Easy dryer model DRB (or DR8) not heating

[McEasy]

Hi All,

This dryer came with the house about thirty years ago, and I've been using and repairing it on and off until now. It had a hokey die cast zinc fan cover with plain bushings, which I replaced with a roller bearing aluminum cover I made up very early on.
Recently the main relay failed and I was able to replace it with a bulkier, but more heavy duty industrial relay.

Yesterday the family members notified me that it is not heating, so I investigated and found the heating element has failed as there is a break in the nichrome wire somewhat in the middle of
the coil.

I have had no luck finding a replacement on the internet. Perhaps someone here will recognize it and advise me of a source for a replacement.
If I can't find a new heater element, is the machine pretty much toast?

Let's see if I can figure out how to post pictures.

 

[customline]

You can repair the old one and keep using it.

 

[vacerator]

Yes you can buy the heating element wire from Amazon.

 

[DADoES]

Numerous element restring kits are available, presumably varying in length, wire and coil diameter. The coiled wire is carefully stretched before installation to match the length of the original. Your element housing/heater box references 4,200 watts @ 230 volts. A higher-wattage element would increase the heat output, possibly causing the protective high-limit thermostat on the heater box to cycle when it normally doesn't. I've not seen any element kits that state the wattage .... but I haven't seen them all.

 

[thatwasherguy]

I wonder if a Maytag halo of heat restring kit (part number 3-11946) would work. The heaters in those dryers were 4800 watts IIRC. The looped ends of it should fit the lugs on the Easy’s heater box well enough, and it looks like the coils are roughly the same size.

Hope this helps,
Thatwasherguy.

 

[maytag85]

Many older dryers were 4200, 4400, 4600, 4800 watts. May dry faster with a higher wattage heating element, unfortunately will cause problems with the high limit thermostat later on.

Many older dryers are persnickety and fussy since some were quite sensitive, even more so when it comes to modern dryers. Had to have a shirt duct run, had to dry things with like items, keep the lint screen cleaned, sometimes stopping the machine mid cycle to cycle when drying items that produce a lot of lint.

 

[McEasy]

Thanks for all the quick, excellent suggestions.
My heater coil is 4200 watts which is somewhat lower than the Maytag part. The coils are 5/16" diameter, can anyone measure the Maytag coil?
I'll also search around the internet for Nichrome wire.
I wonder about repairing the break with say a fairly large steel splice that would dissipate heat so not get red hot?