Samsung dryers are great to have – they can dry your clothes in a fraction of the time it would take if you simply hung them up, especially on days when the weather is cold or wet. However, it can be a pain if the dryer seems to get stuck at 1 minute. What causes this, and is there anything you can do?
If your Samsung dryer is stuck on 1 minute, it can be due to a shorted-out heating element, a dirty moisture sensor, or a faulty PC board. Rectifying the problem typically involves repairing or replacing the affected part.
In this article, I’ll explore some things that could cause your Samsung dryer to keep running at 1 minute and ways of solving the problem. Let’s begin!
Samsung Dryer Stuck on 1 Minute
If your Samsung dryer is stuck on 1 minute, it could be due to one of the below reasons:
1. The Heating Element Has Shorted Out
Your dryer contains a heating element that enables it to warm up your clothes so that the moisture evaporates rapidly. It can create a short circuit if it makes contact with the metal surrounding it. This can be quite dangerous, and you may even detect a burning smell from your dryer.
As a safety feature, the dryer deactivates the heating element 1 minute before the cycle ends so that the clothes can cool down enough to be handled safely. The heating element will run the drying cycle indefinitely if it’s still active.
How To Fix
The only way to safely fix a shorted heating element on your Samsung dryer is to replace it. You can either call a local appliance repair company or do it yourself if you have the right tools and are comfortable working with such electrical components.
If you decide to replace the heating element yourself, you’ll have to source a replacement. Be sure to get one for your specific dryer model, preferably an OEM Samsung part, to ensure compatibility.
The heating element is in the bottom righthand corner in your dryer. To find its exact location, consult the user manual. Once you’ve located it, remove the faulty part, and replace it with the new one.
2. The Moisture Sensor Is Dirty
Most Samsung dryers are fitted with a moisture sensor. This component aims to ensure your clothes have dried properly before the cycle ends.
If dirt collects on your dryer’s moisture sensor, it can fool the machine into thinking that your clothes are not as dry as they should be, prompting your machine to continue its cycle indefinitely.
How To Fix
Thankfully, cleaning your moisture sensor doesn’t require special tools or significant technical knowledge. You can easily and safely do this without having to strip your dryer, such as when replacing the heating element.
All you need to clean your Samsung dryer’s moisture sensor is a Brillo pad but not the steel wool kind. These Brillo Heavy Duty Premium Scour Pads (Available on Amazon.com) will work well for this task, and you can also use them to scrub dirty pots and pans.
Once armed with a Brillo pad, locate your moisture sensor inside your dryer – it typically consists of 2 exposed metal bars. Using the Brillo pad, gently scrub the sensor’s metal parts using soap and water to help remove any accumulated grime. Once they’re shiny and clean, dry them off with a clean rag.
The PC board is your dryer’s brain, collecting information from sensors and controlling the dry cycle. If you’ve ruled out the heating element and moisture sensor, you may very well have a problem with the PC board.
If the PC board fails, it can cause your Samsung dryer to keep running at 1 minute. It may seem to work just fine otherwise, but there are many small components on the PC board, and if any of them fail, they can give you a wide variety of problems, including keeping your dryer from ending its cycle.
How To Fix
This might not be what you want to hear, but you’ll need to get the PC board replaced. You may have some luck contacting an appliance repair service, but these intricate components can be very expensive.
If your Samsung dryer is still under warranty, it’s best to contact the company you bought your dryer from and inquire about claiming against the warranty. They will, of course, want you to present proof of purchase before they honor the warranty.
If you’re lucky enough to find a reasonably priced PC board and want to replace it yourself, check out the video below to get an idea of how it’s done. Due to the number of different Samsung dryer models on the market, we cannot give specific instructions.
If you don’t want to replace the part yourself, call a technician.
Conclusion
A dryer that doesn’t stop is more than just annoying – it’s going to cost you electricity and could even be a fire hazard in the case of a shorted-out heating element. If you’re lucky, it’s something easy to resolve, like a dirty moisture sensor. If you still have a warranty in place, it’s probably best to try to get your dryer replaced entirely.
