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Somewhat of a break from the norm, but today the dryer quit drying. The clothes stayed damp, and there was no heat inside the dryer when you opened the door.

At first, I disassembled the dryer, expecting to find a problem with with the controls or main electronic boards. However, using a multi meter revealed that the controls and circuit board were outputting 120 volts to the heating element.

Further investigation showed that the heating element wire had 120 volts at the plug, and all the sensors seemed to be working. It was at this point that I decided to check resistance on the heating element wire itself. What I found was “OL” for over limit, meaning no connection between the terminals.

After disassembled, the problem was very obvious, as the heating element wire had broken in the middle, making for no connection. A simple repair, hooking the wire together again, I’m only wondering how long that repair will last. But, this got it working again, and gives me time to order another heating element.

Hopefully they can ship one to Alaska.

Linux – keep it simple.

2 Replies to “Damp dryers…”

  1. I had to fix my washer recently; the lid switch was busted. It’s nice to be able to do some small-time repairs yourself, isn’t it! But man, I wouldn’t have the tools or know-how for what you just did.

    1. As technology advances, doing your own repairs seems to get harder and harder. More custom tools are required and a lot more knowledge than I usually have is needed. It is fun though when you can fix something yourself!

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