[seancrv]

I have a Kenmore dryer, model# 110.63956 102 that stopped heating yesterday. There is an excellent troubleshooting guide included (hidden of course) and I think I have the problem diagnosed to the heating element. On the wall outlet and power cord connections to the machine I have 120vac on each legs, 240vac combined.

All safety and control components for the heating circuit appear to be fine when checked for resistance. The resistance of the heating element is 5.7 ohms. The heater strip circuit diagram calls for 7.8 – 11.8 ohms. With the dryer running I have 120vac at each leg of the element but read 0vac across the leads.

The resistance reading leads me to believe the element is bad. You may say that I have the proof in front of me by looking at the circuit diagram but I have always been squeamish about resistance readings other than an open/closed circuit.

[medic-dan]

Did you disconnect the element when measuring the resistance?

I would expect to find 240 vac across the element when the dryer was running. How else would you get heat?

How about the thermostat? Does it have an overtemp device that's tripped/failed?

[seancrv]

Yes, it was disconnected. All the overtemps, thermostats,etc. are reading as good.

[medic-dan]

When you say you have 120 vac across the element when the dryer is running, are you checking each terminal to ground. You should be reading 240 vac.

When you checked for the 240 vac on the cord, you went across the lines, correct?

I know this may sound redundant by I want to understand it clearly.

[seancrv]

Power cord in is 120 on each leg to ground, 240 across the legs.

Element had 120 from each side to ground, 0 across element legs.

[medic-dan]

One side of the feed to the element is open. You could disconnect one end of the element to figure out which as you can't do it in the circuit.

You are sure the thermal fuse is OK?