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Maytag Dryer Board Repair

JPhresh

Nov 6, 2018
3
Joined
Nov 6, 2018
Messages
3
Greetings Folks!

Apologies in advance for my complete lack of knowledge... I have a control board from my dryer that needs what appears to be a fairly simple repair, but it's well beyond my expertise, so I'm seeking help in either getting (fairly detailed) instructions on how to do it myself or a lead on someone who can do it. (I think I'd probably prefer the latter.) The issue is a small button on the board that causes the dryer to start when depressed for a few seconds. There are three other identical buttons on the board that serve other functions and are still functional, but the one that receives pressure from the start switch has completely given out and simply fallen off.

https://imgur.com/a/PPxML2U

One of the functional buttons is in the lower right of the photo. The broken one is in the upper left. Please let me know if you have any ideas on how to get this fixed. The board itself is no longer manufactured and is unavailable anywhere on the Internet, so it's either fix this or spend stupid money on a new dryer when I have an old one that still works otherwise. I'm located in the San Francisco Bay area if anyone local can lend a hand.

Thanks in Advance!
-J Phresh
 

Bluejets

Oct 5, 2014
6,901
Joined
Oct 5, 2014
Messages
6,901
If you have little to zero knowledge /experience with soldering, I would advise against your having a "crack at it" so-to-speak.
It is fairly straight forward to order the replacement switch. Problems start when in some instances, the tracks on the board can be rather a pain.
Mostly due to the fact that it would more than likely be a lead free solder but additionally (and the hardest) is the solder contacts may well be on a large trace. What this does is make it very difficult to get enough heat into the mother to firstly release the existing switch, secondly to flood the contacts cleanly in prep for the new switch, and lastly getting the new switch back in.
All without cooking the traces and making a rather large mess.
 

JPhresh

Nov 6, 2018
3
Joined
Nov 6, 2018
Messages
3
Thank you Bluejets! Your reply confirmed what I suspected -- that under no circumstances should I attempt this myself. So then the question becomes this: how do I find someone who can fix it? Or is this a case where it's simply too difficult to fix and I should be thinking about rewiring the dryer?
 

Ylli

Jun 19, 2018
401
Joined
Jun 19, 2018
Messages
401
It *looks* like there are only two active connections to the switch, so it is most likely a SPST momentary contact. A replacement part should not be too hard to find. You might want to see if you can find a local Amateur Radio (Ham) club. Then inquire if there is anyone in the club who would be able to remove/replace the switch for you. It really is a simple job if you have the proper soldering equipment.
 

JPhresh

Nov 6, 2018
3
Joined
Nov 6, 2018
Messages
3
Much appreciated Ylli! I did post on Nextdoor looking for someone with electronics repair experience, but struck out. I'll see if I can find my local Ham radio club, although I'm not holding out a lot of hope based on the Ham operators I have known in the past. I'm just outside of Silicon Valley -- surely there's someone with the interest and experience near me if I can only find them!
 
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