How to Change Thermistors in the Whirlpool Gold Ultimate Care II Dryer

About

• It’s helpful to know how a thermistor works to verify that it’s broken before you change one out. A thermistor operates basically the same way on all dryers, including the Whirlpool Gold Ultimate Care II dryer. It monitors resistance based on temperature changes. A thermistor’s resistance level fluctuates as the temperature in the drum changes, as the temperature gets hotter the resistance goes down and vice versa. The thermistor is connected to the dryer’s control console, which controls the heater. When the thermistor’s resistance drops to a certain level required to effectively dry clothes, the control console shuts off the heater. As the drum temperature gets cooler, resistance rises, and the console directs the heater to cycle back on. This process continues until the drying cycle ends or clothes are dry.

Location

• Unplug your Whirlpool dryer before attempting to test or replace a thermistor. You can access the thermistor, which is near the vent opening or exhaust collar at the rear of the drum by reaching through the dryer’s main door. Since the space can be cramped and dark, you may be better off removing the dryer’s back panel to locate the component. It’s a flat plastic or metal plate about the size of the palm of your hand and it’s connected to two wires.

Performance Test

• Before you remove the thermistor’s two wires to change it, you may want to confirm that it’s faulty. Otherwise, you may end of replacing a functioning part without resolving your dryer’s heating issues. Detach its wires and connect the component to an ohm multimeter tester to verify its connectivity. A cool dryer should measure 50,000 ohms, according to Manage My Life. Check the manual that accompanied your Whirlpool Gold Ultimate Care II dryer to confirm its resistance values. If the thermistor’s resistance is lower than 50,000 or the room temperature value listed in the manual, the component is probably faulty.

Replacement

• Obtain a new thermistor from an appliance parts retailer that sells Whirlpool replacement parts or contact Whirlpool to have a new part shipped to you. If you tested the connectivity of the existing thermistor, its wires are likely already detached. If not, carefully pull out its wires. Unscrew the two screws holding it to the dryer’s wall. Connect the replacement thermistor to the wires and attach it to the wall where the previous thermistor was located with the screws from the old thermistor.