[mlettinga]

The dryer stopped working all of a sudden after no problems for over 15 years. Is this a thermal fuse problem? Where do I find it inside the dryer? Is it still available for this old model and at what cost (in Canada)? Or should I check other parts like the start-switch, motor or door-switch? The belt is just fine.

p.s. If this is a thermal fuse problem, should I be checking the vent and the vent-hose for lint build-up to make sure it won't happen again?

[denman]

Here is a link to your dryer
keye660ww Parts List

Yes it could be any of the parts you listed but I would check the thermal fuse first
Give the machine and your ducting a good cleaning. Also check that the outside vent is operating correctly.

Go buy yourself a meter
You can get a decent digital one for under $20.00
You do not need a fancy one
It is nice if the leads are 2 foot long or better

If it saves you buying one part unnecessarily you have paid for the meter

When measuring for continuity always undo one side of the part you are measuring. This eliminates the possibility that you are measuring a parrallel path.

[mlettinga]

Well, I found it was the motor switch (switch-mtr PS#344673) but the item costs $62.46 US through PartSelect + shipping/duties to get it to me in BC Canada (and it might take a while to get here if I do order it from PartSelect). In the meantime can I short out the 2M to 1M wires to by-pass the switch or will this eventually burn out the motor or cause a fire? Perhaps I am better off getting a good used or reasonably priced new dryer if the total cost of the item exceeds $100.

Marten

[denman]

I do not have a wiring diagram for your dryer but I would not short out across the switch. Usually there are two switches.

Normally the centrifugal switches do two things when the motor reaches operating speed

1. Switches out the start winding of the motor and switches in a alternate path past the start switch for the run winding. If you short this the unit will always run and Start & run will both be on causing an overheat.

2. Switches in the heater. This ensures that the blower is running before and when the heater is on. Shorting it could case your thermal fuse to blow

Check your yellow pages for the KitchenAid parts supplier, you may be able to find a local source. As to replacing the unit that is a judgement call only you can make. I would not buy fancy just take a look at the number of people having problems with the newer improved dryers. They quite often end up paying several hundred dollars to replace solid state control boards on dryers that are a couple years old.

[mlettinga]

Well my dryer has been working for a while now after replacing the motor-switch with a used one. However, I have a new problem that just started two days ago: the dryer spins fine on any setting but no heat. I jumped the thermostat by the heater-coils but no luck. Could the heater-coils be burnt out? Or could it be the adjustable thermostat on the temperature selector dial? I did jump that thermostat as well but still no heat.

Marten

[denman]

First thing to check is voltage to the unit
Only the heater runs on 220 volts
Sometimes a breaker will drop half the line 120 V without actually tripping
If you do not have a meter flip the breaker off/on slowly a couple times
Yes the heater coils could be burned out. Best way to check is with a meter but can do it visually.

I am not aware of a thermostat on the temp selector switch.
Looks like you have 3 thermostats in the unit and a non-resettable thermal fuse
Again it is beat to check them with a meter, also the safest


Could be your used centrifugal motor switch is not working correctly (the heat activate switch may not be closing)

[mlettinga]

Well, I checked the heater coil (element) with an ohm-meter and there definitely must be a break in it somewhere. So how do I take out the heater-coil so that I can replace it with another one? Also how long would it take to get the part shipped to me in BC Canada and are the shipping-costs significant? There definitely was 240 V going to the motor-switch (with dryer not running) and 240 V coming out of the motor-switch (with the dryer running). The fuses/resistors and thermostats tested fine with the ohm-meter.

Also I discovered that the red wire inside the wall-socket was burned up a fair bit and there is a crack in the white wire. So the wires must have shorted out then, right? (surprised that it never tripped the breaker, the wall-socket also was properly grounded). It partially fried the part of the socket where the red wire goes into and it partially fried the plastic and metal of the prong from the dryer-plug that goes into that part of the wall-socket. So I will also need to pull some good wire through from inside the wall, replace the wall socket and replace the dryer plug and cord, correct?

Marten
Williams Lake BC Canada

[denman]

Remove the heater assembly from the dryer
Then remove the heater from the assembly
Make sure to mark or make yourself a drawing of where the wires go
This forum gets a fair number of "I took it apart now cannot remember how to put it together" threads.

Here is a good link on repair help
Dryer Help Sections, repairing dryers, Kenmore, Whirlpool, Maytag, Inglis, GE, Frigidaire, White Westinghouse, Magic Chef, Norge, changing a 3 prong cord to a 4 prong cord, no heat, electric dryers, gas dryers, how to take apart my dryer, what can st

I do not work for this site so do not know if they even ship to Canada
You may want to get it locally OR try Sears or ReliableParts

Yes, you will have to re-wire otherwise you are sitting on a fire hazard.
Your wiring may become a royal pain in the (well you know where). Electrical code usually specifies that a wire be stapled to the 2X4 close to the outlet so you may not have any slack to pull. So you may have to install a new receptacle box further upstream on the wire.