[bmessenger]

Okay, so I am about to shoot my dryer. The other day, my wife and I notice the coil is on even when the dryer is off (bad). I unplug it, then plug back in. Coil burns right through (original coil) into many parts. I unplug, clean up. Order new coil. Install. Now dryer won't turn on. I order thermal limiter. Install. Dryer turns on, then five minutes later burns through the new coil. Only one place it burned through (right at the connection), and from what I can see, absolutely no contact with anywhere on the tumbler, etc. I checked the exhaust outlet... no lint. So, I am thinking it can only be a few things wrong at this point: 1. Needs a new thermostat? 2. I must've crossed some wires somewhere (which I will admit on the front of the dryer it has a grey and blue wireset that I don't remember which goes to which side of the connector). 3. It is the selector switch. Please advise as I now have to buy a new coil and whatever else. Thank you!!!!

[denman]

Here are your parts includes a wiring diagram.
Wiring diagram replacement parts for FRIGIDAIRE FDE436RES1 Frg(v1) / Electric Dryer | AppliancePartsPros.com

Here is a better copy of the wiring diagram. I could not find RES1 but diagram is for a RES2 looks the same but you should also check it just to be sure.
http://manuals.frigidaire.com/prodin.../131850400.pdf

Cannot really say what happened.
If you just made a wiring mistake at the selector switch (the wires are on the wrong connections on the switch but are the correct wires) then this should not have caused the heater to burn out.

I would check the thermostats with a meter also check that one of their connectors is not shorted to the frame/case.

[bmessenger]

that is a much better diagram... and readable. I'm going to buy a new coil and thermostat, as well as do what you said and check the connections. Although I have a meter, I don't really know how to use it other than on my motorcycle battery. Not sure what readings I'd be looking for, and the whole closed/open thing has me confused. I'll update post afterwords. Thanks again!!!

[denman]

Following is a little info on using your meter for resistance ohms and some basic electrical stuff.

Here is a sticky from the start of this forum section.
How To Check Dryer Parts For Continuity

Here is my usual blurb on resistance meter usage.
A couple things to watch when measuring ohms and continuity
1. Always remove power from the machine otherwise you could blow your meter.
2. Always disconnect at least one side of any device you are checking. This eliminates the possibility of measuring an alternate/parallel circuit path.
3. When checking for closed contacts and continuity use the lowest scale (Usually 200 ohms). Then try higher scales. This scale is 0 to 200 ohms so if the device you are measuring is 300 ohms this scale would show an open circuit which it is not, you are just measuring outside the scale's dynamic range.

And now some basic info not totally correct but makes it easier to understand and is close enough.

Volts is the amount of pressure pushing electrons through the wire.
Amps is the amount of electrons being pushed through the wire.
Resistance (ohms) is the resistance to those electrons being pushed through the wire.

So if a switch or thermostat is open (infinite resistance) then there is no circuit path for the electrons so you get 0 amps.
If a switch or thermostat is closed (0 ohms) then as many electrons as possibler flow. This is basically a dead short across the device.
If there is a resistance then that lowers the amount of electrons that can be pushed through the wire.

So:
If you have 100 volts and an open then 0 amps flow.
If you have 100 volts and a closed switch (a short) infinite amps flow. This will then blow your breaker unless there is resistance somewhere in the circuit to reduce the current flow.
If you have 100 volts and 10 ohms of resistance then 10 amps will flow.
Increase the resistance to 20 ohms and 5 amps will flow.
Voltage divided by resistance equals amperage.

As the electrons flow through resistance they hit other electrons causing friction which produces heat. This is basically how a stove element works.
This is the part that is not 100% correct but will do to explain things.

The above is for DC, AC becomes a little more complicated but only because motors create a different type of resistance on top of just the DC wire resistance.

Wattage is volts times amps.
In your dryer you have a 4500 watt heater.
We know there is 240 volts going to it so it has 18.75 amps (4500 divided by 240)
Now if we want to find out the resistance we take the voltage and divide it by the amperage (what resistance would reduce the current flow to 18.75 amps). So 240 divided by 18.75 equals 12.8 ohms. That is what your heating coil should measure.

Hope the above helps and does not just confuse you more.

[climbingdan]

Did you ever have a resolution? I'm having a similar problem with my Whirlpool electric dryer; the replacement heating element blew out within seconds of turning it on.

[anthonynoahan]

We have to unplug the dryer always when we are attempting to start any work with that.
It is most likely that our heating elemnt coil has burned out and needs rIt's most likely that your heating element/coil has burned out and need replacing. There are a few tell tale signs that the dryers needs to be cleaned. Please produce some attachment links for the detailed view.

partial discharge detector
winding resistance meter

[denman]

anthonynoahan

Sorry but I do not understand your post.
Could you rephrase it.