2

I have a Whirlpool LER7646EQ2 dryer. We moved recently and I had to change the cord from three prong to four prong to match the new outlet. It seemed to heat at first, but then four hours later I checked and the dryer was still spinning but not producing any heat. The timer wasn't moving. I checked and the timer works on timed dry but not on auto.

Anyone know what could cause this? I read someone say that if the dryer hose is too kinked, it might overheat and cut the heat. The space behind the heater is tight and I've included a picture of the hose back there. Or could I have wired it wrong? It heated at first and partially dried my clothes. I'll add a picture of the wiring as well.

I checked the breaker, and there's a single circuit breaker for the dryer which was not flipped off.

enter image description here

enter image description here

Edit: I've used a multimeter and got continuity at the thermal fuse, operating thermostat, thermal cut-off, high limit thermostat, and the heating element gave 8 or 9 (K?) Ohms. The reading on the two live terminals was over 240 volts. There's also continuity on the timer. I can't think of anything else except a broken heating element.

Edit2: I took off the heating element and I found this:

enter image description here

I'll probably try soldering it back together. Looks like it was soldered before and maybe the move jostled it.

Edit3: Soldering didn't work. I don't know if our soldering iron wasn't strong enough. I couldn't heat the metal enough to melt solder. It felt like the metal coils are coated in something, so maybe that kept it from working. Or maybe we just don't know how to solder properly.

Anyway, we ordered a new heating coil that comes with all the fuses too, just in case those are bad as well.

Improve this question
5
  • 5
    Not likely to be the source of this particular problem, but you should not have a duct that long in a space that small.
    – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
    Aug 11, 2021 at 16:27
  • 2
    Does the dryer heat come back on after sitting overnight (once it's cooled down)? If so, it's definitely your duct routing (which you should fix regardless).
    – HikeOnPast
    Aug 11, 2021 at 16:28
  • 3
    The kink in the hose is probably main problem. Move or cut the hose to fit without kinks. You have reduced the hose about 2/3 in size. Dryer probably tripped a thermal safety, maybe automatic or manual reset.
    – crip659
    Aug 11, 2021 at 16:28
  • you cannot use solder to connect the element ... the solder would simply melt when the element heated up ... use a crimp-on connector
    – jsotola
    Aug 12, 2021 at 23:44
  • @jsotola Oh ok. I thought it looked like a ball of solder had been used previously to repair it.
    – barterfly
    Aug 13, 2021 at 1:43

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
4

Your vent hose routing is problematic; you have 360 degrees worth of tight bends. Even if this isn't root cause for the heat cutting out, you should fix it.

If you pull the washing machine away from the wall but leave the dryer in place, it will give you an area to work such that you can install a minimum-length duct on the dryer.

I recommend a Dryer Vent Periscope for your application; you can pick them up from home improvement stores or online. They have an adjustment range, so measure the distance between the port on the dryer and the vent on the wall before you go shopping.

Dryer Vent Periscope

Improve this answer
10
  • If this is the issue, and it just overheated, do I need to replace the thermal fuse? After leaving it overnight, the heat still doesn't kick on.
    – barterfly
    Aug 11, 2021 at 17:10
  • Sometimes they are nice and have a small button you just need to push to reset. Should be in the manual, look online if manual is missing.
    – crip659
    Aug 11, 2021 at 17:27
  • Doesn't look like that's the case with mine. I'll try to find my multimeter to test the fuse and I'll replace it if that's the issue.
    – barterfly
    Aug 11, 2021 at 19:25
  • 1
    Sounds like you likely have a bad element. It shouldn't be too hard to remove the element from the housing and do a visual inspection on it (you'll need to remove it anyway to replace it).
    – HikeOnPast
    Aug 12, 2021 at 3:31
  • 1
    Glad you found it! Soldering is unreliable for heater connections anyway.
    – HikeOnPast
    Aug 12, 2021 at 20:12
1

This is not the cause of your issue but you have the wiring wrong and need to fix it for safety. Since you now have a 4-wire cord which has separate neutral (white) and ground (green) wires, you need to disconnect the extra green wire to the neutral terminal. That is a leftover from your old 3-wire cord that does not have a separate ground.

Electrical code requires that neutral and ground be only connected in one place, your main panel. You currently have a second connection in your dryer.

Disconnect the green wire from the terminal connecting the white wire. Wrap the end in electrical tape and tuck it in where I won’t contact other wires.

I am retracting this answer. I found generic Whirlpool dryer instructions here: https://www.whirlpool.com/content/dam/global/documents/201603/installation-instructions-W10848818-RevA.pdf and on page 12, the instructions clearly show doing what the OP did, connect the internal jumper to the neutral terminal.

In my own defense, I cannot imagine why the manufacturer would have used a green-yellow wire as a neutral wire when green-yellow should only be used for ground.

Improve this answer
8
  • Every guide and video I looked at said to disconnect the wire coming from the inside of the dryer from the grounding screw and connect it to the center terminal along with the neutral wire from the new cord.
    – barterfly
    Aug 11, 2021 at 18:14
  • 4
    This answer is dangerously WRONG. The hidden end of the wire in question goes to the neutral lug. With a 3-wire connection, the free end of the wire goes to the chassis to tie the chassis to neutral. With a 4-wire connection, the wire goes on the neutral lug for safe storage and the cord ground wire goes to the chassis.
    – nobody
    Aug 11, 2021 at 22:42
  • @nobody You may be right but if you are, why is the wire green/yellow? I believe that only ground wires can be green. If that wire does connect neutral, why isn’t it white?
    – DoxyLover
    Aug 12, 2021 at 2:49
  • @DoxyLover That wire is green with a white stripe. From what I understand, in three prong systems, ground and neutral are combined.
    – barterfly
    Aug 12, 2021 at 4:17
  • 1
    @barterfly 3-prong systems sacrifice safety for backward compatibility with pre-1989 homes. They bootleg chassis ground off of neutral. One simple loose connection can energize the chassis of the dryer. 4-prong connections are much safer, but they require neutral and ground to be separately delivered, and the chassis disconnected from neutral. That's the important part. What you do with the wires only follows from that, and will vary by design.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Aug 12, 2021 at 20:33

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.