My amana gas dryer seems to be taking longer then normal to dry clothes. I've always used the moisture sensor and one day I noticed it had been running for 10 hours (although the clothes were dry and not particularly warm). I figured the moisture sensor died and switched to using the timer. It takes a long, long time to dry clothes now. I wathed the dryer cycle and noticed that when I started it the dryer ran for a few seconds, then the electric ignitor came on, then the gas came on and the flame lit. The flame stayed on for about 9 minutes and then turned off. After that, the ignitor comes on every minute (exactly every minute in fact), stays on for 10 seconds, then turns off. After about 7-9 of these cycles the gas will come on and the flame stays on for 6-8 minutes. It then goes back to the cycling of the ignitor every minute, with no flame, for another 6-9 minutes or so. I suspect the humidity sensor is bad, but I'm wondering if there is something else that has gone bad as well. Should the ignitor come on every minute even if there is no cal for heat? I would think the ignitor would only come on when there is a call for heat, but the fact that it comes on exactly every minute has me wondering. Thanks for your help... Steve

Ain't no moisture sensor. This is is not an electronic sensing machine. It uses another method to determine dryness. An orange wire connects to the base of the heating element. The timer motor is driven by power from it in auto dry. The timer motor is VERY slow. Slower than most dryer timer motors.As the clothes get dryer the heat is not needed so the element is turned off by the control thermostat which is mounted next to the skinny white fuse on the blower housing. This allows for the turtle like motor on the timer to advance. Once the clothes get to the point of dryness the heater stays off way longer and the timer motor advances on over to the cool down and carry on over to the end of cycle. So the clothes won't always be dry due to factors like lint buildup in the blower housing, venting to outside and so forth. having said that my mom bought a brand new Kenmore dryer and I set it on 55 minutes timed drying. At the end of that them clothes is still damp. I then set it to auto dry high heat and that usually gets em dry. I think the main probo with this dryer is the thermostat ain't set as high as older models to keep the heat at a moderate temp so that the limits won't blow on models in apts and such. Just a theory.

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try cleaning the 2 silver senser bars located inside the dryer drum on the door side with isopropyl alcohol and lint free wipes,these bars sense moisture and control timer speed,and when they get coated with the chemicals in dryer sheets they become coated and can no longer sense the damp clothes (these sensers use capacitance to sense moisture)

Hi cipera11...

I think your problem is a clogged or cogging vent

If your dryer seems to run forever, it could be because of a clogged vent or internal ductwork. Your dryer may have an automatic cycle that turns off the dryer when the clothes are dry. It does this with a special thermostat or moisture-sensing system.
Normally, this is what happens during an automatic cycle:
The thermostat tells the dryer to heat until the interior of the dryer reaches a pre-set temperature--say 135 degrees.
When the dryer reaches the pre-set temperature, the thermostat tells the timer to begin advancing. (If there's a moisture sensor, the timer advances only if the moisture content of the clothing is low enough.)
The timer advances until the interior cools, then the thermostat tells the timer to stop advancing, and tells the dryer to start heating again.
This cycle continues until the clothes are dry.
But...if the vent is clogged, the dryer may never reach the proper operating temperature, so it doesn't send the signal to the timer and the dryer continues to run indefinitely, even if the clothes are completely dry. To fix the problem, clean the vent and/or internal ductwork.
Heating Element
Your dryer's heating element may be partially burned out. If it is, your dryer still heats, but at such a low temperature that it takes three or four times as long to dry the clothes. If the element is partially burned out, replace the heating element. You can check for an ohm reading but will need to refer to the service manual for proper reading. This sometimes on the tech sheet located somewhere on the dryer. Usually between 9-13 ohms.
Cycling thermostat
Although this isn't a common problem, one of the thermostats that controls the temperature in your dryer may break and cause the dryer to heat poorly. If so, you need to replace it. The thermostat is usually a small, round, black device mounted to an oblong steel plate. The plate is mounted to the internal ductwork . This thermostat usually has four wires going to it. Check the 2 terminals that are opposite each other and are the closer together of the 2. These 2 terminals should have continuity. If not replace the thermostat.
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you could have bad gas coils.if the timer doesn't advance in auto dry most likely you're having heat problems,when the dryer heats and then the heat shuts off then the timer will advance,when the heat comes back on the timer stops,it does this until the clothes are dry.gas coils when starting to fail will work normally until they get hot and then no heat until the coils cool down then they will work again,on time dry the timer just keeps counting down until the time runs out no matter what's happening to the dryer.i've seen the coils fail after the first 10 minutes and other times for 20 to 30 minutes but usually if the load is big and in time dry the clothes will feel warm and you'll need to dry them a second time to get them fully dry,also while you're in ther you should clean out the dryer at least once a year,clean out the duct that the lint filter slides into,vacuum out the cabinet where the motor is and blow out the vent line,if it's a long run i use a leaf blower to blow out the line,remove it from the back of the dryer,stick the leaf blower into the vent line and blow it out,i've blown out birds nest out of some lines, your clothes will dry on time,you won't go through so many parts and you won't have to worry about a dryer fire,the gas coils are on top of the gas valve,remove the two phillips screws,lift off the cover and change out the coils.next time you use the dryer keep an eye on it,after it runs for 20 minutws start checking it,you'll hear a click,then another click and the flame will lite,look into the gas tube and if the flame isn't liting then you have bad gas coils.

If your dryer seems to run forever, it could be because of a clogged vent or internal ductwork. Your dryer may have an automatic cycle that turns off the dryer when the clothes are dry. It does this with a special thermostat or moisture-sensing system.Normally, this is what happens during an automatic cycle: The thermostat tells the dryer to heat until the interior of the dryer reaches a pre-set temperature--say 135 degrees. When the dryer reaches the pre-set temperature, the thermostat tells the timer to begin advancing. (If there's a moisture sensor, the timer advances only if the moisture content of the clothing is low enough.) The timer advances until the interior cools, then the thermostat tells the timer to stop advancing, and tells the dryer to start heating again. This cycle continues until the clothes are dry. But...if the vent is clogged, the dryer may never reach the proper operating temperature, so it doesn't send the signal to the timer and the dryer continues to run indefinitely, even if the clothes are completely dry. To fix the problem, clean the vent and/or internal ductwork.

The problem is the dryer coils are failing. They tend to fail as they heat up. They are inexpensive and easy to replace. Here is a link that should help http://appliancehelponline.com/gdryertroublevideo.html

there are 3 reasons for a dryer not doing the job yet running through the motions. 1st, the heat is not being produced and only cool room temp air is circulating. this can be a burned-out electric element or an over-heat sensor, or in0line safety fuse. ( if gas, can be ignitor or gas valve coils).. It could be that the washer is not ringing (spinning) dry the clothes verywell and there is too much moisture stiil in clothes which would double the dry time from 50-60 minutes to 2 hours. 3rd, could be clogged vent line and the hot moist air cannot leave the dryer so the clothes get hot by the moisture stays.

try to get the manual for the dryer you got and locate the moisture sensor if this sensor is bad what happen is that the automatic timer thinks that the clothes still wet and continues to dry once the sensor detects no moisture then it shut off the dryer normally is located behind the dryer on the exit line of the air duct and tested for conductivity and see if is good or not

try timed dry cycle instead of the auto-sensing setting. In your drum if you have auto dry such as less dry normal dry and more dry, There is a sensor sometimes in the drum and sometimes in the exhaust right after the blower. If in the drum then your clothes brush by this and if moisture is sensed then it keeps on drying. With your rack the clothes can't touch the sensor so it tells your dial to turn and that items are dry which in fact are not. Try this and see how it does.

mamch,
You said,We have a Frigidaire Gallery dryer with a moisture sensor. I've had this model in the past with no concerns, but our current model doesn't seem to work as well. When set to an "automatic" cycle (where the moisture sensor is used) the clothes don't always come out dry and it has to be turned on again. Would there be any reason for this?

What's the model # and the age?
There are two types of moisture sensors.
One has to strips of metal on a black disk looking thing on the dryer rear wall and the other works on steam rather than contact!
Could be you had the better on before that was the contact one rather than the steamm sensor!
How long to dry a load of clothes ?