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valdustina · Jan 28, 2007, 05:53 PM

My clothes dryer heats sometimes but then it quits. Do you think I have a bad heaating element or what might be the problem?
Thanks, Edith

ballengerb1 · Jan 28, 2007, 06:10 PM

Do you mean it stops running or stops heating but the drum keeps turning?

labman · Jan 28, 2007, 07:19 PM

If it is a sometimes problem, likely it is a relay going bad. Your on switch only powers the coil of a relay. The motor and heating element are switched by relays.

To do simple checks like this you do need some tools. A test light, a meter, or a voltage detector might be the best place to start with. I came across the niftiest gadget for trouble shooting, a voltage detector. They work through the insulation of wires. There are several brands. I have a GB Instruments GVD-505A, less than $15 at Home Depot. Touch it to a hot wire, and the end glows red. Find the doodad that lights it on one side, and not the other, and you have the culprit. You do not have to open up housings and expose electrical contacts. You are looking at where your hand is, not where the meter is. Most people are capable of doing repairs and will get it going and not get hurt if they use a little sense. The voltage detector makes it even easier.

valdustina · Jan 28, 2007, 10:15 PM

It stops heating but keeps running. Thanks

labman · Jan 29, 2007, 04:35 AM

Follow the wires to the heating elements back to a box. It should have 2 heavy wires in and 2 out, plus 2 smaller ones. That is the relay. If the 2 smaller wires and large ones in are hot, but not the large ones going to the heating element, the relay is bad. Replacing it should fix the problem. Easy enough to do, and safe if you shut the breaker off or unplug the dryer.