normal for homeowners to wonder whether they can fix dryer issues themselves.
An Affinity dryer stopping mid-cycle with blinking lights could mean an overheated motor or a broken thermistor. This may be due to excessive lint and dust in the motor and exhaust and/or damages in the thermistor wiring due to pests such as termites and rats.
This article elaborates on the processes that make your dryer stop mid-cycle, along with blinking lights. It will also guide you on replacing faulty parts so you can get your dryer up and running! Let’s get started!
1. Lint and Dust Trap the Dryer Motor’s Heat
Generally, Frigidaire’s dryer products are some of the most reliable in the market. But like all products, they have their flaws, too, which I elaborate on in this article. But when it stops mid-cycle with blinking lights, a possible culprit for this could be an overheated motor.
As you may know, in the process of spinning, lint and dust will find their way into the dryer compartments. This includes the motor, which is a crucial part of your dryer. The motor, as you may know, converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.
Basically, it’s what causes your dryer to spin. So whenever you have appliances that suddenly stop, it’s almost always a motor issue.
When heat cannot come out of its proper vents, it raises the temperature within various compartments. Many dryers nowadays have heat-sensitive components and can only operate properly if the correct temperature is achieved. As a result, your Fridigaire dryer stops, and lights flash.
How To Fix
You will have to either clean the motor or replace it altogether for this issue. To access the motor compartment, here’s what you need to do:
Plug off all power sources. Do not perform parts replacement with live electricity.
Take out the back panel and the vent cover. Then, take out the entire vent. You should be able to easily see the motor once these parts are taken out.
The motor is a pulley system with plug-in wires from the right side. Get a trusted brush to clean the area out if you see a buildup of lint and dust in the entire motor. If you are already satisfied with the cleaning, re-screw the back panel and the vents. Turn on your Affinity dryer and see if the problem still persists. If it does, you may have to replace the motor.
To replace the motor, here’s what you need to do:
The first thing to do is to take out the tensioner pulley. It is the larger pulley on the right side, usually colored white.
Don’t freak out if it nudges easily. It’s not bolted in. Afterward, take the belt off.
Replacing the motor completely requires taking the entire drum out. To do this, you have to remove the top and front panels. Generally, this is very straightforward. Begin by taking the screws that hold the top panel found at the back of the dryer. Then, take out the screws at the sides. The trick for removing panels is always finding the screw that keeps them attached to the dryer.
Once done, you can begin removing the front panel. This is a bit trickier as the front holds the control panel, which is attached to wires. Once you have access to the control panel, remove the wires on the sides.
You can take out the drum when you’ve removed the front panel. This should give you easy access to the motor.
Replacing the motor is very easy. The first thing to do is attach vise grips to keep the motor in its place. At the back of the motor is the dryer’s fan. Unscrew the bolt that holds the motor attached to the fan.
Remove the clip between the motor and the fan and the clip at the back of the motor. Once these clips are loosened, you can easily tug the entire motor off.
Attach the replacement motor. Re-attach the wires and the pulley. Re-attach the motor to the fan. Re-attach the drums. Re-screw the front and top panels.
Finally, close the dryer by re-screwing the vent, vent cover, and back panel. Check to see if the problems still persist.
Another possible reason for your Frigidaire Affinity dryer’s light flashing is a faulty thermistor.
The thermistor’s role is to monitor the temperature of the entire dryer. It lets the dryer know if it is running under the right temperature. Your dryer stops mid-cycle and emits blinking lights to let you know the temperature report it’s getting from the thermistor isn’t right.
A possible culprit for this is a faulty thermistor. Note that a thermistor differs from a thermostat, for a thermistor’s resistance changes according to the temperature.
How To Fix
To replace the thermistor, here’s what you need to do:
Like always, begin by unplugging the dryer.
In many Frigidaire dryers, the thermistor is located behind the front panel, on the lower right of the drum. Take out the front and top panels for easy access.
Two wires are attached to the thermistor. Take mental notes of each of the wire’s connections. In some models, they have similar colors.
Using pliers, remove the wires. Remember to tug on the head of the wire and not on the wire itself.
Unscrew the thermistor from the dryer. Pull out the thermistor. Clean it out if you notice a buildup of lint or dust from where the thermistor used to be.
Take out your replacement thermistor and set the two screws in place on the thermistor before attaching it to the dryer.
Once you’ve finished with the screws, re-attach the wires. Re-attach the front panel you have taken out.
Plug in your dryer and see if the problem still persists. If you can sense heat from the dryer and there are no more blinking lights, that means you’ve solved the problem.
Summary
Your Frigidaire Affinity dryer’s complications can be traced to either an overheated motor or a faulty thermistor. These components are crucial, and the dryer cannot operate if they’re not properly working. But with straightforward fixes, you can get your trusted Affinity back and running in no time.
