First of all I want to say that I am finding information in your forum extremely valuable in my quest to repair my dryer, and I am easily locating potential replacement parts in your on-line ordering process. I am impressed!
Other postings have indicated the problem my dryer is experiencing may be due to:
[LIST]
Power problem (but I have checked the outlet and am getting the proper 120/240 readings)
heating element
thermostat on heating element
regulating thermostat
motor fuse
[/LIST]
I am hoping the problem is with the thermostat on the heating element (or the heating element) as I was able to locate those components by taking the back cover off. I am going to try to locate an Ohmmeter and use the instructions I found in your forum to test the thermostat on the heating element for continuity and the heating element for resistance.
My questions for you are very basic:
Where do I touch the two leads on the Ohmmeter to the thermostat (part number AP3951297), as I disconnected three wires from it? The heating element looks more obvious as there are only two prongs on one side sticking out (like on an electrical plug), so I assume those are where I touch the leads.
Also, can you please let me know what reading I am supposed to see on the Ohmmeter if both these parts are still good?
I am hoping one of them is the culprit so I don’t have to try to locate the regulating thermostat and motor fuse, which looks like it will be a lot more work.
I hope to place an order with you today if I can get these parts tested. Thank you!
Looks like I get to answer my own question. I bought an analog multimeter for $10 from Walmart (automotive dept) and determined that the resistor was working by touching the two silver perpendicular extensions on either side of its main circular component, and the multimeter reading moved from infinity to zero. Then I tested the heating element itself by touching the multimeter leads to the two silver extensions on one side of the element, and could not get the multimeter needle to move from infinity. Upon further visual inspection of the heating element I noticed that TWO of the ten heating coils had breaks in the wiring! I don’t know what would have caused this to happen on a machine that is 2-1/2 years old, but it looks like I found the cuprit to why the dryer turns on but doesn’t heat up. An replacement should be arriving in two days!
Awesome! The replacement heating element arrived in less than 24 hours instead of the anticipated (and paid for) two days! It was a breeze to install and now we are back in business getting our laundry dried. All due to the terrific information you make available in the forum postings and in the schematics used when ordering.
Now onto fixing a problem with a washing machine (but we will deal with that in a different posting)! I will VERY soon be a repeat customer!
Well, for the washer repair I had searched information available here and elsewhere for matching symptoms (does not drain completely, clothes still soaking wet after spinning), and considered the possible fixes to be too much for my amateur repair capabilities. So after a repairman visit (and $115) I found out that I should have checked the old rubber drain hose, which had multiple kinks in it! A newly installed kinkless drain hose has the washer fully operational. I posted a comment to this website’s “Washer not draining?” repair blog to share this information. (If that blog had included a comment to check the drain hose, I would have bought the replacement hose here and saved big bucks!). Hopefully the information will help the next guy (or girl).