[astronaut888]

This seems to be covered elsewhere, however - any help would be appreciated

~8 year old Kenmore series 90 Dryer
Running fine - but, not heating

I am somewhat mechanically inclined (dentist ) but, not with anything electrical

I have established from online reading that it is likely the:
Element
Thermal fuse (in which case, may indicate another problem)
Operating Thermostat

Of these 3 things, which would be most likely
Don't know if that is a valid question - but, I am unable to test these parts - no ohm meter and wouldn't know what to do if i had one anyway

I am currently in specialty residency and don't want to buy new dryer OR pay for Sears guy to do what I am relatively sure is a simple repair - I have already accessed all of the above and all are easy to remove/replace and am considering replacing ALL of them

Actually - the Element seems a bit tricky to remove....

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks in Advance

Rob

[bettyboop]

At a 1000$ a cap or crown, your kinda frugal.

[deckenburg]

Same problem. My question is do I go through the front or the back? There is a panel in the front but I'm not sure how to get it off. Were is the heating elements at in the dryer?

[denman]

Go buy a cheap meter does not have to be digital or fancy all you need is volts and ohms. It usually comes with instructions

Thermostats can be checked without a meter
1. Unplug dryer
2. Remove the two wires from the thermostat. Do not do this with 3 or 4 wire thermostats unless you are sure which two wires are the relay contacts
3. Short the two wires to each other
4. Good idea to tape them together using electical tape so they cannot short out to the frame accidently
5. Plug in dryer
6. If you now have heat then you have found the bad component. Remember your door switch and belt tension switch must be closed for this to work. Also sometimes a bad thermostat will blow the thermal fuse so more than one part could be shot
7. If the dryer does not work move on to the next component and start from #1
8. Order your part and replace.
9. DO NOT RUN THE DRYER WITH THERMOSTATS SHORTED

With a meter
1. Unplug dryer
2. Remove one wire from each thermostat.
3. Measure the resistance. Should be a short
4. If open, order your parts you need and replace

Sorta like filling teeth
A lot easier using a drill than a hammer/chisel

PS: Meters have other uses beside just fixing dryers. Leave it on your coffee table and impress visitors with your extensive knowledge of how the world works.

[bettyboop]

Deckenburg: On a series "90", you have to go in the front panel, on a series,60, 70, 80, you take the back off, and the heater box is there, and 2 thermostats and 2 thermal fuzes to check

[phaze84]

Good information here.

One questioon. Do you guys know how to remove the front panel on the kenmore 90 series? It seems like it can come off relatively easy but I don't want to tear anything.

[bettyboop]

To remove front, door panel on series 90, push a putty knife between the lower panel & the door panel and reliese a clip on right & left. Then take out 2 screws on lower front of control panel, & flip back control panel on it's hindges. remove 3 small screws holding the top on, then slide the top to you & remove. Remove 2 screws that hold the top part of the front door panel, then remove 2 screws from the bottom of the door panel, disconect the door switch wires, lift off door panel.
I know it sounds difficult, but its not.

[jpr]

I just solved my Kenmore Series 90 problem, and wanting to pay back the help I received from ALL you good folks out there, here is what I found out. Hopefully this info may benefit you too. First, before reading my success story, you MUST check out the pictures at:

Kenmore Series 90 Electric Dryer No Heat ?!? - Appliance Blog Forums

These pictures were at the bottom of the thread when I found it today. Please refer to the pictures, I use the terminology of these pictures to describe my success.

My Kenmore Series 90 has Model number 110.78972892, somewhere of a late '90, early 2000 year vintage. The problem: Clothes began to take forever to dry. I read multiple web sites - most started off with cleaning your exhaust ducts, then the answers got squirrely from there. I cleaned my flex duct, and opened the dryer and vacuumed everything in there (note: the dryer opens from the front - use a flat head screwdrive to press down on two retaining tongues). I ran the dryer, minus the flex duct, just to see if there was any improvement. NO LUCK. I then wondered if it could be one of the temperature sensing elements. This dryer has at least three temperature sensing elements. The two I considered significant were a "thermal fuse" and a "cycling thermostat (or thermistor)". Note that the pictures referenced above show these two sensors right next to each other on the exhaust side of the fan. I ruled out the thermal fuse sensor because from another website I learned that when the thermal fuse goes out the dryer will not run at all! Mine ran, it just dried slowly and didn't seem to throw off much heat, as measured when I placed my hand near the exhaust. I also ruled out the "thermal cut off" temperature sensor because if that failed, the machine would run, but no heat ( remember, mine heated, but poorly). The more I looked at the thermistor (a.k.a cyclic T-ostat) and its roll to call for heat, the more I felt it was the problem. I called up my local appliance parts place with the model number of the machine and the part number of the thermistor (although the parts place should only need one or the other part number). The price was $23. I figured it was an educated gamble, bought the part, put it in the machine, and it solved the problem. If it failed, I would have begun to wander if it was the high limit thermostat (approx. $13) or the circuitboard that the thermistor sends a signal to.
After putting in the good thermistor (or cycling T-ostat), I verified using my wifes jam thermometer that it cycled correctly. To check this cycling I placed the sensing element of the thermometer about dead center of the dryer exhaust, about two inches away from the opening. Sure enough, I saw the gas ignite, then the temp climb to 150 deg F. The gas would then shutoff and then the temperature would drop to approx 125 deg. F only to have the gas re-ignited for a climb back to 150 deg. F. This cycling went off like clockwork, and now, as I type, my wife and I are quite happy, knowing all is right in the world because our dryer once again works.

[jpr]

I just solved my Kenmore Series 90 problem, and wanting to pay back the help I received from ALL you good folks out there, here is what I found out. Hopefully this info may benefit you too. First, before reading my success story, you MUST check out the pictures at:

Kenmore Series 90 Electric Dryer No Heat ?!? - Appliance Blog Forums

These pictures were at the bottom of the thread when I found it today. Please refer to the pictures, I use the terminology of these pictures to describe my success.

My Kenmore Series 90 has Model number 110.78972892, somewhere of a late '90, early 2000 year vintage. The problem: Clothes began to take forever to dry. I read multiple web sites - most started off with cleaning your exhaust ducts, then the answers got squirrely from there. I cleaned my flex duct, and opened the dryer and vacuumed everything in there (note: the dryer opens from the front - use a flat head screwdrive to press down on two retaining tongues). I ran the dryer, minus the flex duct, just to see if there was any improvement. NO LUCK. I then wondered if it could be one of the temperature sensing elements. This dryer has at least three temperature sensing elements. The two I considered significant were a "thermal fuse" and a "cycling thermostat (or thermistor)". Note that the pictures referenced above show these two sensors right next to each other on the exhaust side of the fan. I ruled out the thermal fuse sensor because from another website I learned that when the thermal fuse goes out the dryer will not run at all! Mine ran, it just dried slowly and didn't seem to throw off much heat, as measured when I placed my hand near the exhaust. I also ruled out the "thermal cut off" temperature sensor because if that failed, the machine would run, but no heat ( remember, mine heated, but poorly). The more I looked at the thermistor (a.k.a cyclic T-ostat) and its roll to call for heat, the more I felt it was the problem. I called up my local appliance parts place with the model number of the machine and the part number of the thermistor (although the parts place should only need one or the other part number). The price was $23. I figured it was an educated gamble, bought the part, put it in the machine, and it solved the problem. If it failed, I would have begun to wander if it was the high limit thermostat (approx. $13) or the circuitboard that the thermistor sends a signal to.
After putting in the good thermistor (or cycling T-ostat), I verified using my wifes jam thermometer that it cycled correctly. To check this cycling I placed the sensing element of the thermometer about dead center of the dryer exhaust, about two inches away from the opening. Sure enough, I saw the gas ignite, then the temp climb to 150 deg F. The gas would then shutoff and then the temperature would drop to approx 125 deg. F only to have the gas re-ignited for a climb back to 150 deg. F. This cycling went off like clockwork, and now, as I type, my wife and I are quite happy, knowing all is right in the world because our dryer once again works.