- 1). Check your home’s main electrical panel to see whether any breakers were tripped. While rare, sometimes only one of the two breakers that protect a dryer’s circuit will trip. That could cause the drum to turn properly while the heat stays off.
- 2). Unplug the dryer before testing the heating element for continuity or doing any other work inside the dryer cabinet. The element is typically reached by removing the large access panel in back of the dryer. Remove the self-tapping screws that hold the panel in place. These are often hex-head screws, so you will need a ratchet driver and socket, typically 3/32-inch.
- 3). Pull the access panel off and set it aside. The heating element looks like a coil of wire. Twist the knob on the multimeter to set it for ohms on the lowest scale available, usually RX1. Touch one probe to each end of the element. If the multimeter does not move from infinity, the element is bad and must be replaced. Purchase one of the same wattage, specifically made for your model dryer. Unplug the old element and put in the new one.
- 4). Find the thermal fuse. This device is about an inch long. It is white, oblong and has black resin between the connection pins. You will find it near the bottom of the unit, where a large duct exits the dryer. The thermal fuse cuts electricity to the heating element should it sense that exhaust gases are too hot. This fuse helps guard against dryer fires. Depending on the make and model, the drum may rotate but no heat will be supplied to the drum if the thermal fuse fails.
- 5). Touch a multimeter probe to each connector pin on the thermal fuse while keeping the same ohm settings you used for the previous test. If the meter reads infinity, the fuse is bad. Replace it with a new thermal fuse made for your make and model of dryer. Two screws often hold the fuse in place. Before starting the dryer again, check the exhaust duct to make sure it isn’t clogged.
- 6). Look for the cycling thermostat, which is also on the duct. This device is small and round, typically attached to an oblong mounting. If this thermostat fails, the dryer will overheat and cause the thermal fuse to burn out. If you replace the thermal fuse, best practices dictate changing the thermostat, too. In fact, the two parts are often packaged together. The thermostat is typically held in place with a couple of screws.
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