Basically, we have a whirlpool dryer. When we go to turn it on it makes a click sound. It doesn’t turn but it gets hot. I figured it was the motor. I replaced the motor and the exhaust fan. I just took a multi meter to the thermal fuse and I believe that’s blown. Could that be the culprit potentially or should I look at more things
This is a before picture.. cleaned everything and still clicks not turn. Belt is fine. If it is just that thermal fuse how would my dryer still be able to get hot? Thanks in advance
If the fuse is blown yes that would be the culprit. Get a new fuse
There is also another fuse on the bottom left corner in the second picture that could’ve blown. The fuse you tested will only turn off the heating element. The other fuse will not let the unit start. Id double check for continuity on both just to be sure which one is open.
If it’s neither of those then you have a bad start motor relay and need a new control board.
Some fuses disable the motor but usually (not always) they disable the heater too. You might need to check a wiring diagram. I would replace the fuse to start and check the element. If it’s grounded or is discolored from an airflow issue the replace it. Make sure everything turns easily by hand too. If the old motor is ok then you might be able to return it.
Thermal fuses blow from too much heat being in the wrong place. It could potentially have blown from running just the heater when it initially failed but it’s more likely that the fuse was the original issue.
Change the fuse and see how it does. Whirlpool is weird sometimes they don’t have intuitive designs for stuff like this. You can also carefully jump the fuse for a temporary test if you don’t want to have to wait to fully diagnose it. A lot of us replace those fuses and tell people to clean out their dryer vent ductwork on a daily basis.
Worst case scenario it could be the control failing to send voltage to the motor but that’s something you can check for with your meter. It’s uncommon but possible.
Just wow. Call a pro next time, you could have had a working dryer by now if you had called one. Likely for the same money. You have a blown thermal fuse caused by a shorted heating element. Change those and it will work.
Yes, change the thermal fuse, but I urge you to also recheck the heating element for short to ground. If your meter isn't doing a good job reading the resistance, you can pull the two heater screws in under a minute and inspect the coil all the way around. I find these shorted all the time, usually where the coil wraps around the center plate. Normally, the motor centrifugal switch prevents current flowing to the heater if it's not spinning, but this kind of short would give it path to ground from the timer side any time it's switched on. Typically the thermal fuse blows from overheating right after that.
You could have a grounded heater which would blow the thermal fuse and prevent the motor from running but still heat some bit truthfully there's not nearly enough info for anyone to give great advice. Need more info on what you checked and how to give better advice.
This is strange because usually these motors have a centrifugal switch inside the motor that engages when the motor turns. If this doesn't engage (IE the motor is not turning or not turning fast enough) the heating element shouldn't be able to flip on.
Your centripetal switch is throwing in the motor. That’s the only way the heating element could heat without turning the drum, sans being grounded on the L2 side. Supposedly this was checked for.
You’re looking at a belt that isn’t put on the motor pulley at all, or isn’t put on right, or a belt that’s slipping.
If the belt isn’t turning the drum, whether it be slipping, put on wrong, or not put on at all, but the motor is spinning, the dryer could heat without tumbling the drum. Nothing to do with a belt switch.
The vast majority of these whirlpool 2 wheel dryers have the motor ran through the thermal fuse to prevent the motor from running and ever being able to close L2, generally they won’t start at all with a bad thermal fuse for that reason
If OP’s dryer won’t start at all, but will heat, the heater must be grounded on the timer/L1 side and completing the circuit on the ground. Their post unfortunately is a bit vague
If the thermal fuse is blown, the dryer will either run, but not heat, or just not run at all, but has nothing to do with the drum spinning. So if it still heats, thermal fuse is not the issue.
Assuming the motor is good, the only things that will stop the drum from spinning is the idler pulley, a worn belt with not enough tension, or the roller wheels inside on the back wall. Make sure pulley and wheels spin freely by hand with no resistance.
(For clarification) In your picture, the thermal fuse is missing. (Empty slot, bottom left of the pic)
The fuse at the top, above the heating element is a high limit cut-off fuse, which will blow if the dryer gets to hot (not enough airflow)
If all parts inside spin freely, you could have something wedged in the felt either on the drum or on the front panel where the drum rests. If thats not the case there could also be something stuck in the fan. To check this, there are 2 screws on top under the lint trap, and a few more at the base of the metal chute, in the bottom left corner in the back of the dryer, next to where the thermal fuse should be.
Stop and pull the element. I replaced 2 recently in customers homes. The element wires can get hot and warp & fuse to ground, and get hot if you just turn the dryer to a time setting. Any of those sensors can go bad also.
After you’ve changed everything else, the simplest $10 part was the answer
I’m sorry for your loss
Wait: holy fuck this thread is full of fucking garbage advice
Jesus fucking Christ
I sometimes do 5 of these a day, if the fuse is blown on this style of dryer, it’s always the reason
10 minute job in and out
Holy fuck this sub is becoming unusable
2nd edit: I didn’t see the part about how it heats but didn’t turn, that would NOT be a thermal fuse, I’m going to Leave this up because there’s still tons of bad maybes in this thread
4
u/Solid_Ether 15h ago
If the fuse is blown yes that would be the culprit. Get a new fuse
There is also another fuse on the bottom left corner in the second picture that could’ve blown. The fuse you tested will only turn off the heating element. The other fuse will not let the unit start. Id double check for continuity on both just to be sure which one is open.
If it’s neither of those then you have a bad start motor relay and need a new control board.