gas dryer igniter

[mulletteeth]

I replaced the burned out butterfly-style heating element of my Hot Point gas dryer a couple months ago. It worked fine for a few weeks but then my wife complained sometimes it wasn't heating the clothes, but then she would start it again and it would work fine. I noticed sometimes the heating element wouldn't get hot. The volt meter told me it was always getting 120v when it was suppose to but it wasn't heating, but it wasn't burned out either.

I thought maybe I stretched the clamp too much when I changed the element so I took it apart and adjusted the clamp to make it squeeze tighter. This worked for a few weeks. Last night it wouldn't heat again. I tried turning it off and on a few times, but the igniter wasn't heating up. Finally on the last try I saw a couple small sparks near the igniter/clamp then the element heated up and the dryer worked fine.

Should I buy a new clamp (maybe I over stretched it, doesn't look like it though), new igniter (maybe I damaged it by touching the unpainted portions) or should I use a dielectric grease between the clamp and igniter to help conductivity?

Any help is appreciated.

[Bob]

Check the valve coils and radiant sensor.

[nospamtodd]

You need to replace both coils, and probably nothing else.

[CDET 14]

Sometimes there is a safety switch that turns the heating element off when it gets too hot. This is sometimes because the vent is blocked or restricted.

To test, take the transition duct (accordian hose) from the back of the dryer and attach it to some pantyhose and see if that solves your problem. If so, clean out your dryer vent - the vent pipe in the wall, not just your lint screen in the dryer. If you cannot do this yourself, call a chimney sweep to do it for you.

Alisa LeSueur Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician