A dryer is one of the most-used appliances in a home, which is not hard to believe. Even though a dryer uses a lot of electricity, no one should ever forget how important it is. After all, who has the time to hang clothes out and wait for them to dry nowadays?
In electric dryers, the heating element generates heat. It is a coil of wire enclosed within a metal chamber. The electric current that flows through the coil produces heat. Eventually, the air pulled through the chamber absorbs the heat. However, when your dryer stops working, tasks around the house can get quite hectic.
Fortunately, electric dryers are relatively straightforward devices, and repairing one requires minimal skills. However, you must know how to fix the heating element in the dryer. Before trying to fix the machine yourself, we highly recommend contacting an appliance repair company to get help from a professional.
But if you believe you have what it takes to do your own repairs, then this article will guide you through the steps of how to repair the heating element in the dryer.
What Should You Do To Fix The Heating Element?
Take a minute to close your eyes and imagine a scenario. You put a load into your electric dryer, walked away, and went on with your day. You return once the cycle finishes, and utter disappointment greets you—the clothes did not dry and are still wet! While a second cycle may fix the issue for the time being, the problem will continue and get worse with time.
The culprit here is often a faulty heating element. Other components that may cause this issue include the high-limit and cycling thermostats and the dryer’s ventilation. A continuity test with a multimeter can help you figure out which part needs to be replaced. If the dryer continues to tumble, yet the clothes are wet every time you put a load into your dryer, your heating element needs replacing. Therefore, we teach you how to repair dryer heating elements.
Turn the Dryer Off
Preparation is of the utmost importance when you are handling electrical appliances. Taking safety precautions is essential when learning how to fix the heating element in the dryer. Therefore, it is best to start by unplugging the dryer. If that’s impossible, you can turn off the power on the circuit breaker.
Once you are through with this, you may pull your dryer out from the wall to access the back of the dryer. Additionally, you may need to remove the appliance’s exhaust hose if it is attached.
Navigate The Dryer’s Heating Element
As mentioned above, you may need to disconnect the exhaust duct. To do this, you need to get to the dryer’s back panel and unscrew it until it clips out of position. Once you have removed it just put it in a safe place.
Now you should see a long metal housing. Here, there are two sensors you need to remove: one at the top and one at the bottom. To detach both sensors, you need to remove the screws as well as the wires. When you have succeeded in removing both sensors, make sure you place them in a safe location, as you will need to reattach them after replacing the heating element.
After safely removing the top and bottom sensors, look for the fuse that you may find on the left to the housing unit. You can also take out the fuse by taking out the screws that hold it in place and unplugging the wires. After removing the sensors and the fuse, do not forget to check if any screws secure the housing unit. If you come across any, unscrew them to get to the dryer’s heating element.
Test Your Dryer’s Heating Element
First, test out the dryer’s heating element, sensors, and heating fuse if you have a multimeter. Many times, we think that the heating element is broken. In reality, the problem is most likely caused by a blown fuse or broken sensors.
If you own a multimeter, testing out the dryer’s heating element, sensors, and the fuse is relatively simple. All you need to do is test each element to see if there’s a closed circuit. If either of the parts lacks continuity, you need to replace it. This is probably why your dryer isn’t working right.
Replace the Heating Element
Now it’s time to replace the broken element. This step is straightforward. Flip the dryer upside down and find the screws that hold the heating element in place. Remove the screws and the wires that are connected to them. You can now safely remove the heating element.
Now that you have finally removed the old heating element, the final step of this procedure is to replace it with the new one. Double-check that you have purchased the correct item that needs replacing. Get the new element out of its packaging, place it in the proper position, and screw it into place. Reattach both sensors, the fuse, and the back panel, making sure you secure it into place using all the screws you removed previously.
Conclusion
Knowing how to repair the heating elements in dryers is of immense importance. Once you have completed all the steps mentioned above, simply plug your hair dryer in and test it out. If your dryer is working again, congratulations! If the dryer is still not working properly, it is best to contact a professional.
