GE Dryer Keeps Saying Sensing/Not Sensing

Dryers have become a must-have appliance in most homes these days because they make doing the laundry more convenient and faster. GE dryers are among some of the most popular dryers on the market; however, like any appliance, they can run into some issues. So what do you do when your dryer isn’t sensing whether or not your clothes are wet and, as a result, isn’t drying them properly?

To fix the issue with your GE dryer’s moisture sensor, you can first try giving it a good clean with some steel wool or a dish scrubber and dry and damp cloth. If that doesn’t work, you’ll need to disassemble your dryer to replace the moisture sensor.

GE Dryer Keeps Saying Sensing/Not Sensing

In this article, we’ll go over the things you need to know about your dryer’s moisture sensor, including how to tell if it’s broken, what can cause a sensor to become faulty, how to clean the sensor, and how to fix it. Let’s dive in!

How Do You Know the Sensor of Your GE Dryer Is Faulty/Broken?

If you find that your dryer is taking longer than usual to dry your clothes, over-drying them, or leaving them still slightly damp once the cycle has ended, your moisture sensor is likely at fault.

To test this, place some dry clothing in your dryer and set it on an automatic cycle. It should run for a few minutes and then switch off once it senses that the clothes are dry. Then try the same thing with some damp clothes. This time the machine should run for a longer time, and when it does switch off, your clothes should be dried. If either or both of these tests failed, you know that there’s something wrong with your moisture sensor.

Causes of Your GE Dryer Saying Sensing/Not Sensing

Dirt

The most common cause of a faulty moisture sensor is simply filth. When you put your clothes in the dryer, a lot of the time, the leftover lint and dirt in your clothes can get caked up on the dryer’s moisture sensor. Often, the dryer sheets you put in with your laundry can also leave a residue on the sensors, which means that it won’t be able to accurately sense the dampness of your laundry and thus won’t dry it properly.

Age

Another cause of a malfunctioning moisture sensor is age. As time passes, your moisture sensor and the wire connections may become worn out and can lead to inaccurate moisture readings and signal relay. This will cause your dryer not to dry your clothes enough or perhaps even too much. Fortunately, there are ways you can remedy these problems without needing to call someone to help you.

How to Fix Your GE Dryer Saying Sensing/Not Sensing

There are two things you can do to fix the problems you may be having with your dryer’s moisture sensors. The first would be to give them a thorough cleaning to see if that fixes the problem. If that doesn’t fix the issue, you’ll need to replace these sensors. We’re going to go over how to do both of those things right now.

Clean the Moisture Sensors

As time goes on, the moisture sensor gets coated in dirt and lint from clothes and some residue from the dryer sheets you use in your dryer. This will inhibit the sensors’ ability to accurately detect the laundry’s moisture in your dryer, leading to either over-dry laundry or still damp laundry. The easiest (and most cost-effective way) to fix this problem is to give the moisture sensor a deep clean.

You will need:

Damp cloth
Dry cloth
Steel wool or dish scrubbing pad

To clean the moisture sensors:

Unplug your dryer from power, just to be safe.
Open the dryer door and locate the moisture sensor. It should be at the front of the dryer, just under the lint filter.
Use the steel wool or dish scrubber to scrub away any stubborn dirt and loosen the film residue on the sensor bars.
Use your damp cloth to wipe away the dirt you just scrubbed loose and eliminate any excess residue on the moisture sensor.
Use the dry cloth to dry off any moisture left by the damp cloth. Give your sensor one last good scrub and polish with this cloth.
Place some dry clothes into your dryer and set them on an automatic cycle. If your moisture sensors are working correctly, the machine should switch off after just a few minutes. If not, you know there’s a more significant issue with your moisture sensors, and they’ll need to be replaced.

It is recommended that you clean your moisture sensors any time you remove the lint from your lint filter to ensure that they keep working efficiently and prevent them from getting unnecessarily damaged.

Replace the Moisture Sensors

If you’ve tried cleaning your moisture sensors, but your dryer still isn’t working correctly, it means that your moisture sensors have become faulty or have broken. Luckily, you will be able to fix this pretty quickly yourself. All you’ll need are some tools and some spare time.

You will need:

Nut driver and appropriate driver bit
Philips screwdriver
Flathead screwdriver
Replacement moisture sensor

To replace the moisture sensors:

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on November 27, 2020.

Disconnect the dryer from power to ensure you don’t shock yourself.
Pull the dryer away from the wall so you can access the back and disconnect the exhaust pipe from the dryer vent.
Remove the top plate at the back of the control console using a nut driver. Pry the plate away from the dryer and unscrew the grounding wire from the plate. Set the plate aside.
Remove the control console by unscrewing the nuts on either side that hold it in place. Then pull it away from the dryer and lean it onto the drey once it’s loose. Disconnect the wires and connectors that run from the dryer to the control console. Make sure to take a picture of the wires so you know how to reconnect them again later. Set the console aside.
Remove the top panel by unscrewing the guards that protect the wires and moving the wires out of the way. Then unscrew two more screws that sit on either side of the top panel. Then move to the front of the dryer and unscrew the two screws holding the top panel in place on the inside of the dryer door. Lift the top panel off of the dryer and set it aside.
Remove the front panel by unscrewing four screws that hold it in place when you open the door, as well as two screws on the top of the front panel. Pull the front panel away from the dryer, making sure to disconnect the door switch, LED, and moisture sensor wires.
Now with the front panel removed, you can take the front bulkhead that houses the moisture sensor and the lint filter off of the inside of the door. It may be secured by a screw or just some clips. There may again be some wires inside this bulkhead attached to the moisture sensor. If so, disconnect them.
Remove the moisture sensor bars from the bulkhead and replace them with your new moisture sensors. Reattach any wiring that you disconnected and reattach the bulkhead to the dryer door.
Reattach the front panel to the dryer, reconnect the wires and screw it in place. Then reattach the top panel and secure it with the screws you removed. Remember also to replace the wire guards before you put the control console back on. Reconnect the wires to the control console, using the photo you took as a reference.
Screw the console in place, screw the grounding wire onto the backplate and screw the backplate onto your dryer. Now you’ve replaced your moisture sensor.

If replacing your moisture sensors still didn’t fix the issue, there is likely a problem with the wiring in your dryer, and you should probably call in a professional to diagnose and fix the problem for you.

GE Dryer Sensor Dry Not Working

A common reason for the GE dryer’s “Sensor Dry” not working is a buildup of lint or debris on the moisture sensors. These sensors detect moisture levels in clothes. Clean the sensors, typically located inside the dryer drum, with a soft cloth and a bit of rubbing alcohol to ensure accurate readings.

Another potential cause is a malfunctioning thermostat. The thermostat monitors the dryer’s internal temperature and communicates with the moisture sensors. If it’s faulty, the “Sensor Dry” function may not operate correctly. To address this, the thermostat may need to be tested for continuity using a multimeter and replaced if found defective.

Final Thoughts

Having a faulty moisture sensor can be quite a pain in the back, but fortunately, cleaning and replacing it are relatively straightforward. However, if you’re not comfortable working with electronics, it is best to hire someone to do it for you or ask your handyman neighbor for some help. In any event, good luck fixing your moisture sensor!