New Electrolux Dryer with Clamshell filter - NOT IMPRESSED

last year

After 11 years with our Electrolux Dryer, it finally gave up the ghost--board and heating element (for the second time). The new one came with a clamshell lint trap--it is two layers and opens up to clean it, which is sort of a pain, but OK. So far, I can't say I'm impressed with it. Drying any large and bulky load (load of towels, blankets) results in lint all over the front of the door, and sometimes, we get a few drips of water as well. Cleaning up after the dryer? No, thanks. This happened with the very first loads, so it's not that the lint trap is dirty. It's under warranty so of course, the repairman visited and said that the problem is restricted air flow. The issue is not the venting we have, he checked all that and it's OK. Apparently it's the lint filter--again, this is a new dryer, and this was the first time we'd used it. (Towels seemed like a good start). He rinsed the lint trap and it didn't let water pass easily--this was a week after delivery. We do not use softeners. He suggested smaller loads of towels. If I wanted to do smaller loads, I'd have bought a smaller machine! The old one never gave us any issues and worked great. Anyone else with this issue? Bad design or am I just lucky?

Featured Answer

dadoes

last year

@Chris

Setting the dryer *slightly* off-level toward the sensor bars (front or back) can help small loads tumble toward the bars for better contact.

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Comments (22)

Cavimum
last year
All i can say is thank you for the heads up. And the warning. I have never thought to look at lint filters when buying a dryer.
cj47 thanked Cavimum
Kate
last year
I have the electrolux with the clam shell filter and my complaint is on smaller loads things just end up lying on the filter and not tumbling. I use dryer balls which helps some.
cj47 thanked Kate
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nycbluedevil_gw
last year
I have had this dryer for about 15 months and have had no problems with the clamshell filter.
cj47 thanked nycbluedevil_gw
Chris
last year
I also have had this dryer for about 2 years now and find no issue with the filter either, atually i find it to be more affective then my old dryers filter. my only real conplaint would be that if i am drying a small load the sensors arent super accurate, and they tend to still be damp, but that was an issue with my old dryer too. larger loads dry perfectly.
cj47 thanked Chris
cj47
Original Author
last year
Thank you to all who have answered. It appears that either there's something wrong with the filter we have, or something in my dryer setup was fine for the old dryer but not for the new. I suspect the latter, since no one else is reporting the same issues. Other than this problem with larger/heavier loads, I have no issues with the unit, it works as well as the old one did. I will see if there are any improvements I can make to the setup that might mitigate this problem. Of course, smaller loads of heavy things is a possible, but would be annoying, since the size of this dryer was a factor in the purchase decision. Have a lovely holiday season, everyone!
Olychick
last year
I've had my Electrolux set for about 1.5 years and except for the kind of awkward opening and closing /inserting of the filter, I've been really impressed with the amount of lint the filter traps. My complaint about the dryer is when I am washing bathroom rugs, they somehow get caught on the area surrounding the filter by the door and jam under it, causing the drum to screech to a halt. So, when I expect the clothes to be finished drying, I find them still wet, the dryer has stopped, and I have to muscle the caught laundry out of the thing it gets caught on. It only seems to be rugs that get caught. My other complaint is that when I open the door to remove something to hang (partially dry) lots of the clothes will fall out the front of the machine. It's a poor design. My old dryer never had that happen.
cj47 thanked Olychick
HU-243558344
10 months ago
I just bought this dryer and I have the same issue somehow some the lint gets trapped on the door seal…any resolution? thanks
cj47 thanked HU-243558344
L E
10 months ago
I have a brand new electrolux dryer with the clamshell filter and i end up with more lint in my clothes and sheets than in the filter. i clean the filter each load and i never had a problem with my previous GE dryer
L E
10 months ago
I have a brand new electrolux dryer with the clamshell filter and i seem to have more little lint balls on my clothing than in the filter. Also some on the door seal. I clean it each load. i never had this problem with mt old GE dryer.
PNici Calendar
10 months ago
We just bought a new Electrolux washer and dryer and have the same problem with lint being all around the dryer door seal as well as some deips of water. No issues with the old dryer and there are no problems with the air flow through the vent. Think we will be returning these
cj47 thanked PNici Calendar
HU-300036310
7 months ago
I really dislike my dryer with the clamshell lint filter. Many of our loads are smaller and more delicate, but most of the clothes end up on top of the wide clamshell and half way up the door, not dry. My daughter suggests that I should sue Electrolux for mental anguish.
nancyinbrazil
4 months ago
I have a new Electrolux dryer and I have tons of lint stuck on the frame outside my house (have to unblock every 2 weeks) and very little on the clamshell filter with every load. How is it bypassing the lint filter?
borddebb
4 months ago
ive had my electrolux dryer for about 6 years i have the clamshell filter no issues until 2 days ago my filter is stuck and wont come out anyone else have this issue?
Dr. Bonnie Granat
2 months ago
I purchased the clamshell Electrolux dryer from Home Depot it arrived on Halloween,

2023 - should have seen this as a bad omen. As i write this, that's 3 1/2 months ago. We are currently a family of just 2!! The dryer seemed to work ok at the start. Shortly (2 months later) the dryer was taking way too long to dry, a clanking noise developed, and water dripped from the front of the machine. I'll spare readers the chronology of my calls to both Home Depot and Electrolux, but trust me, there were many. Finally Electrolux sent a repairman who told me that although clean to the eye, the filter was coated with a film from the dryer sheets which I would guess most folks use. He ordered us another filter. In the mean time, I could wash the one I had. I checked the manual and it casually mentions you should wash this filter "occasionally." Then i tried to wash the filter. Wash is NOT the word here. i had to scrub 3+ times with a tooth brush to remove the film. I don't have a sink in the basement, so if this needs to be done often, not occasionally, I've got to drag this nastly thing into my kitchen sink, to remove a very stuck-on film. Now, I use the typical dryer sheets. For me, this is a design flaw. Any suggestions? Id love to dump this thing.

Including extended warrantee I paid > $1500. Any suggestions for recourse?
georgect
2 months ago
Dr. Bonnie Granat...

I don't understand. If the dryer sheets are leaving a "very stuck-on film" why are you continuing to use dryer sheets.

Everyone knows these things (dryer sheets) leave a waxy coating on every part of your dryer and your clothes.

The lint filter is the easiest part you can clean because you can easily remove it (instead of taking the dryer apart).

The dryer lint screen is very fine, tightly woven material.

An easy fix is to stop using the dryer sheets. You'll also save money.

They reek havoc on the machine, clothes and your skin.
Olychick
2 months ago
I would also stop using the dryer sheets. I don't use any softener at all, but people seem pleased with dryer balls to reduce static. Back when I was working and had to wear a poly uniform, I did use unscented dryer sheets for static. I put the clothes in with the sheet and let the clothes get good and hot, but still wet, then hung the clothes to finish drying. The sheet got hot enough to do its job but not hot enough to melt the goo on the sheet.
Victoria Swinburne
last month
The issue we are having with our brand new Electrolux dryer is CLEANING the lint trap. No matter what we use to remove the lint, it is so fine that it just sticks to the trap. We do use dryer sheets so after reading all these comments, I'm wondering if fabric softener in the washer instead is the answer to our lint issue.
Greg Smith
last month
I have an approximately 20 year old Bosch dryer that has a very fine screen on the lint filter. Originally I was using liquid fabric softener in the washer but kept having recurring mold issues in the cavity where the dispenser drawer goes, even if I took the drawer out and towel dried the cavity. I switched to dryer sheets because of this and no more mold issues. However, after some time I did notice a build up from the softener sheets on the fine lint screen. To easily clean it, soak the screen in a sink with a good quality liquid laundry detergent or hand dish detergent and hot water. Let it soak for 30 minutes or so and then you can use an old toothbrush or just your fingers to clean the residue from the screen. I let it dry and then mine is like new again.
cj47 thanked Greg Smith
Terry Ritchie
9 days ago
We have the same poor drying performance, takes forever and checked that clamshell filter myself even before coming to this msg board and I can barely blow air through it. So likely that is the limiting factor for dryer performance and mine is gas not electric. thinking to get a needle and pierce that screen some to increase the air flow accordingly.
dadoes
9 days ago
Air is pulled through dryer lint filters, not pushed through. There's more resistance pushing air at a screen or filter than pulling through it. Same for HVAC system filters and range hoods ... air is pulled through.
Cadyren
3 days ago
Settings on the Electrolux dryer are long if you use the regular eco settings. I don't mind them & I'd like to assume they use lower heat, but I am not sure! Things dry faster if you hit the dry boost option. Any setting where the leaf comes up takes longer in my opinion, but like longer wash cycles in a FL, the time doesn't bother me. YMMV

New Electrolux Dryer with Clamshell filter - NOT IMPRESSED

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New Electrolux Dryer with Clamshell filter - NOT IMPRESSED

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