How to Check a Bad Dryer Thermostat

Dryers that do not heat correctly might have a bad thermostat, faulty heating element or other electrical issues. Once you have the dryer cabinet apart, it is possible to check a dryer thermostat to determine if it is bad. The thermostat is either on the blower housing or around the heating can, depending upon your model dryer. It is round with two wires connecting to it from the dryer electrical system. Checking a dryer thermostat requires the use of a multimeter to check continuity. Multimeters are available at home improvement centers.

Needle-nose pliers
Multimeter

Instructions

- 1
  Unplug the dryer power cord if you have not already done so when disassembling the cabinet. Place a piece of masking tape around the bottom or left wire of the thermostat, depending upon how the thermostat terminals are pointing. This helps ensure that you reattach the wires correctly after testing.
- 2
  Pull the wires off the thermostat terminals with a pair of needle-nose pliers. Grab the wires where they connect to the terminal when pulling them off. This prevents accidentally breaking the wires.
- 3
  Set the scale on your multimeter to the RX1 setting, according to the instructions for your model. Touch the end of one multimeter probe on one of the thermostat terminals and the other probe to the remaining terminal.
- 4
  Read the scale on your multimeter. A good thermostat will provide a reading of zero. If the scale shows any other reading, replace the thermostat with a new one.

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