How to Check an Ignitor on a Gas Dryer

Your gas dryer heats by igniting natural gas or liquid propane. There are two types of ignitors: the glow bar ignitor, which heats to a certain temperature to ignite the gas, and the spark ignitor, which creates an electrical spark that ignites the gas. If your gas dryer isn’t heating, your ignitor is a common cause of the malfunction. To check it, you must view it in action and then test it with a multitester used to test dryers.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Multitester

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Remove the front access panel of your gas dryer. Select a high temperature drying setting on the control panel and start the unit.

   • 2

     Look for the ignitor to either glow or spark, depending on the type of ignitor your gas dryer uses.

   • 3

     Unplug the dryer or cut off the power to the dryer from the circuit breaker.

   • 4

     Remove the two wire connectors from the ignitor by gripping the connectors and pulling.

   • 5

     Set the multitester to “X1.” Press one probe to each terminal on the ignitor and read the results.