Fix it yourself thread

[Zguy28]

I need some help. Any appliance repairmen in the Tailgate?

I have a Kenmore dryer that for some reason just decided today to stop heating. The drum and timer seem to work okay, but no heat. I checked the lint filter and exhaust, and its fine.

I checked for continuity on the various parts and they seemed okay, except for one part. In the bottom right of this diagram, you see H1 and H2 which is where the heater is. I have current on H2, but not H1. Does that mean the whole heater is bad?

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g172/whetrich/DryerWiring1.jpg

[SC_RedskinsFan]

Have you checked ohms on the element yet? If so you need to check the switch above it labeled 2m 1m.

[SC_RedskinsFan]

Also by having power on H1 that means all of the other stuff should be working correctly. That is if you have power on it when the drum is running.

[Zguy28]

That's what's strange. I have power on HS3 at the Hi Limit T-Stat.

[SC_RedskinsFan]

By the way i am an electrician not a appliance repairman. We should still be able to work our way throught this.

Lets start simple first when the dryer is running do you have power on H2? Make sure that the switch 2M and 1M is letting power through.

Also i am assuming you have checked the element and it works.

Make sure you do not shock yourself also. :silly:

[SC_RedskinsFan]

One other thing when the dryer is running if you have 240 on H1 and H2 the Element is bad.

[Zguy28]

By the way i am an electrician not a appliance repairman. We should still be able to work our way throught this.

Lets start simple first when the dryer is running do you have power on H2? Make sure that the switch 2M and 1M is letting power through.

Also i am assuming you have checked the element and it works.

Make sure you do not shock yourself also. :silly:I just went back and rechecked the continuity on H1 and H2 with the dryer running. It does appear now to have voltage on both sides.

I had my meter turned up to high the first time I think. :)

[Zguy28]

One other thing when the dryer is running if you have 240 on H1 and H2 the Element is bad.Yep. I think that's the culprit. I've been reading on other some other "fixit" forums that they sometimes just break from age.

[SC_RedskinsFan]

I just went back and rechecked the continuity on H1 and H2 with the dryer running. It does appear now to have voltage on both sides.

I had my meter turned up to high the first time I think. :)

If you are going to check continuity on the element you first need to have the dryer off and unhook the wires to the element. If you are checking the voltage at the element it should be running and hooked up.

If the element has 240 volts at the element and is not heating it should be bad. I do not think they are to hard to replace.

[twa]

Yep. I think that's the culprit. I've been reading on other some other "fixit" forums that they sometimes just break from age.

It is the usual culprit,they get brittle with age.

[Capt Rich Fla]

Hope it's not a new one. I have a new high efficiency job that plays little jingles when it's done and makes noise and does all sorts of wierd stuff. If it ever breaks down I'm screwed.

[Zguy28]

Hope it's not a new one. I have a new high efficiency job that plays little jingles when it's done and makes noise and does all sorts of wierd stuff. If it ever breaks down I'm screwed.Nope, its a Kenmore 80 series Heavy Duty that's 21 years old.

UPDATE: my in-laws came into town yesterday and my mother-in-law seems to think if I replace the heater, I might not do it correctly and cause a fire. :silly:

So, my father-in-law took my wife shopping this morning for a new Dryer AND washer. On them. :cheers:

[Kilmer17]

That's definitely the element.

But if someone is going to buy a new one for you, all the better.

I have a dryer (a Kenmore) that my parents bought brand new in the early 70s. Still works great. I replace the element and the belt from time to time, but it's such a simple machine, even I can do it myself.

Our other dryer though is only 4 years old, it broke and it cost me 200 bucks for repairs because it has fancy computers and crap.

[China]

Yeah, we got a new dryer recently. I thought it would be simple to just replace the element as you could with older dryers, but that wasn't the problem. The cost to fix it was so high, it made more sense just to buy a new one.

[Skinsfan1311]

Nope, its a Kenmore 80 series Heavy Duty that's 21 years old.

UPDATE: my in-laws came into town yesterday and my mother-in-law seems to think if I replace the heater, I might not do it correctly and cause a fire. :silly:

So, my father-in-law took my wife shopping this morning for a new Dryer AND washer. On them. :cheers:


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