[easearles]

I have a Kenmore Model 417.81142000 Dryer. I was doing laundry tonight and it has stopped drying my clothes. The drum spins, but nothing heats up. I am 95% sure that the heating element needs to be replaced, but I am not sure where I can go out and buy one.

Is there anything else that could be wrong? If not, what kind of store can I go to to buy a new heating element?

[applguy]

This dryer was built by Frigidaire. You can get parts from any Frigidaire servicer or from sears themselves. I would say you should read this before buying any parts: https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/applia...yer-20960.html This post describes how to access the rear bearing in your dryer, which sits right in the middle of the heating element. If you think its too complicated, call a pro. First, an electric dryer uses 2 separate lines of electricity to run AND heat. If one breaker trips or one fuse blows, the dryer can run but not heat. Check that first by replacing the fuses or turning the breaker off, then on again. Retry the dryer. If the problem persists, I would use a volt meter to check if the voltage is getting through the circuit, outlet and cord and actually making it into the dryer by checking at the terminal block where the cord attaches to the dryer. Assuming it is, a no heat condition will be caused by one of the following: broken heater, open thermostat or thermal fuse (within the dryer), bad motor centrifugal switch, or a bad timer. If you don't have access to a volt meter, or wouldn't know how to use one anyway, maybe it would be best to call a tech out. It's very easy to spend more than you need to on parts that won't fix the problem anyway, and therefore a service call may be the cheapest way to go in the long run. Good luck and be sure to ask if you have further questions.

[KISS]

From the way you phrased the question, I suppose your not confident that you have the skills involved. The parts breakdown and prices and even a schematic is here: http://www.searspartsdirect.com/part...ken=partSearch

I'll warn you that it may not be the cheapest place. A major appliance parts center is where you would generally go.

You need to use and buy a multimeter to check the element. The most fun will be getting to it.

[ballengerb1]

Good advice, if you call Sears to do the repair it will cost you about $200, which is mostly setrvice call and labor. Parts can be bought on line once you detrermine what is bad.