Here is a wiring diagram
http://www.servicematters.com/docs/wiring/Wiring%20Sheet%20-%208528187.pdf[COLOR="Blue"]This dryer works but produces no heat.
I ordered a thermal fuse from your company which arrived today.[/COLOR]
I do not work for ApplianceartsPros, just volunteer here.
[COLOR="Blue"]
Q: The original thermal fuse is connedted by "spade connectors". I cannot detach them from the original. Is there a trick to getting them apart?[/COLOR]
They can be a bear to get off. Often if you place a small screw driver between the fuse body and the female connector at the rolled over side and pry up, they will come loose. Work left then right then left etc.
[COLOR="Blue"]Q: If a new thermal fuse does not correct the problem what do you suggest I try next? A new heater element?[/COLOR]
Get a meter. See the below.
[COLOR="Blue"]Q: The new thermal fuse has the prongs bent at a 45 degree angle so obviously something was sitting on the packaging during shippin. If I bend them up straight will it damage the thermal fuse?[/COLOR]
If them being bent does not pose any threat of a short to the frame I would leave them as they are. Could be that the fuse design has changed.
If you have to straighten them then just be gentle and it should not pose a problem. Note that I always check them with a meter before installing. It is not unheard of to receive a bad (open) fuse. If yuou assume it is good and it is not you can waste a lot of time going in circles.
First try flipping the breaker off/on slowly a couple times. Sometimes you can loose half the line without actually tripping the breaker and the heating coil requires the full 240 volts.
If this does nothing.
Measure the voltage at the plug
L1 to L2 should be 240 volts
L1 to Neutral and L2 to Neutral, both should be 120 volts.
If OK
Unplug the unit and check the wires at the unit's terminal strip to ensure they are properly connected and none of them have burned off
If OK
Plug the unit in and check the voltage at the terminal strip. This is just in case you have a bad line cord. Be careful 240 volts is lethal!!!
If OK
Unplug the unit and check the heating coil and thermostats etc. for continuity.
Heating coil, should be 10 ohms approximately.
Thermostats and thermal fuse all should be 0 ohms.
Check the old fuse to see if it is blown.
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 12 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 that the belt is OK.
Check the seals (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 you may want to replace the cycling thermostat as it's contacts may not be opening (welded shut).
If you do not own a meter, I would suggest you purchase a one. You can get a decent digital multimeter for under $20.00. You do not need fancy though it is nice if the leads are a couple feet long.
If it saves ordering one unnecessary part it has paid for itself and you end up owning a useful tool.
Most places will not let you return electrical parts so if you order it, you own it.
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.
There is a good STICKY at the start of this forum about it's use.
