中文
含义
AF（Airflow / Air Flow）表示干衣机检测到排气气流严重受限，通风不畅。肯摩尔干衣机通过两种方式监测气流状态：部分机型在排气管道内装有气流压力开关或风量传感器，检测排气背压是否过高；部分机型通过比较进风口和排气口热敏电阻的温差斜率来判断——当通风受阻时排气温度异常快速上升而进风温度变化不大，温差模式偏离正常范围。当系统连续多个周期检测到气流低于安全阈值，将显示 AF 警告并可能限制加热功率或停止运行。此故障不会造成立即损坏，但长期忽视将显著增加烘干时间、浪费电能，并可能因过热触发高温限制保护甚至造成火灾隐患。
常见原因
- 棉絮滤网（绒毛过滤器）长期未清洁，棉絮堆积厚度达 3–5 毫米以上，进风阻力大幅增加，整个风道系统气流下降超过 50%。
- 连接干衣机后部至室外的排气管道被棉絮部分或严重堵塞，管壁内侧棉絮层逐年累积，有效管径缩小。
- 室外排风帽（外墙百叶窗出风口）的翻盖因结冰、鸟筑巢、树叶堆积或被积雪覆盖而无法正常开启。
- 排气管道被挤压、弯折或塌陷——常见于机器被推靠墙壁时，柔性的铝箔软管在机器后部被压扁。
- 排气管道过长或弯头数量超过规范（通常建议总长不超过 7.5 米，每增加一个 90° 弯头等效增加约 1.5 米管道长度），系统风阻超过风机能力。
- 烘干机滚筒前部的进气格栅被衣物碎屑或宠物毛发堵住，进入滚筒的一次风量不足。
- 鼓风机叶轮被异物（如硬币、纽扣、发卡）卡住或棉絮缠绕，转速下降，无法产生足够的抽风负压。
自助排查
- 每次使用前清洁棉絮滤网——从机器前部或顶部取出滤网，用手或软刷刮除全部棉絮层。这是用户日常即可执行的最重要维护步骤，可解决 80% 以上的 AF 报警。
- 断开排气管与干衣机的连接（拧开管箍或松开弹簧卡），用手电筒照射管道内部，观察棉絮堆积程度。使用专门的管道清洁刷（直径约 10 厘米的长柄圆刷）从两端往复推拉清洁整段管道，将棉絮团从室外排气口推出。
- 走到室外检查排气帽（外墙排风口）：确认翻盖叶片能自由活动、无鸟巢或杂物堵塞。冬季检查是否有结冰封住排气口，如有可用温水融化。
- 拉出干衣机，检查后部铝箔软管是否有被压扁或折弯段。如有变形，用手恢复圆管形状；若软管已破损或无法复原，购买同规格（通常 10 厘米直径）的铝箔排气管更换。
- 评估排气管道布线：如果管道穿墙路径曲折、弯头超过 3 个或总长度超过 7.5 米，考虑重新规划管道布置以减少弯头、缩短距离，或安装排气管道增压风扇辅助排气。
- 打开干衣机前下方检修面板，检查鼓风机叶轮是否被异物卡住。用手旋转叶轮（必须先断电），应能轻松转动且无杂音。如有卡滞，清除异物并用吸尘器清理叶轮周围的棉絮。
- 进入干衣机诊断模式（不同机型操作方式不同，通常为按住特定按键组合通电，参见用户手册），查看是否有当前 AF 状态码之外的其他历史故障记录，这些信息有助于维修技师快速定位问题。
English
Meaning
AF (Airflow / Air Flow) indicates that the dryer has detected severely restricted exhaust airflow and inadequate ventilation. Kenmore dryers monitor airflow in one of two ways: some models have an airflow pressure switch or flow sensor in the exhaust duct that detects excessive exhaust back pressure; other models compare the temperature differential slope between the intake and exhaust thermistors — when ventilation is obstructed, the exhaust temperature rises abnormally fast while the intake temperature changes little, and the differential pattern deviates from the normal range. When the system detects airflow below the safety threshold across multiple consecutive cycles, it displays the AF warning and may limit heating power or stop operation. This fault does not cause immediate damage, but prolonged neglect will significantly increase drying time, waste energy, and may trigger the high-limit safety thermostat or even pose a fire hazard from overheating.
Common Causes
- The lint screen (fluff filter) has not been cleaned for an extended period, with lint buildup exceeding 3–5 mm in thickness, dramatically increasing intake air resistance and reducing overall system airflow by over 50%.
- The exhaust duct connecting the rear of the dryer to the outdoors is partially or severely clogged with lint; lint layers on the inner duct wall accumulate year after year, reducing the effective duct diameter.
- The outdoor vent cap (exterior wall louvered vent hood) flaps cannot open properly due to ice formation, bird nesting, leaf accumulation, or snow coverage.
- The exhaust duct is crushed, kinked, or collapsed — commonly occurring when the machine is pushed against the wall and the flexible aluminum foil duct is flattened behind the dryer.
- The exhaust duct run is too long or has too many elbows exceeding the specification (typically a total length of no more than 25 feet / 7.5 meters is recommended; each additional 90° elbow adds an equivalent of approximately 5 feet / 1.5 meters of duct length), causing system air resistance to exceed the blower’s capability.
- The intake air grille at the front of the dryer drum is clogged with fabric debris or pet hair, reducing the primary airflow entering the drum.
- The blower impeller is jammed by foreign objects (such as coins, buttons, bobby pins) or tangled with lint, reducing its rotation speed and failing to generate sufficient suction.
Self-Check Steps
- Clean the lint screen before every use — remove the filter from the front or top of the machine and scrape off the entire lint layer by hand or with a soft brush. This is the most important maintenance step that users can perform daily and resolves over 80% of AF alerts.
- Disconnect the exhaust duct from the dryer (loosen the clamp or spring clip). Shine a flashlight inside the duct to assess the degree of lint accumulation. Use a dedicated duct cleaning brush (a long-handled round brush approximately 4 inches / 10 cm in diameter) to clean the entire duct by pushing and pulling from both ends, forcing lint clumps out through the outdoor vent opening.
- Go outside and inspect the vent cap (exterior wall vent opening): confirm that the louver flaps move freely and there is no bird nest or debris blockage. In winter, check whether ice has sealed the vent opening; if so, melt it with warm water.
- Pull the dryer out from the wall and inspect the rear aluminum foil duct for crushed or kinked sections. If deformed, reshape it back to a round tube by hand; if the duct is torn or cannot be restored, replace it with a new foil duct of the same size (typically 4 inches / 10 cm diameter).
- Evaluate the exhaust duct routing: if the path through the wall is convoluted, has more than 3 elbows, or exceeds 25 feet / 7.5 meters in total length, consider replanning the duct layout to reduce elbow count and shorten distance, or install an exhaust duct booster fan to assist airflow.
- Open the dryer’s lower front access panel and inspect the blower impeller for foreign object jams. Rotate the impeller by hand (ensure power is disconnected first) — it should spin freely without noise. If it sticks, remove the obstruction and use a vacuum cleaner to clear lint around the impeller.
- Enter the dryer’s diagnostic mode (the procedure varies by model, typically pressing and holding a specific key combination while powering on; consult the user manual) and check whether there are historical fault codes beyond the current AF status code. This information helps repair technicians pinpoint the issue more quickly.