dryer - no heat - 240V

I have a 1 yr old frigidaire dryer that suddenly has no heat. I replaced the 40amp breaker with a new Siemens 40amp but still no luck. I've acquired a analog multi-meter and the voltage is correct on the outlet as it should be. This is an older house with a breaker panel and no fuse box so what else should I be looking for at this point?

Reply to
Paul
Loading thread data ...

Where you should have looked first...( :) ) --the heating element(s). That's the first thing to check. While one year is a little early for failure, certainly not unheard of particularly if have a high usage factor. Also, my wife's favorite way of burning them out was to miss a straight pin or two in something she was sewing on and threw in the dryer for fluffing -- all it takes is one of them getting loose and into the heating element, and poof!. GE (which is all I've ever actually had) uses two elements in parallel which makes for high/low and possibility of some heat if only one goes, but I've been told there are some w/ only one element so it's all or none.

If that isn't it (but I'll bet it is), the next thing is, of course, the controls like the timer, etc., ...

Reply to
dpb

Not much detail to go on! For example does it still spin? . If you have little electrical knowledge and/or skill be careful. The heater circuit is most likely 240 volts!

You are dealing with what is in fact a large heater (some 3000 watts or more) plus, heat sensor, thermostat, timer, motor and motor start, circuits.

If it's only one year old it might be under warranty? But what is that warranty really worth? For example parts only? Or even if parts and labour; but you have to take it to a designated repair depot? Or pay for the repairer to visit you.

There may be a circuit pasted to the back of the dryer; but you most likely will need someone who can read that and trace the voltages through to determine if and where the fault is.

Some possible causes include; an open overheat sensor, faulty thermostat, depending on the circuit possibly a door or other switch (although most often dryer won't spin if door switch is faulty), the heater element has gone open (some dryers have more than one heater, btw) or maybe a wire just fell or broke off?

Some dryers have electrical contact points 'inside' the motor that do not close until the motor is running the idea being that the clothes do not get burnt up if the motor stops (or doesn't start) for any reason. That can be very tricky to fix or can necessitate buying a new motor!

Was a good idea to check that the panel voltages are reaching the socket into which the dryer is plugged. But much trouble shooting can be done very simply (And often in less misleading manner because of the high sensitivity of even cheap digital test-meters) with a test lamp/bulb. Your analog meter therefore probably a good choice; although they can also be too sensitive!

It is not usually productive and often very expensive to keep changing parts until someone stumbles on the actual problem which could be something as simple/cheap as a $3 over-heat sensor, buried somewhere inside! Or, at the other extreme, a special motor costing $150!

Right now we have a 40+ year old Kenmore dryer out of service due to a faulty motor; we have spare motor out of another scrapped Kenmore. But it's a different length and it would be necessary to modify the physical motor mounting which is welded (or something) to the bottom plate of the dryer! In the meantime had acquired (free) another Kenmore of a different pattern (manufacture) again, that only needed a small drive belt (About $4). So pressed that into service well over a year ago and it's working fine. Mention this to illustrate that dryer models even of the same supplier (Frigidaire) are not necessarily identical.

Reply to
terry

Hmmm, Logic tells me to look at the safety(Over heat) limit sensor first. Then heating element. You are working BACKWARD! No wiring diagam on the dryer?

Reply to
Tony Hwang

No, there are small holes in the drum rear for air circulation and the deflector shield behind the drum over the elements has several good-sized openings for the same reason so it is possible for small objects to find their way through there. Straight pins were quite effective at doing so. In 40 years (man, I've been married _that_ long!!!???--I am approaching geezerhood!) they're the only thing that I now recall ever finding in there that caused a problem, but I've replaced several sets of elements for that reason over that time, most within a time span of probably 10-15 yrs or so when the kids were small/growing and she sewed a lot more...

As I said, that's for GE (and I suppose Whirlpool) -- that's all have ever had but I'd certainly expect others to be very similar, but haven't ever had reason to inspect any other that closely.

Reply to
dpb

Just a quibble, but I'd go at it _expecting_ the element to be gone and only when that turns out not to be the case go to anything else.

W/ the electric dryer, when symptom is no heat but drum turns---don't recall it ever being anything else over some 40 years.

Reply to
dpb

I have had the thermostat fail. Pretty easy to isolate both the element and thermostat with the ohm setting of the meter.

Reply to
Rich256

Thus spake dpb:

Wouldn't one of those pins have to make it through the lint filter? If the screen is intact, doesn't seem likely to make it's way to the element...

Reply to
DaveC

Since you already know that you have 240, unplug the unit then...

  1. Pop the top by inserting a putty knife a few inches from outer edge along top, and depressing clips.
  2. Disconnect both wiring connectors at top right.
  3. Remove yellow thing in the middle top front.
  4. Remove screws holding front to sides; they are about 5 inches down on boths sides. You may need a square bit.
  5. Pop the front out and up off its clips at the bottom and set aside.
  6. Unload belt from idler pulley. You can do this through access panel in back.
  7. Using belt to assist, lift drum out of cabinet. It is connected at back by a ball and cup arrangement. You'll need to lift rear of drum about an inch up before the drum is free to go forward and out. It does take moderate pressure to get it out of the cup.
  8. Using your multimeter, check for for any obvious open components. Thermostats and thermal fuses should be almost 0 ohms, while element should be 10 to 15 ohms or so. If the element is open, then you will see an obvious break. Replace whatever component is open. It is highly unlikely that it will be anything other than the element, but thermal fuses do open if you have poor venting.
Reply to
nospamtodd

Some dryers use only 120 volts for the motor and the controls and the full

240 volts only for the heating element. Before you take the dryer apart to check the element etc, use a volt meter across the hot legs of the 240 volt outlet. If you read 240, fine. If nothing, check each hot leg against the neutral. One will show 120 volts and the other zero. If that's the case you probably have a loose connection at the outlet. BTW a 40 amp circuit for a dryer is unusual. If the wire is 10 gauge going out of the panel, which is typical for a dryer circuit, you should reduce that breaker to a 30 amp. Otherwise in an overload situation you risk overheating the wires before the breaker trips.
Reply to
Brad Behm

some fridigaire electric dryers are disassembled by removing 2 small screws visible with the front door open, along the top of the opening.

its most likely a bad element

Reply to
hallerb

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.