How to Troubleshoot a Dryer Thermostat

Clothes dryers with an electric heating element use a cycle control timer wired to a thermostat. The thermostat controls the temperature produced by the heating element, depending on the cycle selected. Although a burned-out heating element is a common issue with dryers that only tumble but do not produce heat, a defective thermostat also can cause this problem. Troubleshooting the thermostat involves testing the component with a multimeter. The entire diagnostic procedure takes less than an hour, including time needed to open the dryer cabinet.

Screwdriver set
Multimeter

Instructions

- 1
  Unplug the appliance power cord from the oval wall receptacle. Slide the dryer far enough from the wall so that you can stand comfortably behind the cabinet.
- 2
  Loosen the slotted bolt in the metal band that holds the vent tube to the pipe on the back of the cabinet, using a flat-blade screwdriver. Pull the tube off the appliance.
- 3
  Extract the screws in the rear panel along the four edges using a Phillips head screwdriver. Set the panel out of the way. Locate the heater assembly inside the cabinet, which is a metal box that may be rectangular, oval or round, depending on the model. The box typically has a series of vent holes in the side. Locate the thermostat bolted to the top or side of the metal box.
- 4
  Grab the connectors on the end of the two wires where they are attached to the thermostat terminals and pull off the wires.
- 5
  Dial the test knob on the mutlitester to Rx1, which is an ohms check for electrical continuity through a component.
- 6
  Touch the tips of the two test rods on the multimeter to the two thermostat terminals. Any test result other than zero on the multimeter display means the thermostat is broken.

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