Electric clothes dryer keeps burning up heating coils

[oldfella1962]

About a week ago my dryer wouldn't blow hot air on any setting. The drum turned but the dryer produced no hot air. Turns out the heating element/coil was bad. Yes I checked it - an "open" reading on the resistance meter. I ordered another element and thermostat (which was part of the kit) and replaced them. The heating element tested fine on the resistance meter. I tested the dryer itself and I could see the element glowing and feel the hot air blowing. PROBLEM SOLVED! I washed some clothes, and then put them in the dryer. About an hour later I went to check the progress and.....wait for it....WET CLOTHES!
Sure enough, the heating element is stone cold. Just to be crystal clear here:
1) my dryer - which had worked fine up until a few days ago - stopped producing hot air
2) the heating element was burned out - confirmed on the resistance meter
3) I put in a new good heating element - confirmed on the resistance meter
4) the dryer worked (it produced hot air) but only for a short time
5) the dryer venting is not blocked - I clean out the entire length from dryer to outside of the house on a regular basis

any thoughts?

 

[RedHills]

I think...there is also a thermostat/cutoff that cycles the element on and off. It isn't suppose to be "on" all the time.....maybe it's bad and burning the element? Thats just a wag.

 

[Crakajak]

About a week ago my dryer wouldn't blow hot air on any setting. The drum turned but the dryer produced no hot air. Turns out the heating element/coil was bad. Yes I checked it - an "open" reading on the resistance meter. I ordered another element and thermostat (which was part of the kit) and replaced them. The heating element tested fine on the resistance meter. I tested the dryer itself and I could see the element glowing and feel the hot air blowing. PROBLEM SOLVED! I washed some clothes, and then put them in the dryer. About an hour later I went to check the progress and.....wait for it....WET CLOTHES!
Sure enough, the heating element is stone cold. Just to be crystal clear here:
1) my dryer - which had worked fine up until a few days ago - stopped producing hot air
2) the heating element was burned out - confirmed on the resistance meter
3) I put in a new good heating element - confirmed on the resistance meter
4) the dryer worked (it produced hot air) but only for a short time
5) the dryer venting is not blocked - I clean out the entire length from dryer to outside of the house on a regular basis

any thoughts?

Did you test resistance going to the heating element.?

 

[Milkman]

Have you measured voltage?

 

[oldfella1962]

Did you test resistance going to the heating element.?

no, because the new heating element turned on when I tested the dryer - it got hot in other words and the dryer produced hot air, but after an hour or so burned out. I will check for any wiring/terminals that could have vibrated loose during the new heating element installation.

 

[bullgator]

Any chance the vents need cleaning?

 

[awstapp]

Had this problem few years ago. Dryer should have a thermal fuse which is before the thermostat and heating element. I looked my dryer up online and found what resistance a good thermal fuse should read and then replaced. But, like someone above stated, there is a reason it keeps happening. I’d check for good air flow out the vent pipe and make sure nothing blocking exhaust.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

Need to take the back off the dryer and clean it out with a shop vac anyways. Lots of homes burned down because of that. That thermal coupling is very easy to check and simple and cheap to replace. Dryer lint is what’s calked “ flash tinder”, very easy to ignite.

 

[Doug B.]

I think...there is also a thermostat/cutoff that cycles the element on and off. It isn't suppose to be "on" all the time.....maybe it's bad and burning the element? Thats just a wag.

This! There is at least two thermostats on the back of most of them. The main reason for them to go bad is because the vent is stopped up. You said you cleaned yours so it could be an age thing with the thermostats. You can youtube what yours is doing and find exactly what it is and how to fix it.

 

[oldfella1962]

Any chance the vents need cleaning?

I mentioned that - I keep them clean and well maintained.

 

[oldfella1962]

I may have figured it out. One of the wiring terminals came off suspiciously easy when I was examining the wiring. And to my surprise, the new heating element was fine - it wasn't burned out like the original. HOWEVER I checked a fuse (the thermal switch perhaps?) not involved in putting in the new heating element & thermostat, and sure enough, it was open! I had a new one in the kit, but it wasn't mentioned in the new heating element kit instructions. So I changed that out, and my dryer seems to be working. I'll test it more tomorrow, so if it's not fixed, I can take my wet clothes to the laundromat.

Here's what I think happened. The original heating element went out - heating elements do that, like in ovens for example. When I put in the new heating element & thermostat the loose terminal (on the thermostat BTW) caused the thermal switch/fuse to burn open/out, which is exactly what it should do - protect the heating element/dryer. So when I replaced the switch the heating element produced hot air in "hot" and warm air in "warm" and seems to be working.

The takeaway? I should have replaced EVERYTHING in the heating element kit. Maybe all the parts are rated/matched for that particular heating element. That could also be a factor in why the new heating element wasn't working - that original thermal switch might be a slightly different rating - it looks like the new one in the kit, but who knows the true specifications?

 

[Crakajak]

Glad you got it figured out and the dryer is up and running.

 

[Gadestroyer74]

Good job glad you got it figured out..

 

[oldfella1962]

Bad news! The dryer ran today for about an hour, then no more hot air. This time one of the thermal fuses burned out. I ordered a complete kit of all the different switches, fuses, thermostat, etc. Five components totaled. I'm replacing every single electronic component that could possibly be the problem. I took the whole back of the dryer apart and took off the assembly from the lint trap to the dryer air outlet (where the flexible vent tubing attaches) and checked for obstructions. As I said before, I already cleaned out the PVC pipe tubing from the wall in the laundry room to the outside of the house. The flexible tubing from the dryer to the wall is brand new (bought two days ago). The new heating element is also two or three days old too.

If this doesn't fix it, no more chasing my tail - I'll get a new dryer.

 

[Batjack]

Bad news! The dryer ran today for about an hour, then no more hot air. This time one of the thermal fuses burned out. I ordered a complete kit of all the different switches, fuses, thermostat, etc. Five components totaled. I'm replacing every single electronic component that could possibly be the problem. I took the whole back of the dryer apart and took off the assembly from the lint trap to the dryer air outlet (where the flexible vent tubing attaches) and checked for obstructions. As I said before, I already cleaned out the PVC pipe tubing from the wall in the laundry room to the outside of the house. The flexible tubing from the dryer to the wall is brand new (bought two days ago). The new heating element is also two or three days old too.

If this doesn't fix it, no more chasing my tail - I'll get a new dryer.

Hate this for you bud, chasing electrical grimlins generally never ends well. Glad you decided on a stopping point.

 

[Gadestroyer74]

Bad news! The dryer ran today for about an hour, then no more hot air. This time one of the thermal fuses burned out. I ordered a complete kit of all the different switches, fuses, thermostat, etc. Five components totaled. I'm replacing every single electronic component that could possibly be the problem. I took the whole back of the dryer apart and took off the assembly from the lint trap to the dryer air outlet (where the flexible vent tubing attaches) and checked for obstructions. As I said before, I already cleaned out the PVC pipe tubing from the wall in the laundry room to the outside of the house. The flexible tubing from the dryer to the wall is brand new (bought two days ago). The new heating element is also two or three days old too.

If this doesn't fix it, no more chasing my tail - I'll get a new dryer.

Sir you have went way farther than I would have. I would have been done bought a new one lol. My frustration with that would have hit a tannerite in the dryer and kaboom!!

 

[notnksnemor]

Have you measured voltage?

This ^^^^

 

[B. White]

I agree with some others and would scrap it in a hurry. I don't know what is the worst, the time spent troubleshooting and fixing or being nickel and dimed while and it still doesn't last. I was fortunate to work with a lady for many years who had to have a matching set, so if one quit she would buy a new set. I would buy the old working washer or dryer she had whether I needed it right then or not. I would pay on average about what I used to spend for parts when repairing them and had good luck with run times.

 

[oldfella1962]

This ^^^^

I have not, assuming that if the dryer was working for several years and I have never rewired my dryer in that time, I still have 220 single phase properly grounded voltage. We never had any power surges or anything in that time or specifically occurring right now. But I will check it, because you never know.

 

[notnksnemor]

I have not, assuming that if the dryer was working for several years and I have never rewired my dryer in that time, I still have 220 single phase properly grounded voltage. We never had any power surges or anything in that time or specifically occurring right now. But I will check it, because you never know.

It sounds like you have a loose or corroded connection.
You very well may test the correct voltage when the dryer is not running and it breaks down under a load.
A heating element is an inductive load and needs both legs of the 220 to operate correctly.
One leg runs all the controls/motor then goes to one end of the element the other leg may go thru a centrifugal switch but then goes directly to the element.
If you are getting 120 volts to each end of the element it should heat properly.