Whirlpool Dryer Heating Element Testing and Replacement

WhirlpoolWhirlpool DryerDifficult⏱ 3 - 5 hours

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Use this guide to test heating element in your Whirlpool Dryer and replace it if necessary. A faulty heating element can cause the dryer to overheat, heat poorly, or not heat at all. This guide is rated Difficult, and while most of the steps are straightforward, the disassembly and reassembly of the heating element can be tricky in addition to the lower front bulkhead and the drum. This guide will work for most electric Whirlpool dryers. This guide is written with a model WED87HED dryer. If you have a different model, you may encounter some minor disassembly differences, but the overall repair process will be the same.

Сначала выполнить:Do these first:

Whirlpool Dryer Power Cord Replacement

🧰 Tools

Phillips #2 Screwdriver
5/16" Nut Driver
6-in-1 Screwdriver
5/16" Socket
Socket Wrench
FixMat
1/4" Nut Driver
3/16 Flat Head Screwdriver
Work Gloves
Spudger

⚙️ Parts

Whirlpool Dryer Heating Element (Varies)

ШагиSteps

Safety Precautions

Before you begin your repair, unplug your dryer.
Your power cord may have four prongs rather than three. The additional prong is a ground connection.

Unfasten the top panel

Throughout this guide, keep track of each screw and reinstall it exactly where it came from.
Use a nut driver to remove the screws securing the top panel to the rear panel bracket.

Remove the top panel

Grasp the top and slide it 1/2 to 1 inch toward the rear of the machine.

Step 4

Lift the top panel upward to separate it from the chassis.
Remove the top panel from the machine.

Disconnect the control panel

Disconnect the control panel cable from the main board.

Step 6

Disconnect the drum light connector.

Unfasten the control panel

Remove the screws securing the control panel.

Remove the control panel

Lift the control panel up and tilt it away from the chassis to remove it.
Make sure to thread the cable through the hole in the chassis.
During reassembly, thread the cable through its proper hole before reinstalling the control panel.

Disconnect the door switch

Use a small flat blade screwdriver or a spudger to unlatch both sides of the door switch connector.
Unplug the connector.

Unfasten the front panel

Remove the upper front panel sheet metal screws.
Tilt the machine backwards and prop it securely, or have a friend hold it.
Remove the sheet metal screws on the bottom edge of the panel.

Step 11

Remove the screws inside the door area below the drum opening.

Remove the front panel

The panel is heavy and awkward. You may want to have a friend help you with this step.
Pull the bottom of the panel away from the chassis about two to three inches.
Lift the front panel off the small tabs on the chassis near the top of the panel and remove it.
Make sure you don't snag the door switch wire harness as you remove the panel.

Unfasten the cover plate

Remove the cover plate screw.

Remove the cover plate

Remove the cover plate.

Disconnect the cord

Remove the screws securing the cord cables.
Mark the cables with a permanent marker if needed and take a picture or draw a diagram.

Remove the cord

Pull the cord carefully down through the round hole.
Make sure you replace the connections correctly when you reassemble.

Unfasten the cord terminal block

Remove the green ground screw.
Remove the cord terminal block screws.

Move the cord terminal block

Move the cord terminal block behind the rear panel.

Unfasten the rear panel

Remove the rear panel screws.
Throughout this guide, keep track of each screw and reinstall it exactly where it came from.

Step 20

Remove the screw holding the main board bracket to the chassis.
Remove the screws from the top rear of the machine.

Remove the rear panel

Put on gloves before continuing, as the rear panel is sharp.
Lift the panel about 1/2 inch and tilt it to the rear to release it from the vent pipe.
Slide the panel off the vent pipe and remove it.

Reassembly information

During reassembly, perform the following:
Make sure that the vent pipe is fitted into the collar on the panel.
Make sure the tabs at the bottom are aligned to the bottom rim of the chassis.
Position the panel so its screw holes match with the chassis.

Remove the lint filter

Pull the lint filter up out of the lint filter slot to remove it.
These photos show the front panel in place, but the procedure is the same if the front panel is already removed.

Unfasten the lint filter housing

Remove the mounting screws securing the lint filter housing.

Remove the lint filter housing

Pull the filter housing outward from the chassis and down to remove it.

Disconnect the moisture sensor

Squeeze the locking tabs on the moisture sensor connector.
Disconnect the connector.

Disconnect the main board

Label, photograph or make a sketch of the connector locations and of the main board bracket position on your machine.
Disconnect all of the connectors on the main board front half.

Step 28

Label, photograph or make a sketch of the connector locations and of the main board bracket position on your machine.
Disconnect all the connectors from the rear half of the main board.

Unfasten the main board from the main board bracket

Remove the sheet metal screw that retains the main board to the main board bracket.

Separate the main board from the main board bracket

Lift the rear corner of the main board nearest to the side walls of the chassis.
You want to release the locking tab on the side of the main board.
Slide the main board toward the front of the dryer to release the tabs securing it to the main board bracket.

Remove the main board

Remove the main board from the main board bracket.

Remove the main board bracket

Remove the sheet metal screw holding the main board bracket.

Remove the wiring harness from the main board bracket

Lift off the main board bracket from the chassis and turn it so the bottom is exposed.
Using long nose or slip joint pliers, pinch the locking wings of the harness retainer clamp.
Separate the harness from the main board bracket and remove the main board bracket.

Unfasten the upper front bulkhead

Remove the screws securing the upper front bulkhead to the front of the chassis.
Remove the sheet metal screws securing the top plastic portion to the upper front bulkhead.

Remove the upper front bulkhead

Remove the upper front bulkhead and set it aside.

Release the belt tension

Take careful note of the belt path before proceeding.
Be careful during this procedure! The idler arm is under spring tension and may pinch you, or it could damage the belt switch if the arm is allowed to snap down.
Push the idler arm (the metal upside-down "L") up to relieve the tension on the drive belt.
Remove the belt from the motor pulley.
Gently lower the idler arm until it rests parallel to the dryer floor.
During reassembly, refer to your notes or the belt path link to rethread the drive belt.

Unfasten the lower front bulkhead

Remove the screws securing the lower front bulkhead.

Remove the lower front bulkhead

While supporting the drum, lift the lower front bulkhead off of the hooks on the chassis.

Step 39

Lower the bulkhead about 2 inches to free the drum rollers tucked under the drum.
While supporting the drum, remove the lower front bulkhead.
During reassembly, tilt the bulkhead to the right to get the rollers under the lip on the front of the drum. Once the drum is on the rollers, you can move the bulkhead to the upright position.

Remove the drum

Use the belt to lift the drum a few inches.
Swing the drum out of the front of the dryer.
Note which end of the drum faces the front.
If the belt is broken, stand in front of the drum and put your arms inside it. Lift it up and pull it through the front opening of the machine. Having someone to help you with this is a good idea.
Make sure you get your drum back on the rollers when you reinstall the lower front bulkhead. Take your time and don't force it.

Heating element information

The next three steps show how to disconnect and test the heating element.

Disconnect the heating element

Disconnect the spade connectors attached to the heating element.
Note the locations of the spade connectors.
Pull on the connectors and not the wires themselves.
If you are just replacing the heating element and don't need to test it, you can skip the next two steps.

Test the heating element

These steps will require a multimeter. If you aren't familiar with how to use one, here is a guide that will help you.
Many Whirlpool electric dryers have heating elements with two or even three sections. The resistance will vary according to the arrangement.
If the heating element has only two terminals, you will just check the resistance between those terminals.
The resistance should be about 10–13 Ω. If it is outside this range, the element should be replaced.
If there are three terminals (common on newer machines, and shown here), check the resistance between the middle common terminal and each of the element terminals.
The resistance should be about 20 ohms (Ω). If the resistance is less than 15 Ω, or greater than 25 Ω, you should replace the element.

Heater continuity check and ground check

(For three terminal heaters only) Check the resistance between the top and bottom terminals.
The multimeter should read about 40–50 Ω.
(All types) Check resistance from the each terminal to the heater housing.
The multimeter should read OL or "—"
If the element has the correct values when tested, you can stop here. You don't have to replace the heating element. As a precaution, while everything is accessible, you may want to test the components located on the heater housing.
For the hi limit thermostat/inlet thermistor combined component follow this link.
For the thermal cutoff switch, follow this link

Hi-limit thermostat/inlet thermistor information

The next four steps show how to disconnect and remove the hi-limit thermostat and inlet thermistor.
The hi-limit thermostat and inlet thermistor are housed in one unit. Some dryers may not have an inlet thermistor.

Disconnect the hi-limit thermostat/inlet thermistor unit

Pull the spade connectors straight off to disconnect the hi-limit thermostat portion of the hi-limit thermostat/inlet thermistor unit.

Disconnect the inlet thermistor

You can skip this step if your dryer has only a hi limit thermostat.
Free the inlet thermistor connector by lifting the black locking tab with a small flathead screwdriver or spudger.
The black locking tab is fragile, so only lift it a small amount to free the connector. Make sure to grasp the connector, not the wires when removing them.
Once freed, pull the connector straight out to disconnect the inlet thermistor.

Unfasten the hi-limit thermostat/ inlet thermistor

Remove the sheet metal screws securing the hi-limit thermostat/inlet thermistor unit.

Remove the hi limit thermostat/ inlet thermistor

Remove the unit by pulling it straight out from the mounting hole.
Note the orientation with the thermistor connector to the rear of the machine for reassembly.

Thermal cutoff switch information

The following three steps show how to remove the thermal cutoff switch.

Disconnect the thermal cutoff switch

Pull the two thermal cutoff switch spade connectors straight out of their slots to disconnect them.
Make sure to grasp the connectors and not the wires when disconnecting.

Unfasten the thermal cutoff switch

Remove the sheet metal screws securing the thermal cutoff switch.
Note the orientation of the part, as on some models the part fits properly only one way.

Remove the thermal cutoff switch

Remove the thermal cutoff switch by lifting it off of the heater housing.

Unfasten the heater housing cover

Remove the sheet metal screws securing the heater housing cover.

Remove the heater housing cover

Put on gloves before continuing, as the heater housing cover is sharp.
Lift the front of the heater housing cover to release the tabs securing it to the inlet housing pipe.
Make sure to lift the end of the cover well up so that you can get this tab to come free. Also the tabs on the side of the housing can stick in the slots.
Remove the heater housing cover.
During reassembly, make sure all the tabs on the cover have gone all the way through the slots on the sides of the housing and on the heating element. It will snap into place when it is correct.

Remove the heating element

Lift the heating element out of the slots in the lower part of the heater housing.
Remove the heating element.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order. Repair didn’t go as planned? Ask our Answers community for help.

«Whirlpool Dryer Heating Element Testing and Replacement» — автор Bill Gilbert, iFixit, лицензия CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. Показано без изменений. Открыть оригинал и комментарии →