How to replace a thermal fuse on a dryer?

Most of the time, a thermal fuse is close to the heating element, burner, blower housing, or exhaust vent. However, the location may vary depending on the model, size, and type of your dryer (electrical or gas).

What is a thermal fuse in clothes dryers?

A thermal fuse is a small tube-like device that is used to protect clothes dryers from overheating.

It is a safety device that cuts off the power when the dryer becomes too hot.

Moreover, thermal fuses are one-time-use devices and must be replaced when they blow.

So, in a nutshell, a thermal fuse prevents the dryer from starting up again until it has cooled down, which protects your home from fire.

You will need to unplug the dryer and wait for it to cool down before you can restart it.

With that said, a blown fuse needs to be replaced.

Where is a thermal fuse located?

You can locate a thermal fuse at the back of the dryer.

Once you disassemble the back panel of your dryer, you may find it located near the heating element or near the exhaust vent.

That being said, the location of a thermal fuse may vary depending on the model and size of the dryer.

Most of the time, a thermal fuse is near the burner, on the housing of the blower or heating element, or near the exhaust vent.

If you aren’t sure where the fuse is located in your dryer, look in the user manual.

Symptoms of a damaged or blown thermal fuse

Here are some of the common and typical symptoms of a blown-out or damaged thermal fuse.

Dryer won’t start

This is a typical symptom of a blown thermal fuse. Once the fuse trips, it will cut off power to the heating element or entirely to the dryer. As a result, the dryer won’t start in the first place.

Dryer takes too long to dry clothes

In some cases, the dryer will give you the impression that it’s working but it will take forever to dry your clothes.

A problematic thermal fuse will not allow the dryer to run the dry cycle according to the settings selected by you.

Therefore it is common for your clothes to come out wet even after the dry cycle has finished.

Heating element won’t work

This is another common symptom of a blown or damaged thermal fuse. The dryer will run but not heat up, which means that the clothes will not dry.

Why does the thermal fuse blow?

When a thermal fuse blows, it means that the dryer has overheated.

This can be caused by a number of things, such as a blocked vent, overloading the dryer, poor maintenance, or a faulty heating element.

In fact, using your dryer for too long can also cause it to overheat, which can blow the fuse.

Furthermore, power surges are another factor that can lead to a blown thermal fuse in some cases.

How to test a thermal fuse in a dryer?

Once you have located the thermal fuse, you will need to test it for continuity.

In order to test the continuity of a thermal fuse, you will need a multimeter.

Simply touch the probes of the multimeter to the leads on the thermal fuse and check the reading.

If the reading shows 0 ohms of resistance, then the fuse is good.

If the needle in your multimeter does not move, then the thermal fuse is either blown or damaged.

Alternatively, you may validate a faulty thermal fuse by temporarily bypassing it.

In order to do this, you can remove its two wires and then connect it directly with a jumper wire.

If the dryer runs and heats as expected, it means all the components are working as expected except the thermal fuse.

How to replace a thermal fuse on a dryer?

Here are the step-by-step instructions to replace a damaged or blown thermal switch.

Step 1: Unplug the dryer

Start by unplugging the dryer and disconnecting the drain, and the exhaust vent.

Step 2: Disassemble the back panel

Move the dryer away from the back wall to gain better access to the back panel.

Now, unscrew the retaining screws to remove the back panel and keep it aside.

Step 3: Locate the thermal fuse

The location of the thermal fuse may vary depending on the type of dryer and model.

For example, if you are using an electric dryer, the location of the thermal fuse will be on the blower housing or near the heating element in most cases.

Likewise, the thermal fuse on gas dryers is usually located on the blower housing or near the burner.

So, once the panel is removed, look for a tiny, tube-like component that will appear burnt and blackened (if it is blown).

Step 4: Remove the old thermal fuse

First, remove the wires from the thermal fuse. Then, remove the mounting screw using a screwdriver

Next, remove the fuse from the blower housing and keep it aside.

Step 5: Test the Thermal Fuse

Before replacing a thermal fuse, it’s important that you test it first to be sure it’s actually the problem.

To test the thermal fuse, touch the probes of the multimeter to the leads of the thermal fuse and check the reading.

If there is resistance shown, it means the fuse is normal, and if the needle does not move, it means the fuse is faulty and requires replacement.

Step 6: Replace the thermal fuse

Now, take the new thermal fuse and place it in the blower housing.

Fix the replacement thermal fuse and connect the wires correctly.

Step 5: Reassemble the dryer

Reassemble the dryer by reversing the steps.

Then, move the washer back to its original place and run a test cycle to make sure it works like before.

Final Thoughts

A thermal fuse is a vital and mandatory component in any dryer.

It is a thin strip of metal that is located near the heating element, and its main purpose is to prevent any fire hazard by shutting down the power to the heating element as soon as it detects excess heat.

In most cases, the thermal fuse blows due to overheating, if the venting is restricted, or if the dryer isn’t operating properly.

While it is not a common occurrence, thermal fuses may blow occasionally.

When this happens, you can follow the steps above to replace it with a new one.

Replacing a thermal fuse can be done at home using basic hardware tools, or you can contact a professional appliance repairman for help.

If you are doing it yourself, just make sure to unplug the dryer before you start working on it and take all the necessary safety precautions.

Frequently Asked Questions