Washer-dryers provide even more convenience than either appliance alone. This combination appliance can run both a wash cycle and a dry cycle with your laundry in half the space by using the same dryer drum and machinery for both.
However, even washer-dryers like those belonging to the Hoover brand can break down. One common problem is that the combo appliance stops heating laundry properly, either using too little heat to be practical or so much heat it creates a fire hazard.
Fortunately, the Hoover washer-dryer also comes with convenient reset buttons on both the high-limit and cycling thermostats. You can find these thermostats by opening the top of the appliance.
This post will cover how to access these reset buttons and what to do if they don’t work.
Many tumble dryer brands make sure to install a reset button or switch into the high-limit—and sometimes cycling—thermostat.
Hoover washer-dryers have a reset button on both thermostats. You can reach these components by removing the top of the machine. Looking at it from the front, they will be on the right side.
Why Do Thermostat Reset Buttons Work?
These reset buttons bring the thermostat or thermostats back to their original heating settings.
For the high-limit thermostat, this means resetting the maximum temperature that it will allow the dryer to get to. When that temperature is too low, your dryer won’t dry much, and when it’s too high it will overheat.
Cycling thermostats, rather than determining only the maximum temperature, tell the dryer when to turn the heat on or off based on how hot it’s already gotten. Pressing the reset button should set the maximum and minimum temperatures back to default, which may fix your appliance.
What to Do If Hoover Washer-Dryer Reset Button Doesn’t Work
As convenient as reset buttons are, they aren’t always sufficient to fix your machine because the cause might be something other than the thermostat’s settings. Below are some other things you can investigate before calling in a service technician:
Clean Out Any Lint
There’s more lint to clean than what the lint screen catches. Over time, debris from your laundry can escape the dryer drum and accumulate elsewhere.
One good place to check first is the duct. Vented dryers in particular rely on receiving a continuous flow of air that can either be heated up in the drum or cool down the drum. If air can’t get in or out of the dryer, it can cause trouble.
Take a look around the inside of the dryer. Lint can make its way out of the drum and into the shell of the dryer itself, gathering around other components like the motor or blower wheel.
Because of this, another place you should consider checking is the blower wheel. This component moves around heated air within the dryer and then releases it from the appliance.
On top of getting obstructed by debris, blower wheels can stop running efficiently, which also affects airflow and heating. So it’s a good idea to check that it’s both clean and able to run smoothly.
Finally, take a look at any filters in the dryer and replace them if they’re full of debris.
Grab A Multimeter and Check Heating Components
Dryer heating components like the thermostats and heating element may also play a part in your Hoover washing machine and dryer combo failing to heat properly.
The heating element, in particular, is responsible for taking heat generated elsewhere (by the ignition in a gas dryer) and transferring it to the dryer drum to heat up clothes.
When this component warps or fails, it can press against the dryer drum too closely and transfer too much heat. Or, conversely, it can move too far away from the drum and not share enough.
Verify that these components are functioning by checking for continuity with a multimeter. You’ll need to look up how many ohms each part should be receiving.
While you’re at it, visually inspect the components for any disconnected or faulty wires, warping, bulging, and other defects. A visual inspection is most beneficial for the heating element. If any piece lacks continuity, you’ll need to replace it.
Conclusion
Whether you’re pulling out clothes hot enough to start a fire or wet enough to form a lake in your laundry room, pressing the reset buttons on your Hoover washer-dryer’s cycling and high-limit thermostats can be exceptionally useful.
However, don’t fret if pressing those buttons doesn’t work. There are other fixes you can try before forking out the big bucks for a technician or new appliance altogether.
First, you can try cleaning out the dryer, pulling out lint that may have accumulated in the screen, filters, blower wheel, ducts, or around other components. Second, you can test heating components like the heating element and thermostats for continuity and replace faulty parts.
Bonus parts that you can check include the thermal fuse for continuity (a blown fuse needs to be replaced) and the dryer timer (a faulty timer may tell your appliance to run for longer or shorter than it should).
