Every three to five years the thermal fuse our Whirlpool dryer GEQ9858JQ fails. There has never been a problem with dust build up in the ventilation system. In the past, the problem disappeared only after replacing the electronic control board. On at least one of those occasions I could never get the unit into factory test mode.
Recently, the thermal fuse failed after almost 5 years. Since then I have done the following:
1) Bypassed the fuse, and ran factory test mode. Tested the thermistor. Everything passed.
2) Replaced thermal fuse. It failed after two loads.
3) Replace electronic control board. Again, the fuse failed.
4) Replaced the thermistor and thermal fuse.
5) Ran factory test mode. Passed.
6) Noticed after coming out of test mode dryer would start before pressing the PTS switch.
7) Disconnected the PTS switch. Dryer still started.
8) Swapped motor and heater relays. PTS switch worked normally, but dryer would heat in No Heat setting. Continuity test of the motor (now heater relay) and confirmed relay was stuck on.
9) Replaced bad relay.
The dryer appears to run normally, but I have not tried it at maximum heat setting. I put the new relay into the heater circuit and left the old heater relay in the motor circuit under the following assumptions: 1) None of the parts I initially replace (except the fuse) were bad. 2) The real cause of the fuse blowing is probably a heater relay that would intermittently stick and cause the dryer to overheat. 3) It would be better have the motor relay intermittently stick because there is less of a fire hazard if it does. Furthermore, if the dryer does eventually begin starting before pushing the PTS switch, even if it does so intermittently, it won't take a blown fuse to show there is a problem.
Have I missed anything?
did you check the outlet got 240 volts? if you did and your not getting that at the heater it could be the board or the motor if the switch in the motor is bad it wont send power have you found the tech sheet? that will give you how to test it but if you think swapping parts is OK then you need to go buy a multimeter so you can find the faulty part
Remove 1 wire from the element . Your 220 V comes from ...110 motor , 110 control board . Check which wire is not getting 110 V , trace it and see which it comes from . That will tell you which one is defective .
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There are several thermal safety fuses in dryers which once blown have to be replaced. But, more importantly, they normally blow for a reason and simply replacing one without resolving the underlying problem of overheating will simply cause another failure. Lint is the normal culprit; vacuum and forced air to clean everything out. WITH THE POWER CORD UNPLUGGED and the leads temporarily disconnected, check continuity on each of the thermal fuses (they look like a stainless steel hat that might fit on a Barbie doll. Some dryers have four or five.).
If your dryer is not drying like it once did or if you just have nottaken the time to give yourself a clean dryer in a long time then youneed to do that. At least once a year the dryer cleaning should takeplace. Lint build up in the dryer duct is one of the main causesfor your dryer to fail.
Make sure you checke the Thermal fuse because if the thermal fuse opens you will get this code also. A thermal fuse will open when the interanl temp of the dryer reaches 196 Deg. F The reason a dryer gets hot is due to poor air-flow though the dryer from lint build up either inside the dryer or the external ducting to include the thru the wall vent hood. Additionally if the blower modtor on dual motor models fails or the blower wheel on single motor models fails you can have the thermal fuse fail. The thermal fuse is not resetable. It is a one time failure component. The thermal fuse is located on the Blower housing on both models.
There is a thermal fuse wired in series with the motor and if it is blown, power to the motor is cut and cannot. No dryer function works when the motor cannot run. The thermal fuse usually blows due to a failed exhaust thermistor. Check for clogged lint filter and/or restricted vent system then replace both the thermal fuse and the thermistor if the thermal fuse is found blown open. This is a DIY repair which only requires very minimal effort with a screwdriver.
Disconnect power then remove the back panel and locate the thermal fuse and the thermal fuse on the blower housing.
Click on the link below for some troubleshooting information before replacing the thermal fuse and the thermistor.
If your Whirlpool dryer has mysteriously stopped producing heat, a blown
thermal fuse may be the cause of your problem. In Whirlpool dryers,
thermal fuses are safety switches that are designed to disrupt the flow
of electricity to your dryer's heating mechanisms once the dryer reaches
a predetermined maximum temperature, usually somewhere around 180
degrees F. Thankfully, troubleshooting the thermal fuse in a Whirlpool
dryer is easier than it sounds.
Instructions:
Clean out the lint screen in
your Whirlpool clothes dryer. Lint buildup can cause your dryer to
overheat, triggering the thermal fuse to disrupt power to your dryer's
heating mechanisms. Take the lint screen out of your Whirlpool dryer and
wash it in warm water. Dry the screen thoroughly before replacing it.
Look behind the dryer to check
its flexible exhaust hose for kinks or obstructions. Disconnect the
exhaust hose from the back of your dryer and clean out any lint that has
built up.
Go outside and check your
Whirlpool dryer's exhaust vent for obstructions. Lint buildup, bird
nests or other obstructions in the outside exhaust vent can trigger your
dryer's thermal fuse.
Disconnect your dryer from its power source before attempting to access its thermal fuse.
Access the thermal fuse in your
Whirlpool dryer by removing the back panel. Remove the screws that hold
the back panel in place and it should easily come free.
Look between the dryer's blower
housing and exhaust to locate its thermal fuse. The thermal fuse in a
Whirlpool dryer looks like a white plastic strip that has two wires
connected to it.
Bypass the thermal fuse in your
Whirlpool dryer while you perform a quick diagnostic test. Use
electrical tape to tape together the two wires connected to the thermal
fuse. Reassemble your dryer and plug it back in. Set the dryer to a
timed heated drying cycle and press "Start." If the dryer produces heat
with its thermal fuse bypassed, it means the thermal fuse needs to be
replaced.
Replace a blown thermal fuse in
your Whirlpool dryer. Disconnect the power and remove the back panel.
Remove the electrical tape that you used to perform the diagnostic test
and disconnect the wires from the thermal fuse. Remove the screws that
secure the thermal fuse to the dryer and discard the blown fuse. Attach
the replacement thermal fuse by replacing and tightening the screws.
Attach the wires to the new thermal fuse.
The thermal fuse is located on the outside of the blower housing. To get access to the thermal fuse you will need to remove the back panel of your Whirlpool dryer. How do you check it: Before you do any repairs on your dryer, you will need to disconnect the dryer from the wall outlet.
After removing the back panel, remove one wire from the Whirlpool dryer thermal fuse and take a reading between the two terminal on the thermal fuse.
The reading should be 0 ohms, if the reading is infinity, the thermal fuse is bad and it must be replace. When you find a bad thermal fuse, you will need to replace the operating thermostat too.
The operating thermostat opens at 155 degrees and the thermal fuse blows at 196.
These means that operating thermostat did not open at 155 and that is why the thermal fuse failed.
The temperature of the air being exhausted is monitored by the cycling thermostat and the thermal fuse mounted on the blower housing. The thermal fuse, which is wired in series with the motor circuit, fails when the cycling thermostat fails to regulate the exhaust air temperature. Failure of the thermal fuse results in the motor not running and the dryer not working at all.
Remove the dryer real panel to access the blower housing and check the continuity of the thermal fuse. Grab a volt-ohmmeter and set it to the R X 1 scale then disconnect one wire from the thermal fuse terminals then check the continuity of the thermal fuse. Replace the thermal fuse should it read open.
Indicate the exact model number of the dryer for specific troubleshooting and repair advice if you need further assistance and for the exact part numbers.
If this is a Whirlpool ELECTRIC dryer, you have a Thermal Cut-Out (TCO) and a Thermal Fuse. Do not confuse the two of them.
The TCO is mounted on the outside of the heater box on the end opposite the Heating Element terminals. There is another component mounted on the heater box adjacent to the TCO known as the "Hi-Limit" Thermostat. If either of these components fails, the dryer will still ru, but will not heat. In addition, if either of these components fail, you must replace the two of them at the same time to avoid premature failure. They are commonly sold as a set.
The Thermal Fuse is located on the air blower housing. It is a small plastic component with two wire leads. There is another component mounted adjacent to it known as the "Internal Bias Thermostat". If the Thermal Fuse fails, the dryer will not run at all.
To access any of these components will depend on how the dryer is configured. BASIC RULE OF THUMB:
If the lint screen filter is on the TOP of the dryer, the heating and blower assembly components are located in the REAR of the dryer. You will need to remove the back panel for access.
If the lint screen filter is located in the DOOR, the heating and blower assembly components are under the drum and accessed by lifting the top panel and removing the front panel of the dryer.
If you have any questions, please post back with a MODEL NUMBER, so that I may be able to determine how your dryer is configured. I hope this helps you.
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