Dryer running too hot? Not hot enough? Not heating at all? Taking forever to dry? Sounds like you are going to need some dryer parts. But what the difference between Generic and OEM?

When you are shopping for parts the price should not be the only thing that makes your decision for you. Sure a great price is wonderful but the quality of the parts is really important to.

After all if you save a few dollars but the part lasts for only a short period of time then youve save nothing. Remember if the pricing sounds too good to be true it most likely is.

Quality of the parts is also dependant on the manufacturer. Reputable companies produce reputable parts and you can still get a great buy just by shopping online.

OEM stands for original equipment manufacture. That means the parts are supplied by the actual manufacturer of the dryer and they are sold as OEM replacement parts. This is always your best option whenever possible.

Time shows flaws in material and design and as these flaws become apparent the manufacture will modify parts and alleviate any problems that have arisen.

OEM tracks and records failure rates and a host of other information which help them determine if changes need to be made. Even simple parts like washers or belts can have special design needs to provide satisfactory operation. Gone of the days of improvising with a pair of panty hose.

If you decide to use replacement parts on a dryer that still has warranty realize you could void your warranty. If the dryer has an extended warranty you will void this too. So be careful what parts you use on a warranty appliance.

After your dryer is off warranty you might decide you like the savings. In fact some replacement parts can cost as much as half of the OEM part. Thats substantial. And there are many excellent replacement part manufacturers too, even if the OEMs would like you to believe otherwise.

There are actually a limited number of appliance manufacturers with many mergers between big and small occurring over the years. Today many of them produce products under many different names.

Many times the only difference is cosmetics while the actual mechanics is the same. It pays to do a little research so you know who makes parts for whom.

When buying parts its important to be aware of return policies. Its not unusual to not be able to return parts. Those that do take returns often have a restocking fee of 15% to 20% and many online merchants require an RMA number before they will accept returned goods.

While buying those parts you might consider picking up a dryer repair manual. You can save yourself a lot of time and money by having the directions and it will not only help you do a repair it will help you diagnose a repair.

Whether you have a Hotpoint, Kenmore, Whirlpool, Inglis, Maytag, or GE to name just a few, the repair manual will be a big help!

So when it comes to repairing your dryer you can get dryer parts and manuals online.