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Yesterday my Kenmore Elite dryer stopped heating. The dryer turns on, the drum turns, the timer advances, but no heat. I cleaned out the lint in vent, took off the toekick panel, cleaned out the lint inside, still no heat. The dryer heating coil does not get hot at all.
All the blogs tell me to check the resistance of certain components. I have an ohms meter but I am an electrical novice. I cannot find a diagram to show me what to check, how to get to it and how to check it.
I fixed my fridge leak last summer so I am confident I can do this--just need the correct info. Thanks.
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There isn't much literature available for Kenmore appliances, as Sears controls the service of these. Your dryer, however is a Whirlpool product made for Sears and the parts for Whirlpool are identical. You will want to check for continuity in the thermostats, thermal fuse, and the heater element.When you do, disconnect each component from at least one of its connecting wires, so that you con't get false readings. The parts look like this: Thermal fuse Part number: AP3132867
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Thank you. I am not exactly sure about how to check for continuity. there are 3 sets of wire pairs along the left side of the box with the heating element in it. The first box is the thermal coupler. where exactly do I put the leads to measure the ohms? Can I just touch the 2 flat little tiny metal rectangles (is this called a "lead"???) ---black on one and red on the other--or do I need to pull out the 2 red wires on the outside of the heating element box and then check?
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Look for the components that look like the ones in the pictures. Test one at a time. Do this by pulling at least one wire off the component. Set your meter to Ohms X 1. Touch the probes together and note what the needle or display does. Now touch each probe on the blades of the component (it doesn't matter which probe goes on what blade). If the component is good, you'll get the same reading that you got when you touched the probes together. If you get no reading, the component is "open" (bad): Replace that component. The only component that should give a different reading is the heater element. If you get a resistance reading on the element, it is probably good.
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Here is the tech sheet which might help http://www.servicematters.com/docs/wiring/Tech%20Sheet%20-%208545908.pdfYou may want to try swapping the motor and heater relays. I beleive they are the same. Unplug the unit and check the thermal fuse on the heater assembly with a meter, should be 0 ohms. Be sure to unplug one side of it when checking it. If it is blown you have to find out what caused it to go. Note: that sometimes they do just blow on their own but changing it without checking other things is a gamble. Check the heating coil. Unplug the unit and both wires to the coil. Check it with a meter, should be around 10 ohms. Then check from each side of the coil to the case/frame, both should be infinite ohms (open). If not the coil may have sagged or broken and is touching the case. This can cause it to run on high and the thermostats cannot regulate it. If the above is OK then you will also have to replace the hi-limit as it should have regulated the temperature so the fuse did not blow. You still have to find out why it blew. Check the seal (drum etc) in the unit. The air is pulled over the heating coils, through the drum and pushed out the exhaust. So any large seal leak will pull in room air and the cycling thermostat on the blower will run the unit hot. Check that the lint filter is not coated with fabric softener residue which greatly reduces air flow. Check/clean your vent system. Check/clean the blower wheel. If all OK , I would check that thermistor for resistance. Also there is a good STICKY at the top on this forum on meter usage. |
THIS FORUM IS DEAD!!!!!!! |
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Ok. Thermal fuse reads zero ohms, thermal cut off reads zero also, heater coils stay at infinity, thermistor reads infinity. I checked the coil to frame readings and both were at infinity. I checked the relays and they both work. Now the question is how to get the heating coils out of the heating box. I have removed one screw--are there others? It simply won't budge. Thank you so so much. Originally Posted by: denman  Here is the tech sheet which might help http://www.servicematters.com/d...0Sheet%20-%208545908.pdfYou may want to try swapping the motor and heater relays. I beleive they are the same. Unplug the unit and check the thermal fuse on the heater assembly with a meter, should be 0 ohms. Be sure to unplug one side of it when checking it. If it is blown you have to find out what caused it to go. Note: that sometimes they do just blow on their own but changing it without checking other things is a gamble. Check the heating coil. Unplug the unit and both wires to the coil. Check it with a meter, should be around 10 ohms. Then check from each side of the coil to the case/frame, both should be infinite ohms (open). If not the coil may have sagged or broken and is touching the case. This can cause it to run on high and the thermostats cannot regulate it. If the above is OK then you will also have to replace the hi-limit as it should have regulated the temperature so the fuse did not blow. You still have to find out why it blew. Check the seal (drum etc) in the unit. The air is pulled over the heating coils, through the drum and pushed out the exhaust. So any large seal leak will pull in room air and the cycling thermostat on the blower will run the unit hot. Check that the lint filter is not coated with fabric softener residue which greatly reduces air flow. Check/clean your vent system. Check/clean the blower wheel. If all OK , I would check that thermistor for resistance. Also there is a good STICKY at the top on this forum on meter usage.
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Rank: Member
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Disregard my last post. I got the heater coil unit out. Now I need help with parts. It looks like the thermistor and heating coil are bad. Can you help me find the right parts?? Thanks so much. Originally Posted by: denman Here is the tech sheet which might help http://www.servicematters.com/d...0Sheet%20-%208545908.pdfYou may want to try swapping the motor and heater relays. I beleive they are the same. Unplug the unit and check the thermal fuse on the heater assembly with a meter, should be 0 ohms. Be sure to unplug one side of it when checking it. If it is blown you have to find out what caused it to go. Note: that sometimes they do just blow on their own but changing it without checking other things is a gamble. Check the heating coil. Unplug the unit and both wires to the coil. Check it with a meter, should be around 10 ohms. Then check from each side of the coil to the case/frame, both should be infinite ohms (open). If not the coil may have sagged or broken and is touching the case. This can cause it to run on high and the thermostats cannot regulate it. If the above is OK then you will also have to replace the hi-limit as it should have regulated the temperature so the fuse did not blow. You still have to find out why it blew. Check the seal (drum etc) in the unit. The air is pulled over the heating coils, through the drum and pushed out the exhaust. So any large seal leak will pull in room air and the cycling thermostat on the blower will run the unit hot. Check that the lint filter is not coated with fabric softener residue which greatly reduces air flow. Check/clean your vent system. Check/clean the blower wheel. If all OK , I would check that thermistor for resistance. Also there is a good STICKY at the top on this forum on meter usage.
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