How to Change a Clothes Dryer Thermostat

For the most part, a clothes dryer will provide years of hassle-free performance. There may come a time, however, when you turn your dryer on and return to find the clothes still stone cold and wet. When this happens, there can a few different causes, but the most common is a bad thermostat. By replacing the thermostat yourself, you can save a lot of money on a repairman, and it will allow your dryer to provide you with a few more years of reliable service.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Screwdriver
• Needle nose pliers
• Notepad
• Pencil

1. Unplug the dryer's power cord from the outlet, or turn off the breaker that supplies power to it.

2. Remove the front access panel.

3. Locate the thermostats. They are small, silver discs that are usually found either under the lint trap, on the blower housing or inside the vent line. There are usually two thermostats, one that regulates the normal operation of the dryer and one that features a high-temperature limit switch.

4. Remove the two screws that hold the thermostat in place. Pull the thermostat out of its hole. There will either be two or three wires connected to it, depending on the type of thermostat and model of dryer.

5. Write down on a notepad exactly how the wires are connected to the thermostat. This will make wiring the new thermostat much easier.

6. Grasp the wire connector with the tip of the needle nose pliers. Carefully pull the connector off the terminal. Do this for each wire connector.

7. Take the thermostat to your local appliance parts supply shop, or shop online to purchase an exact replacement.

8. Connect the wires to the new thermostat according to your schematic.

9. Secure the new thermostat to the dryer by screwing it back into its place.

10. Replace the access panel, and plug the dryer back in (or turn the breaker back on).

11. Run a drying cycle to see if the dryer is now heating up properly.

Tips & Warnings

• When removing the wire connector from the terminal, never pull on the wire. Doing so can cause the wire to slide out from underneath the connector. Always pull on the connector part of the wire when taking it off the terminal.
• Never work on a dryer while it is plugged in. Even when the machine is off, there is still voltage flowing through it.