My dryer is getting hot on top what can this be caused by

Good afternoon friend, thanks for the post!

I see from your post that your Frigidaire dryer is getting extremely hot on the top and back. Have you checked to make sure that it is getting proper ventilation? I would verify nothing is blocking your dryer from ventilating which could be causing the appliance to heat up. If it continues to heat up I would reach out to a technician to come diagnose and repair your dryer. I hope this is helpful. -Matt

It's very possible your element shorted to ground causing the element to get constant currant from the wall outlet if it was hot without running, if thats the case you need to replace the heating element.

Hello cubernesis - The cycling thermostat of the dryer may need replacing. There could possibly be a malfunction in the thermostat in the return, so if it gets too hot on the auto dry cycle - it stops and will not re-start until it cools down. This could be caused by either lint or something else clogging the vent - thus causing it to overheat. You should be able to feel the top of the dryer right at the back of the top - near the console right after it shuts off. If it is getting too hot to the touch look to the items I have mentioned. Should you find that these suggestions are ineffective, may we suggest contacting a professional to move forward accurately who will be able to diagnose the problem.

An educated guess would be either the lint tube or the tube that exhausts the air outside is blocked with lint----no airflow or greatly reduced flow will cause this symptom.

Hello - The following could be reasons for your dryer to stop working; there could possibly be a malfunction in the thermostat in the return, so if it gets too hot on the auto dry cycle, it stops and will not re-start until it cools down. This could be caused by either lint or something else clogging the vent thus causing it to overheat. You should be able to feel the top of the dryer right at the back of the top near the console right after it shuts off. If it is getting too hot to the touch look to the items I have mentioned. Should you find that these suggestions are ineffective, may we suggest contacting a professional to move forward accurately who will be able to diagnose the problem.

usually a clogged or obstructed vent hose or outside vent causes this. Also check inside the dryer (when cool) to see if there is lint building up inside, hindering air circulation.

Check the moisture vent for restrictions from the dryer to where it exits outside. If it is restricted dryer will overheat. Also thermostat could be faulty causing dryer to overheat. And finally the insulation might have moved out of place inside the dryer causing the top to get very hot.

This is usually caused by a motor getting too hot. The motor has a shutoff to protect it against burnout. It will reset when it gets cool. As the motor overheats more and more these shutoffs become more frequent and longer

Motors get hot for several reasons:

1. Motor going bad
2. Lint around motor causing it to retain heat
3. Vent system open at some point inside or behind case allowing heated air to remain in motor area

Follow the procedure below to disassemble and check interior of dryer. Vacuum carefully especially around and in the ends of the motor.

Disconnect power.

Open the door and look along the front upper edge of the door opening. In the top left and right rounded corner of the door opening you will see screws going upward into the top. Remove both screw and raise the top.

Look down inside the open top dryer from above on each left and right edge there will be a screw holding the front assembly to the case of the dryer. Remove 1 on each side.

The dryer front can now be pulled toward you about 3 inches at the top and then lifted off the bottom clips and swung away to the right from the case. Be careful not to strain any wires connected between the case and the front.

This will expose the underside of the dryer along with motor and venting for checking and vacuuming. Perform thorough vacuuming and reverse the above process for reassembly.

Check your vent it may be stopped up this will cause the top to get overly hot and the bearing to squeak

Any time you perform work inside a dryer, lint can get kicked around and settle on components. It is common to have a slight burning smell for a day or so. However, your dryer getting too hot to the touch concerns me. Improper air flow is the number one cause of dryer overheating problems. You may have cleaned the lint out of the interior of your dryer, but did you check the air blower and vent duct lines? In addition, was the heating elements actually bad? Or, did you assume it was bad, because your dryer wasn't drying properly? The following link can explain:

http://www.fixya.com/support/r630242-dryer_runs_but_not_heat

Pay particular attention to the paragraph that discusses proper ventilation. I would recommend you remove the vent hose from the back of the dryer and attempt to dry another load. If the dryer dries more efficiently and the top panel does not get scorching hot to the touch, then you have a vent clog somewhere EXTERNAL to the dryer. If the dryer air flow exiting the dryer is weak and the dryer still gets too hot to the touch, you have a clog INSIDE the dryer.

Follow these steps, first and see what you find. If you verify your ventilation is clear and not kinked or clogged anywhere, then you might assume you have a component malfunction. I would hope to try to save you from purchasing parts you may not need. I hope you find this information helpful. Let me know if you require additional assistance.

PS Make sure you are using semi-rigid (metal type) vent ducting. It is crush resistant, heat resistant, does not kink easily, and resists rodents. It is what most manufacturers recommend. If you haven't replaced the dryer vent in a while, this may be a good time.