Frigidaire 1-18 Dryer - Diagnosis Needed

[joelippard]

My '76 1-18 dryer has stopped heating.  Everything runs as it should otherwise.  I have removed the wires from the front thermostat and checked for continuity and the meter indicates that there is in fact continuity.  I also did the same for the thermostat on top of the heater and it indicates the same.  What should I check for next?  I haven't had a ton of experience diagnosing this type of problem on these dryers and do not have a service manual for them.

 

Thanks,

Joe

 

[akronman]

Gas or Electric?

You've checked a few things common to both gas and electric, but let us know which your dryer is, it'll help us throw some decent advice at you.

 

[joelippard]

Re:

It's electric, sorry I forgot to include that.

 

[goatfarmer]

Most times it's the element itself, or a wire burned, usually at the element.

 

[akronman]

more to check

If there's only one thermostat near the front of the machine, inside the access door, then you have likely checked the only two on it, good for you. Some designs have multi-temp and more thermostats very visible right there. Check any/all wires and connections for burnt or loose terminals.
Maybe next check continuity thru the heater coils themselves. Then I'd check the centrifugal switch on the motor, it won't let heat start until a few seconds into running, when the motor is up to speed and blower/airflow is moving.

 

[joelippard]

Thanks for the advice guys, I'll check on it in a few days and report my findings.  I just remembered that there is a wire under there that sometimes burns into over time and has to be replaced.

 

[philr]

Don't forget to check your fuses or circuit breaker. Sometimes, one of the fuses can blow and the motor will still work but not the heater. It can happen with circuit breakers too. 

 

The timer contacts can also burn...

 

 

 

[joelippard]

Other dryers work just fine on the same circuit.  One question however, if it was the centrifugal switch would the motor still run?  I'm trying to eliminate possibilities before I tear into stuff.

 

[akronman]

yes

I've had 2 different dryers where the motor worked fine but no heat, the problem both times was the contacts in the centri switch for the heat. Those contacts have 4400 watts pulling thru them as opposed to under 300 watts for the motor, they wear far more quickly. I am guessing you have checked the heater itself and all thermostats and high-limit switch already.