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I’ve got a electric whirlpool duet dryer, just did a heating element and high limit thermostat/ thermal fuse while I had the cabinet open. I checked for airflow restrictions, cleaned all lint out of the cabinet and exhaust vent, verified the thermister is operating correctly, and confirmed that the heating element is cycling on and off (and is not grounded to the chassis) I also repaired one seal that was not holding air. The remaining question is if I should expect the right hand side of the dryer (outside where the heating element is installed) to get hot (not red hot, or peeling paint, just quite uncomfortable to hold your hand there) or is this normal operation? There’s no smell like it’s hot and the dryer is moving quite a lot of air. I ran the dryer with and without the exhaust connected and it didn’t make a difference. Any help is much appreciated!
Cause 1 Heating Element The heating element warms the air before the air enters the dryer drum. If the element is partially shorted out, it may produce heat continuously, even if the dryer has reached the proper temperature. When this happens, the dryer gets too hot. To determine if the heating element is at fault, use a multimeter to test each terminal for continuity to the case. If the heating element has continuity to the case, it is shorted out. If the heating element is shorted out, replace it. Cause 2 Heating Element Assembly The heating element warms air as it passes over the element. If the element is partially shorted out, it may produce heat continuously, even if the dryer has reached the proper temperature. When this happens, the dryer gets too hot. To determine if the heating element is at fault, first use a multimeter to test the heating element for continuity. If the heating element does not have continuity, replace it. Next, test for continuity from each terminal to the case. If the heating element has continuity to the case, it is shorted out. If the heating element is shorted out, replace it. Cause 3 Air Flow Problem If the vent is clogged or partially clogged, it will restrict the airflow through the dryer, substantially increasing the drying time. To ensure proper dryer performance, you should clean your dryer’s venting system at least once per year.
I vacuumed out all of the lint from every crack and crevice of my dryer. It runs a lot hotter now. Yours sounds like it is more hot than is normal. I’m not sure if that is bad or not. But I do know that your dryer will run hotter after you clean the lint out. If you don’t smell anything, then there’s probably no problem. But you should probably use your multimeter to check to make sure that everything tests correctly as to amps/watts/ohms, etc.
