Brand: GE Model Number: gfd45gssm0ww Main Symptom: Side panel is extremely hot to touch down on bottom near propane inlet during drying cycle. Clothes dry fine. What happens & when: Nervous about extreme heat. Did replace the Top Bearing and the fan was packed with lint. Cleaned it up and put it back together. Good, warm Air blowing to the outside. Would it be a thermostat? This was a used dryer purchase and didn’t notice the heat on the side before. Maybe it’s normal. Can keep hand on the side panel 4-5 seconds
Error Code (if any):
Parts or tests already tried:
Photos / video link:
If you’re asking about a GE GFD45GSSM0WW gas dryer, it’s normal for the cabinet near the burner area to feel warm or even fairly hot during operation. The burner compartment is located behind the front/lower area of the dryer and transfers some heat to adjacent panels.
As a general field guideline:
Warm to hot (100–140°F / 38–60°C) on the cabinet near the burner can be normal.
If you can keep your hand on the panel continuously, it’s usually within a normal range.
If the metal is too hot to touch for more than a second or two (roughly above 150–160°F / 65–71°C), investigate further.
Things that can cause excessive cabinet temperature:
Restricted exhaust vent or crushed vent hose.
Lint buildup inside the dryer or vent system.
Poor airflow at the outside vent hood.
Cycling thermostat or high-limit thermostat issues.
Can you tell me:
Which panel is getting hot (left side, right side, top, front)?
Do you have an infrared temperature reading?
Is the dryer shutting off, showing errors, or just feeling hotter than expected?
With that information I can tell you whether the temperature is normal for this model.
Thank you! Unfortunately I do not have an infrared temperature reading at this time. If you are looking at the dryer it is the right side panel. The propane inlet is in the back on the right side. The dryer does not shut off, show any codes, and dries the clothes well. I have never felt the side before but when I did it just felt really hot. Again I could keep my hand on there for 4-5 seconds before feeling like I needed to remove it. It is just down in the lower corner where the propane line connects.
It is at our cabin up north. My wife is there and is looking if we have a Thermometer of some kind there. I will be back up there Wednesday. How easy are the cycling and high temp thermostats to change on this model? I just changed the upper bearing so I just had the front panel off. I know I can get that far:)
The cycling thermostat WE04X22535 (AP5986377) is mounted on the back of the blower housing. The high-limit thermostat WE4M300 (AP3207311) is mounted on the upper-right side of the circular diffuser assembly at the rear of the dryer
Thank you! My wife used a food thermometer and it read 107 degrees but I will test it again on Thursday when I go back up. Are there any repair videos that you could point me in the direction of to replace the Thermostats?