I’d been dealing with a Frigidaire dryer Model # FDE436RES1 that wasn’t heating but was otherwise working properly. I cleared a lint blockage, and found that the overheating that this caused in the coil had melted the wire connecting the timer to the thermostat. I trimmed, stripped, and reconnected the wire to the timer with a new disconnect, and all seemed fine with the heat.
A new issue immediately popped up, though; now the timer won’t advance on any setting. I rechecked all connections throughout the dryer, and all are clean and secure.
What should I do to test the timer or other related parts? Is it possible that something I did on the previous repair caused this? I’m none too happy about the prospect of my $2 wire repair job turning into a $100 timer replacement, so any input is welcome. Thank you in advance for your replies.
I trimmed, stripped, and reconnected the wire to the timer with a new disconnect, and all seemed fine with the heat.
Note: That the timer motor should not be directly connected to the thermostat, see below.
A new issue immediately popped up, though; now the timer won’t advance on any setting.
Is it in both timed dry and auto cycles.
In timed dry the timer motor gets power directly from half the line (120 volts.)
In auto the timer motor gets power through the heating coil when it is shut off. The 4.4 Kohm resistor then reduces the heater’s 240 volts down to 120 volts for the timer motor.
What should I do to test the timer or other related parts?
Place the unit in timed dry and measure the voltage across the timer motor.
If you see 120 volts and the timer does not advance the timer is toast.
Be very, very careful when doing this as there is 240 at the timer and it is lethal!!!
If it does advance then you have a problem in the auto heater/timer circuit.
A common cause of no timer advance in this scenario is that the heating coil has sagged and is touching the case (grounded element) so it never shut6s off.
Check the heating coil.
Unplug the unit and both wires to the coil.
Check it with a meter, should be around 12 ohms.
Then check from each side of the coil to the case/frame, both should be infinite ohms (open). If not the coil may have sagged or broken and is touching the case.
Is it possible that something I did on the previous repair caused this?
If you connected the thermostat directly to the timer motor without going through the resistor the motor was hit with 240 volts and probably burned out.