The moment you hit that “Start” button of your dryer, you expect the unit to begin the countdown and remain consistent until the cycle is done and your clothes are perfectly dry. So, when your dryer starts all well only to jump to displaying 1 minute remaining on the timer during a cycle, you can almost feel your heart skip a beat.
We understand your anxiety, and it should actually be something to worry about. After all, you know that a slight mishap during the cycle could send you back to the boutique for a new set of clothes.
But let’s not go down that route and first try to figure out why Samsung Dryer drops to 1 minute during a cycle.
Reasons For Samsung Dryer Timer Drop To 1 Minute During A Cycle
If your appliance’s timer has been falling to 1 minute during a cycle, you aren’t alone. A few minutes on the internet reveals that other Samsung Dryer users are facing this issue and the root cause could be several things.
Here are some of the likely reasons:
- Moisture sensor coating or blockage
- Clogged lint trap
- Obstructions in the vent pipe
- Activated wrinkle-prevention feature
- Broken thermistor
- Damaged wire harness
- Shorted heat element
- A defective electronic control board
Let’s dive deeply into these issues and see what they have to do with the timer dropping to 1 minute.
Moisture Sensor Coating Or Blockage
The moisture sensor is the part that senses the humidity level inside the dryer. It then triggers the timer adjustment depending on how much moisture is in the clothes.
If there is a coating of lint on the sensor, it can confuse the appliance about the moisture level and lead to your timer jumping to a minute.
Sometimes it doesn’t have to be lint. If the moisture sensor is covered by clothes or isn’t clean, it can lead to similar issues.
Clogged Lint Trap
Another issue that could lead to a timer drop is a clogged lint filter. As your clothes tumble to mix with the heated air in the drum, lint particles come off and get trapped in the lint filter.
Now, if you don’t pay attention to regularly cleaning the lint filter, it can get blocked with debris and lead to the dryer timer dropping to 1 minute.
Obstructions In The Vent Pipe
Once the heated air extracts water from clothes, the resulting hot humid air is pushed out of the appliance through an exhaust vent pipe. It’s also the exact part that captures any lint that escapes the lint trap.
For a dryer to work efficiently, it needs to properly vent hot air out without any obstruction. But if something is blocking that pipe, the repercussions can affect your appliance’s performance, causing it to overheat and, sometimes, dropping the timer to a minute.
Activated Wrinkle-Prevention Feature
A lot of high-end dryers come with features that help to prevent wrinkles as well as minimize the amount of shrinking. This feature is great to have, but sometimes it can be the root cause of your timer dropping to 1 minute during a cycle.
In some models, this characteristic will keep the drum tumbling your clothes even after the drying cycle ends. During this time, no heat is applied, so you don’t need to worry about your clothes getting damaged.
But the problem is, some models won’t end the session as long as the clothes are tumbling and will keep displaying 1 minute on the timer. So, if your machine has a feature called “Wrinkle Prevent”, “Wrinkle Release”, or any other similar name, it’s probably the reason your timer is stuck at 1 minute.
Broken Thermistor
The thermistor is a temperature sensor that helps the dryer to adjust the air heat level. It’s also responsible for turning off the heating element when a specific temperature is reached.
So, if your thermistor is broken, it’s possible that it won’t register the temperature in the dryer correctly and will keep running the heating element even after it’s reached the preset limit. As a result, the timer will keep dropping to 1 minute.
Damaged Wire Harness
If there are any loose wires in your dryer, or if the wiring is damaged, especially the one connecting the thermistor and the central control board, then that can be enough reason for your timer to remain stuck at a minute.
You see, for your dryer to work correctly and the timer to count down usually, constant communication between the central control board and the thermistor needs to be maintained.
However, if the wires connecting them are damaged or loose, the connection between the thermistor and the electronic control board won’t be established, and that may cause issues with the usual timing of the cycles. The consequences could range from a timer stuck at 1 minute or not turning on.
Shorted Heating Element
The heating element is one of the main components in your dryer. It consists of coils that create resistance to electricity trying to flow through them, resulting in them turning red hot. This heats the incoming air before it’s blown into the drum by either fans or the blower wheel.
Now, these coils are enclosed in a metal casing for safety reasons. But over time, one of the coils may come into contact with the metal casing, resulting in a short circuit.
The problem with the short circuits is that they’ll keep the heating element active even when the heating cycle should have long ended. That’s why, the timer may be stuck at 1 minute.
Defective Electronic Control Board
It’s probably the worst-case scenario but also the least likely. The electronic control board controls all the different components, like the heater, fans, etc.
And if it’s faulty, it won’t send signals to the other components correctly, resulting in some of them not working as they should. If that’s the case, the effects may manifest through any means, including your timer freezing at 1 minute during a cycle.
But then, if the timer is the only problem you’re having with your dryer, then a defective control board is probably not the cause.
Fixes For Samsung Dyer Timer Jumps To 1 Minute
Now that we’ve established the possible reasons for your Samsung dryer timer jumping to 1 minute, let’s take a look at some of the fixes.
Clean Moisture Sensor
If you suspect the moisture sensor to be the culprit, the first thing you should do is clean it. The process is quite easy and can be done with a soft cloth and some warm soapy water.
Then, use a dry towel to wipe the sensor bars. You want to ensure that you don’t leave any water residue on the sensor as that may interfere with its functioning.
Clear The Lint Trap
The rule of thumb is that you need to clean the lint trap after every batch of clothes. So, if you haven’t done that for several rounds, you may try cleaning it up to see if it could be the cause your dyer’s timer behaves the way it does.
Just remove the lint screen and, using a vacuum cleaner, suck up any lint on it. Then, wash it in a sink using water and dish soap before rinsing. As it dries, use a vacuum cleaner to suck up any lint residue remaining on the slot into which the lint trap goes.
Remove Any Obstructions From Dryer Vent
Make sure you look into your dryer’s vent and remove any obstructions that you may find there. This can include lint, pet hair, bird nests, etc.
The good thing is that we’ve got dryer vent cleaning kits available in the market that can help you with this task.
Additionally, if you find that your dryer vent is damaged in any way or it’s really old, then you may consider replacing it.
Turn Off The Wrinkle-Prevention Feature
If you identified the problem to be due to the wrinkle-prevention feature, then you may just turn it off. That should put a stop to the timer going down to 1 minute during a cycle.
Inspect The Thermistor
If you suspect the thermistor is the reason for all the trouble, you should inspect it. For this task, you’ll need a multimeter for the work.
Test resistance by placing the multimeter’s probes on either ends of the thermistor. If the resistance falls within the range specified in your dryer’s manual, the thermistor is functioning as it should.
But if not, you may have to replace the thermistor with a new one.
Inspect The Wire Harness
If you notice that the wire connecting the thermistor and the central control board is damaged or disconnected, you may have to replace the wire harness.
It’s essential that you do this task with extreme caution as one wrong connection can cause even more damage to your dryer.
Replace The Heating Element
If tests reveal that you have a shorted heating element, you may want to replace it. This can be done by undoing a few screws and replacing the part with a new one.
Just ensure that you get the right replacement part for your dryer model. If you’re uncertain, you can always check the manual or consult an appliance service professional.
Get A New Electronic Control Board
If the above fixes don’t seem to work, you may have to get a new electronic control board for your dryer.
Again, this task needs to be done with caution as even the slightest mistake can damage your dryer. Actually, if you don’t have the necessary skills and experience, it’s best that you leave this task to a professional.
How Do I Reset My Samsung Dryer?
Resetting your Samsung dryer is a straightforward task – just unplug the unit or switch off power supply at the breaker box. Then, wait about 5 minutes for the electrical charge to clear out entirely from the appliance before you plug it back in or switch on the breaker box to reset the dryer.
Some issues with your Samsung Dyer, such as the unit not spinning or the timer going down to 1 minute during a cycle can be dealt with by just resetting your dryer. That’s a common strategy in all appliances, not just dryers.
How To Clean The Moisture Sensor On Samsung Dryer?
The moisture sensor on your Samsung Dryer can be cleaned using a soft cloth and a little warm water with soap. Then, use a dry towel to wipe the sensor bars so that you don’t leave any water residue on the sensor.
Once you’re cleaning the moisture sensor, run an empty cycle so the dryer can recalibrate itself. That way, you can be sure that the sensor is functioning as it should.
Conclusion
Samsung Dryer dropping to 1 minute can emanate from anything, really, from clogged lint trap to damaged electronic control board and other components. The best way to know what’s causing the issue is by going through each possible cause and inspecting each component.
If you have any doubts, then it’s best to consult a professional. That way, you can be sure that the issue is fixed quickly and with the minimum amount of hassle without putting it at risk of further damage.