Anymore, 9 times out of 10, Amazon.com is now the cheapest place to buy discount clothes dryer repair parts online. For an example, check out the infographic below and see one case study.
There are competitive prices out there with other sites, however, Amazon almost always has the best price and the return policy is hassle-free. The only downside to purchasing parts from Amazon is that the seller has to eat the return if the customer misdiagnosis the unit.
Dryer repair is a do-it-yourself project. If you have found this page you are well on your way. Appliances sometimes seem advanced, but they are simple machines. Every once in a while you have to replace a main board or control board. These are usually the easiest jobs.
When it comes to purchasing the most inexpensive dryer heating elements we found that in one case regarding Samsung single element heaters that our price at our local parts supply warehouse was $43.59 with our “discount”. On Amazon, the same element was a fraction of the cost with free two-day shipping.
Contents
Most dryers and particularly Samsung dryers are simple to work on. Let’s go through a list of troubleshooting for different symptoms.
No Heat
95% of all dryer no-heat issues are caused by a burned out element. First, check the breaker panel and make sure that both breakers in the 220 circuit have not tripped. Sometimes one breaker will be good and the other tripped.
What happens, in this case, is the one non-tripped breaker is running the motor and the control panel. The other that is tripped is needed for the heating circuit to energize. If you are comfortable with a multi-meter you can also check the connection at the outlet.
Rarely, but it does happen, the wiring or the plug can be bad. Both legs of the power should each have 120 volts or so and there should be approximately 220 volts across them. If this doesn’t make sense and you have meter check here for more information.
Dryers also have temperature cut out circuits (TCO’s) that act as safety fuses in the event the dryer or heating element enclosure gets too hot. On some brands and models, the dryer continues to spin but doesn’t heat. On others, the dryer powers up but does not spin.
We can go more into depth on the different brands below:
Samsung Dryer No Heat
Many times when you have a bad dryer heating element or TCO you will get no error. The above HE error is usually reserved for over-heating and issues with the moisture sensor bars we will get into later.
First, we need to be able to take the unit apart. Watch this video to get an idea of how the unit is disassembled.
Below is an image of the Samsung dryer heating element TCO’s that can be tripped. These are not re-settable and must be replaced. Find your model number behind the door of the dryer and put that into searspartsdirect.com to find the parts diagram and your particular part numbers. Then do a search on Amazon for prices.
These TCO’s always have continuity when they are good. They are pass/fail. Remove the wires from them and test them with your meter with the continuity beep sound turned on.
The TCO’s fail for a few reasons:
- Bad from the factory with lower tolerances
- Over 5 years old and just wearing out internally
- Overheating from poor ventilation
Dryer heater element lifespan is going to be vastly shortened by overheating due to poor ventilation or a clogged vent or vent duct. This is why manufacturers recommend the stiffer, semi-rigid vent duct which has finer, stronger flex ribs.
You can buy semi-rigid vent duct at your local home improvement store. Ideally, you would hire a company, if need be, to professionally clean the dryer vent. Especially when the vent goes up through the roof. Then pull out the washing machine and install the dryer vent using the shortest amount of vent possible with no kinks.
For a comprehensive guide to Do-it-yourself Samsung Dryer Troubleshooting and Repair click here…
LG Dryer No Heat
LG dryer no heat troubleshooting is mainly the same as the above Samsung. LG uses a similar dryer element assembly and TCO system. Some models, as do Samsung, incorporate dual elements that are wired in a parallel circuit.
Since the sometimes dual element is in parallel there can be one bad element and one good element. Hence this issue is discussed below in the “not heating enough” section.
It’s hard to find just the element for the LG dryer heater assembly. Instead, LG just manufactures the entire assembly to re-sell. This is good, however, as it includes TCO’s as well and you might as well replace them all if you have the dryer apart.
As usual, check searspartsdirect.com for your part number by using your model number and the parts breakdown. Below are the leading appliance part dealers and their prices as of the date this article was written.
5301EL1001J LG’s most common dryer heating element.
- www.searspartsdirect.com $80.67
- www.appliancepartspros.com $120.89
- www.repairclinic.com $119.68
- www.amazon.com (prices fluctuate wildly, you can check the infographic below)
The LG dryer disassembly is almost identical to the Samsung dryer disassembly video above.
GE Dryer No Heat
Ge dryer elements are pretty good about not failing. You can purchase the entire element assembly but for a fraction of the cost, you can just replace the coils and the ceramic standoffs.
As usual, Amazon currently has the best price on the GE WE11X10007 Heating Element Kit. You can check the infographic below to see the current price.
Ge dryers are one of the easiest dryers to disassemble and repair. Always check searspartsdirect.com for the parts diagram for your particular model before ordering. The video below will guide you through the repair.
Frigidaire/Electrolux Dryer No Heat
Frigidaire and Electrolux dryers share the same parts. The dryers disassemble in the same manner as LG and Samsung dryers. It is easy to replace the element. Frigidaire/Electrolux TCO’s are usually found to be good and the element bad.
The current prices for the most common Frigidaire 134792700 Heater Element are below:
- www.searspartsdirect.com $114.87
- www.appliancepartspros.com $123.27
- www.repairclinic.com $125.75
- www.amazon.com (Check Price)
Replacing the element is no problem. There are plenty of videos on YouTube to help you with the process.
There are a few different model variations on the Frigidaire/Electrolux models so be sure to check searspartsdirect.com for your models particular part number before ordering.
Whirlpool Dryer No Heat
The Whirlpool family of dryers includes brands such as Maytag, Roper, and Kenmore. These dryers have different price points but commonly use the same parts.
There are two different styles of heating elements used depending on the type of dryer. If you have a front-load washer with a matching dryer the element will be very similar to the LG and Samsung heating element.
If you have a top-load washer and matching dryer the element will be horizontal in the back and even easier to replace. On these models, we have found that 85% of the time, no heat is caused by an inexpensive thermal cutoff found on element housing.
This is the holy grail of appliance repair as the repair usually cost $125.00, takes around 10 minutes and utilizes a less than $10 part. Below is an image of this thermal cutoff.
Amazon.com sells them here.
The cutoff can be removed and tested with a multimeter for continuity. If it has no continuity you are so lucky with money out of pocket. Clean your vent line after replacing it as this is the most common reason these fuses become bad.
If you still need an element, check your model number at searspartsdirect.com and get the part number for your element. Below is a price comparison for a common Whirlpool/Maytag dryer heating element.
Dryer Does Not Spin
When a dryer does not spin the belt is usually broken or off, the motor has quit, a sock or other article of clothing is jamming the blower, or it has no power.
- First, try to start the dryer. If you dryer powers up but makes no sound, check your voltage at the wall. If you have 220 across both hot terminals and 110 to neutral on each terminal you might have a bad motor.
- A broken belt will keep the motor from running as there is a belt switch that opens if the tension comes off of the idler pulley.
- If the motor tries to start and then immediately stops there is a good chance that a sock or washcloth or such has fallen down the lint trap (or placed there by little-helping hands) and it is caught in the blower.
- Unplug the dryer, remove the filter and visually inspect. Sometimes you can reach your hand down the filter assembly and pull it out.
- Open the door and try to rotate the drum in both directions. It should easily rotate both ways. If it doesn’t, it’s almost always an article of clothing.
- Samsung dryers have a tendency for the idler pulley to develop too much friction on the idler shaft. They melt and then fall off.
- Samsung and LG dryers have two Thermal Cut-Off fuses mounted on the blower assembly that if bad will shut down the heater and the motor.
- For discount dryer replacement parts find your part number at www.searspartsdirect.com then search Amazon for your part number.
Dryer Has No Power at All
First, check your breaker. Then check that you have proper voltage on both legs of the 220 receptacle. 110 from each leg to neutral and 220 from hot to hot.
If you have good power coming in and nothing works on the dryer, including the light inside the drum, you most likely need the main board.
Dryers that try to start then turn themselves off (but the motor never tries to start) and then give an error that ends up being a communication error almost always need the main board.
Whirlpool family dryers have the thermal cut-off bullet fuse (shown above under Whirlpool Dryer No Heat) will also act dead if the fuse is blown.
Dryer Heating but Clothes Not Drying Well
Almost always a clogged, bent or otherwise obstructed duct/vent system. With the exception of:
- The dryer is on an automatic mode and the load is small and the dryer is not tilting slightly forward on its legs. (the reason why is there are two moisture sensor strips mounted on the inside of the filter housing, if the clothes never touch them the dryer thinks it has finished)
- Test the dryer on timed operation.
- Clean the dryer moisture sensors with rubbing alcohol as some fabric softeners coat the sensor with a film.
- Here is a link to well-reviewed Dryer Vent Cleaning Kit
Dryer is Noisy while Operating
- Coins or such in the drum paddles.
- A credit card or hotel key card stuck in the blower motor.
- Bad drum roller. Amazon by far has the best prices on these.
- Bad belt idler pulley
That’s it. With the exception of Samsung dryers that sometimes vibrate internally where the sheet metal is spot welded on the bottom and back.
Lean it forward and see if the noise goes away (light vibrating noise)
Dryer makes a Whistling Sound when Operating
Ventilation. The dryer is pressuring up and air is whistling through the connections in the internal ducting.
Now if it is more of a screeching sound then see above Dryer is Noisy while Operating.
If you are searching for an appliance parts discount, definitely research your model number for a part number at www.searspartsdirect.com and then check Amazon.com for discount appliance parts with (most times) free shipping.
In Summary…
Resources
www.amazon.com
Your other resource is to ask a question below…