I have a Maytag LDG7304AAE. I do not have a wiring diagram, so that would be helpful if anyone can provide it. The unit will not continue to heat beyond about 5-10 seconds. The ignitor works, the gas circuit is fine and I get a flame, but after about 5-10 seconds it shuts off. I am trying to determine if it is the radiant sensor or the thermostat that is the problem, or something else. Any ideas how to check either or what the problem could be?

What is it? A dryer, a wall heater?

Hi mrrem, have you check the exhaust and lint trap? To answer your question, you'll need a Ohm/volt meter to check the thermostats. Read below for some guidance. Good luck

Maytag Dryer Takes Too Long - Model LDG7304AAE - Repair Parts - RepairClinic.com (http://www.repairclinic.com/RepairHelp/How-To-Fix-A-Dryer/5-4-91677-/Maytag-Dryer-takes-too-long-LDG7304AAE)

Most likely it is dirty and lint deposits have built up, as it always does, in all the air ducts which will cause the main safety to blow causing the problem you described (Your safety must be resettable because it still heats for a while or it's cutting off the heat before it blows the safety.You need a multi-meter to find which safety has blown. That may not be as important because you will have to take it all apart and clean the drier out thoroughly or it is all for nothing anyway, but you still should test all the safeties after you clean it. Every air duct will have to be removed and scraped and washed out to remove baked on lint deposits which bakes on like a concrete lining. This will burn so the manufacturer has installed the safeties to keep from having a house fire. The safeties are oval-shaped with a round center part containing the safety with two plug-on terminals for the wires and when they burn open, from the dryer being dirty, nothing will work or it will not heat. Using an ohm meter you put a lead on each terminal of the safety, with one wire unplugged, and if it is good you will have a reading of about zero; if it is bad it will read infinity. Driers were the number one cause of fires at one time, hence now we have safety fuses. Look at: How to clean your clothes dryer. How to make it hot again. - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMP7BW1lLs4) to see how. Also look at these to get an idea about how to clean it: Mr. Appliance Tips: How to Clean Your Dryer - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBiRw-KElC4) ; Cleaning a Dryer Vent and Lint Trap - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFTZGgVisCI)
Electric Clothes Dryers (http://www.electrical-forensics.com/Dryer/ElectricClothesDryers.html) Dryer vent cleaning prevents fires - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6wmD502-xE) and: Cleaning out a dryer with top lint cleanout - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBNDbyRm68M&feature=fvsr)
Cleaning out a dryer: By a woman 2 of 2 - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a73HTFkcB90&feature=relmfu)
When you finish cleaning the drier it is best to also replace the belt, too, because you do not want to have to disassemble it all over again and if the belt is over two years old you should replace it.

Note that on most of the videos it does not show them washing out the parts, but this is important because it's the only way to really get the parts clean, just don't get motor wet or the capacitor if it has one. Vacuum out the motor to remove all dust. I would move the drier out to your garage to have plenty of space to work. You also want to check your vent and clean it, also. The vent should have a short run and be straight as possible. The job is really easier than it sounds. There is no shortcut that will work; it has to be cleaned well. Before you re-assemble it make sure to use white lithium grease (high-temp grease) and grease all bearings.
Here are the manuals you need: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8010163/Maytag%20Dryers.zip
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8010163/How%20to%20use%20Test%20Equipment%20Service%20Manu al.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8010163/How%20to%20Diagnose%20and%20Fix%20Everything%20Ele ctronic.pdf (More instructions on meters along with some things you may not need now, but later.)

Thanks for the advice. I clean this dryer out completely about every other year. We have regular problems with birds nests in the vent penetration as it is in the roof and every screen/cover we have tried they have been able to get around. Therefore, I clean the vent pipe about every 2 months in the spring and summer and mabye once in the fall. The worry of backup/fires due to the nests is why I clean it our regularly. I am not sure where each of the safties are, but am certain the ducts throughout are clean. Update since the earlier post: I used a multimeter and checked the high temp thermostat, the igniter, the radiant sensor, the fuse and the cycling thermostat. All checked out fine, but the high temp thermostat did seem to open quicker than I though it should when I heated it. Therefore, I replace it and everything worked great... until the first load. Now, the gas solenoid valve will not open. The igniter warms up, but kicks off after about 20s. Is there a way I can check both solenoids? I would prefer not to have to swap them out "just to check." Any other control possibilities? I do not have a wiring diagram.

You are doing an incomplete cleaning that is commonly done. It does not work. You have to take it completely apart which means removing all the ducts, the drum, cleaning out the filter compartment, everything. If you miss one little thing it will not work.

Hi again mrrem, I'm not aware of a test for the coils, I just bite the bullet and exchange them.

There are good videos on Google if you need to see it done. Good luck

Changing parts is the worst kind of technique. Look at this service manual to see how to do it right: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8010163/Maytag_Dryers_service_Manual.pdf
You will never be a good troubleshooter until you learn to use a simple meter. It's useless and costly to exchange good parts for more good parts. What happens when the new part is bad? It happens all the time, but until you learn to use a meter you will spin your wheels trying to fix something. Do it right for a change.

Hi doc, how do you test a coil?

Read across the coil with an ohm meter and get the ohms. Divide ohms into voltage to get rated amperage of coil or go to: Online Conversion - Ohm's Law Calculator (http://www.onlineconversion.com/ohms_law.htm) and fill in any two values. The coil will have the current or wattage printed on the side of it. On a solenoid coil the ampacity is about .1 amp so the resistance should be about 1200 ohms, for example. On other coils the ratings are different. Generally, if you get infinity it's bad and calculate all others to make sure you do not have a short. If you read a coil that's unusually low check the amperage rating to make sure it's not shorted. Different type coils read differently. An igniter coil that is 600 watts will read 24 ohms and have 5 amps. (See: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8010163/Maytag_Dryers_service_Manual.pdf) It's not as difficult as it may sound. Just make sure your numbers work. It's all just simple math. Look at the chart in these: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8010163/Maytag_Amana_Dryers.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8010163/Maytag%2027%20inch%20Dryer%20Service%20Manual.pdf

Do you ever read a coil as good but it not work with power on it?


Oh and thanks for the manuals link, great help.

Not sure that I could do a better job of cleaning it out as I have removed the components as you described. Like I mentioned, I do that about every other year. The regular cleaning of the vent line is only what I do in addition to the full cleaning job internally, including removing the blower wheel and snaking the lower ducts, front lint line, and discharge out the back. The non-air moving areas also get cleaned just because I have everything apart. I have not seen the safeties that you mention, but haven't been looking for them specifically. What do they look like, is there a drawing to show me where they are at, will they open when too hot (meaning can I do a continuity check), etc. This dryer is pretty old (we bough it used 14 years ago), is it possible that they did not come on this model?

You are supposed to REMOVE these ducts and wash them out. The lint builds up like concrete on the inside and no vacuum cleaner will clean it. You remove all parts that move air and wash them out with water. Wash the blower wheel, too. The safeties are round in an oval piece of sheet metal used to mount them with a hole on each end. They blow because you have not properly cleaned the ductwork which has a buildup of deposits. Some look different, but they all have two wires on them and are wired in series with one another, so all you do is follow the wires and go from one to the next one. Look in manuals and you should see them and how they are wired. As to Parttime's question: I have never read a coil that read good and was bad, but I have read a coil that seemed good until I ran the numbers and found that the ohms were too low causing a safety to blow from too many amps. You have to use Ohm's Law; it's mandatory.

This version of this model does not have any safeties like you describe. It does have a cyclical thermostat immediately downstream from the blower wheel in the blower wheel housing. I removed it, but it was clean. Once you remove the blower wheel cover, I can look through the entire duct (the only duct in the machinge downstream of the drum) and out the back of the machine without problem. The duct is clean and there are no other safeties in the housing or the duct. From the burner to the drum is a vertical riser that also is clean and has no safeties located in it. The only other thermostat is the high limit thermo at the flame. That checks out fine too. The problem fits what you describe, just don't have the safeties to check with this version of this model.

You may have a defective safety somewhere or a bad thermistor. You can check thermistors and safeties with an ohm meter and a digital thermometer. I would suggest that you check the safeties until you find the one that is opening or check the thermistors. You can sometimes run the unit and measure the temp where a safety is located and when it opens a safety quickly check (after unplugging unit) and find the one that opened, or if it's safe read across the safety with a volt meter and when you suddenly read voltage you will know that the particular safety opened. See: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8010163/How%20to%20use%20Test%20Equipment%20Service%20Manu al.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8010163/How%20to%20Diagnose%20and%20Fix%20Everything%20Ele ctronic.pdf
When checking a switch with a volt meter with voltage applied you will read voltage when the switch is open and no voltage, except to ground, when it is closed as the meter is bridging the connection between the contacts. Be very careful when doing this not to create a short to ground or through you. Do not touch the other lead when one is on the live wire.