A dryer running on 240 V can be dangerous if the heating element is shorted to the frame, potentially causing a lethal voltage. To replace a dryer heating element, you need a continuity test, a multimeter, a new heating element, sensors, a heating fuse, a larger casing, and basic tools.
This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to check your dryer’s heating element and how the multimeter works to check it. If your dryer isn’t drying or getting hot, it may be due to a broken heating element. To locate and replace the heating element in your dryer, follow these instructions:
- Inspect the heating element for damage.
- Check for any damage to the heating element.
- Replace the knobs, stove gap protector, washer and dryer pedestals.
- Check for any other parts or accessories that might be affected by the heating element.
- Use a multimeter to check the heating element’s functionality.
In summary, if your dryer isn’t drying or getting hot, it may be due to a broken heating element. To troubleshoot and fix the issue, follow these steps:
- Inspect the heating element for damage.
- Replace the knobs, stove gap protector, washer and dryer pedestals.
- Check for any other parts or accessories that might be affected by the heating element.
- Use a multimeter to check the wiring and connections between the heating element and the dryer.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to complete the repair process.
📹 Dryer Won’t Heat Up Or Dry Clothes – DIY How To Fix Heater In 2024
Your clothes dryer Won’t Heat Up? Samsung dryer not heating and your clothes dryer won’t dry clothes? We’ll show you how to …
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Yay! I did it! I replaced the heating element in my Samsung dryer after suffering for 6 months having to hang clothes outside everyday. Thank you so much! Your article was so clear and precise and I followed it, step by step. I also bought the Klein tools meter you recommended to make sure the other parts weren’t failing. I’m over joyed and feeling so accomplished. If this woman can do it, anyone can do it! Just follow Jeff’s article and you can’t go wrong.
Just sending a “high five” to you Jeff for a most comprehensive article that enabled us to disassemble, replace the element (which by the way had the element broken and the metal housing cracked in exactly the same place as the one you showed in the article), clean and reassemble very easily. Great step by step detail with clear camera shots! Thanks!!
First class YouTube University how to article ! I cook booked it the whole way and got perfect results the first try. Excellent tutorial Jeff, much appreciated. We subscribed to your website and look forward to our next project. BTW, there’s an air leak on the shuttle, we’re throwing your contact info their way.
Thanks so much for this detailed article! Even though I was looking for an excuse to get rid of the Samsung appliances that came with the house, figured I could try to fix it first to at least finish my laundry. But omg, the lint dust! I vacuumed out the vent in the wall first with my shopvac and it clogged for a sec with the chunks that came out! Glad I watched this article and saved myself a fire. My parents never owned a house, so I had no idea that it was a thing to be aware of. The only thing I wished the article had addressed was how tricky the metal wire connecter tab things connected to the shell of the heating element could be. I figured it out eventually! Thanks again!
You sir, have allowed me to fix my dryer within twenty-four hours, and clean out my wall vent like a champ. Didn’t cost but $30 for the entire heating element unit and $18 for the vent brush. You’re a saint and a life-saver; the folks at my local Samsung wanted to charge me $100 just to come out. God knows what they’d charge after parts and the time it took them.
This article was extremely helpful! Thank you for the detailed step-by-step! My husband watched, re-watched, and paused along the way to a successful ending and a dryer that now works! Because of your easy-to-follow steps, we were able to work as a team and we both learned something new! Thank you for taking the time to make such a helpful guide!
You are awesome! I watched other articles to fix my dryer and those showed taking the dryer apart !! Jeepers!!! I’m a subscriber of your website since the FL condo collapse so when I saw this article, it was the ticket! Did myself (help with my 78 yr old Mom too) and I DID IT!!!! I snapped off a connector on the thermistor thing and bought new one but I felt like a pro. Dryer working great!!! Thank you for taking the time to upload this article.
Thank you! The whole family has been down with the ‘rona for the last few days and the dryer stopped heating. In addition to being sick we have a special-needs kid which means that laundry never stops in our house. Wife was stressing. Can’t exactly ask someone to do a service call with a house full of contagious folks. I’m fairly handy but wouldn’t have figured out how to approach this repair without your article. Despite being sore all over and semi-feverish I was able to get this thing back up and running in about 24hr, including getting the parts from Amazon. My model (DV210AEW) had a slight difference in the mounting bracket. Instead of two screws in the back, it’s two tabs in slots in the bottom of the unit. I was excited at first because I thought I got off easy. Nope. Finally figured out that I had to tilt the dryer up a bit to pry those tabs loose from underneath. I think you’re supposed to be able to rock the bracket out but there wasn’t enough clearance. I tend to hold mechanical engineers in high esteem, but I must say they could have designed this unit to be a lot simpler to repair. Thanks again.
Usually we see a code on the Samsung models (most not all depending if the temp sensor is driven by a circuit board: tS, t5, tC, tO, t0, tE, tE3, tC5, tCS, 1 tC, 1tC5, 1tCS, Extra Low light is blinking. * some units have a fault code that wont allow the dryer to start until the filter or vent is cleared. One has to ask are you getting no heat, low heat at high heat setting, just lo heat etc.- might not be the heating element coil. This is why we use diagnostic steps, basic electronic science and read a wiring schematic. VS most DIYERS and novices * even professionals shoot the parts cannon at the problem see what sticks (which is NOT diagnostic/critical thinking). HINT most wire schematics for dryers are taped behind or behind and inside the top control module (BONUS HINT on refrigerators there taped Behind the front grill, in the center or on the left side. Other common locations are on the left or right side by the condenser, or inside the refrigerator section inside the control panel)). Most show you the error code faults and most show you how to read the faults from there you can TEST the circuits, sensors, heating coils following the wire schematic to determine exact problem. If you cant test it you haven’t found the problem. * like Jeff shows. Electric dryers are very simple machines (most are electron hogs) vs gas vs line clothes outside. IF I could recommend any purchase advise to consumers- STAY AWAY from all the sensor gadget features on a dryer (or washer or any appliance) you only need about 4-5 temp settings with todays clothes the rest of the crap manufactures throw on there is just plan nonsense i.
Jeff, thanks so much for the detailed service article. Was able to get it done the first time around with very little hiccup. My model is a Samsung number DV350AER XAA03. Only differences were the tabs on the front panel were a bit different and not as cumbersome to line up. And the major difference (which was a relief) is that the bracket holding the heater element casing didn’t halve the screws on the back that required the reach behind with the stubby screw driver. The bracket now just has the 2 screws in the front, and slots that the bracket slide into on the base of the machine. Dryer now working like a charm. I have a home warranty that would’ve covered it. But it’s an $85 service fee and a wait time for a service tech. The part cost me only $28 on Amazon and was delivered within 8 hours. Took me only a couple hours of work time in between smoking a brisket outside. Much thanks brother!
Very helpful! I had trouble fitting the repaired heater enclosure into the round hole at the back after replacing and re-assembling. Kept falling out as I positioned the bracket underneath. Was made easier by attaching the bottom bracket back to the heater enclosure (after sliding the enclosure back into the dryer and reattaching wires) with the single screw on the tab of the enclosure, then positioning everything, and then securing the bracket at the bottom with the screws. Also, the heater enclosure has a tab that has to slide into a slot in the bracket, at least on mine. That threw me for a bit – again easier to attach them back together first, then position and complete the final re-install.
Super helpful article that goes into great detail. My model was slightly different, but the information he gave was a great step by step demo to troubleshoot the issue, and opening up the whole machine. The detail he showed in testing the existing heating element to show the closed and open circuits was great. Found the broken heating element and was able to replace. Greatly appreciated!
This happened at my parents house, so naturally they started shopping for a new dryer! I went there and took a look, sure enough I saw the dryer duct was completely clogged with lint, about 5 years worth. I kid you not, I filled up over half a garbage bag worth of lint. After that, used this article and a few others to replace the heating element and viola! Not only is the dryer working, it’s drying the clothes much quicker than ever before. Thank you!
Excellent article! Your advice was right on. The walkthrough had just enough detail but didn’t get bogged down in banter. You described and linked exactly what was necessary for the job. Nice freaking vid! Just saved me a bunch. I think these heating elements are just low quality. My dryer is 4 years old, the vent is only a few feet long and was essentially clear and I clean the lint filter after every load. The plate was cracked on mine too, just like the one you showed. Anyway, thanks!
My forever tip I’ve got as an becoming engineer back in 1976, during studies was, that I always have to think about the one who works on any engine/machine with the screwdriver! I NEVER forgot about that! Had to smile about your brand related comments! But you find these genius everywhere..! Free translation from German wording: “Yesterday I did not know how to spell engineer, today I am one (of these)!”
Thank you sir for your instructions and details for replacing a burned thermostat on a Samsung Dryer. When the dryer stopped heating, I figured that I would have to go out and purchase a new one, as my clothes dryer is an old Samsung model and I wasn’t going to spend the kind of money I was quoted to fix it. Although my dryer was apparently an older model than the one shown on your article, a couple of parts and screws were different, I still was able to buy the thermostat at Amazon and installed it with the detailed instruction on your page. Thank you again. You saved me a bunch of money.
Hey Jeff! I just replaced the first heating element in my Samsung Dryer about a year and a half ago. The first element lasted about 8 1/2 years. You have to take several parts off to get to the element, but the procedure is very strait forward, as you show in your article. I also cleaned the vent pipe and now it is time for me to do it again. I only have about 6 feet of vent pipe to clean. I also replaced the lint screen at the time because it was torn and allowed bigger chunks of lint to get through. Thanks, Russ
Super helpful! Just fixed my dryer – it broke exactly the way as shown in the article – both filament and the plate broke! Pretty pathetic design where the fuse is still intact. Thanks a ton for the detailed article. I went ahead and cleaned the dryer vent using one of those snakes with brush and oh boy, found a ton of lint in the vent. Now I’ll clean it every year!
Awesome article 👏. I had done this fix once before but just used a little vacuum tool to clean the vent. I bought the kit this time and pulled 3 Plastic shopping bags full out of our vent exhaust. Also, your step by step was perfect. The stubby screwdriver was a must. Thanks for making it easier for me to get it done more quickly this time!
Great step by step instruction. Our dryer stopped heating and I looked here and found your article. Had a good feeling on your diagnosis of the heating element so I ordered the parts last night and took the dryer apart tonight to find the element burnt in two. Parts will be in tomorrow and we will be up and going. Thanks for the help.
I was a month past my 3 year protection plan when we lost the hot air. Followed this article today and we are back up and running. Really excellent instructional article. As well as the heating coil, one of the components also needed to be replaced, as when testing with the ohms meter there was an open circuit on the far one. The coil was literally stuck to the housing where it had burnt out. I was a little nervous once I had everything disassembled that I was going to be able to reassemble it properly, especially putting back the coil and bracket with the blind screws. With a little sweat, some blood (somehow nicked my finger on one of the sharp edges), and a few choice swear words I managed it! Our vent is only 2 feet away from the drier straight out the downstairs wall, so there was no large build up of lint from the drier to vent. However, I was surprised how much lint was actually inside the drier whilst fixing it. This is the second problem we’ve had with this drier in 3 years. The first one was the mother board had to be replaced after owning the drier for about 18 months. We were still under the protection plan so thankfully didn’t cost me anything. Fingers crossed it behaves now for a good few years. Thanks again for the article!
Thank you! This is the best tutorial article I’ve seen in years. If you have a Samsung dryer, just watch and follow along. My model was different, and this worked flawlessly. (Only difference: the front, digital face plate on mine had two (insanely difficult to reach, of course) tabs I had to press with a long metal rod to pop it off. It’s obvious when you see it, but figuring out how to get to them is a trick. You can do it! Thanks again, Jeffostroff! Awesome article!
Thank you – the article has given me confidence that I can tackle this switch out of the heating coil. Though your extraordinarily clear presentation pointing out the design flaw in this dryer does not leave me looking forward to the task. One small thing, I think the article would be improved if you had all of the part about the necessity of keeping a clean vent pipe together. In the version I watched (Aug 2021) you talk about this at the beginning, then start disassembling the dryer, come back to chimney sweeping the pipe at 2′ 20″; then do more disassembly and then come back a second time to the external flow again (at about 5′ 56″). But thanks very much.
Thanks for the article. Have the element out and part ordered. I’m offering an alternate method of removal: All four element pedestal screws were set very firmly and I didn’t have enough hand strength and flexibility to get the rear two out. I went in the back way to try to reach them from the rear. It is very easy to remove the exhaust tube with just two screws. With the exhaust tube out of the way, I was able to remove the element out the back without even removing the pedestal. I wasn’t able to take a photo of the wires prior to removal like jeffostroff recommends so I just made some written notes. You still need to remove the front panel to get the one screw off that holds the element box to the pedestal but you can leave the pedestal in place.
Hey Jeff, great article…saved me a service call, and probably a hundred bucks. You article helped me, but the only problem I ran into was the metal lead coming off the heater coil didn’t have any protective coating, touched the metal the heating coil is attached to (with ceramic spacers), and shorted out again… I can send you a picture if you want. Might be worth a mention so the next poor guy doesn’t do the same thing I did…thanks again for the great article, and I just subscribed so I can check out your others.
Thank you for this! Fixed my dryer about 3 times using this article and it’s worked great. But for the past 3 times the thermostat keeps going out after a load has been put in every time I’ve replaced it. I checked the ohms and they are good but it still just gives no heat after a load is in there only the first few minutes with no load as a test run does the heat work. I have a Samsung dryer model number dv42h5200ew/a3. Have you encountered any problems with this model number?
Thank you for sharing your knowledge in creating this article. The way that the design engineers at Samung designed the poor access to the heating element is terrible! We are planning to purchase new dryers and washers. What brand do you feel has the best repairability design as well as long term function? TNX
Hello!!! First thanks for the article such a huge help for this single mom !! Question for anyone I’ve gotte all of the screws out of the assembly for where the heating element is house but I cannot get the wires out so I just pull them out or is there something else I should do? I don’t want to pull hard and break them if I can’t get the wires unplugged with my fingers should I use pliers?? I appreciate anyone’s advice!
I am starting the process of replacing the heating element on a Samsung DV45H6300EG/A3 but I have run into a problem with removing the front panel above the dryer door. I get get the tabs on each end to move freely but I cannot get the middle to release under the dryer control knob to remove the panel. Any ideas what I can do to proceed with the work? Thanks for the helpful article!
Jeff – great article ! I’ve got a question – started replacing the heating element on our dryer and using your directions – noticed one of the female spade connectors was showing damage, and the wire connected to it from the dryer side looked burnt. Trying to source parts to replace the female connector and it’s a tough part to locate. 7.3mm spade width – not a standard size. Found some on Amazon but they’re brass. Is it OK to use brass in this case – looks like the original part is steel ? Don’t know if that’s a concern with this kind of voltage.
@jeffostroff I did everything in your article. That kit came with additional parts…which I also replaced…and may should not have??? My dryer turned on and ran for about 3 seconds and then shut off. Now it won’t even turn on. Any thoughts about what I can check??? Thanks again!! My coil was ALSO broken in the exact same spot as the one in your article.
Why does my heat reset button keep tripping? I’ve had the dryer vent cleaned by a professional, the lint vents cleaned by me with my wet vac, the inside of the unit cleaned, the tube from the unit to the house vent cleaned, … is there a problem with the thermostat or heating unit? It seems random. I only fry things on medium now, but it still frequently trips so I have to press it to reset. (It’s an LG Sensor Gas Dryer.) Thanks!
Hello, I used your article to replace my heating element. I have the same dryer but in white. It starts tumbles but not heat. I replaced the heating element, no luck so I removed the drum, replaced the thermostat, thermal fuse, thermistor, and the thermal limit fuse. I still have no heat 😢 what would be my next step…?
Third time in 6 yrs I’m opening up this POS dryer. 1st was drum rollers, then idler pulley, and now no heat… guessing it’s the element. Thanks to @jeffostroff for the article detailing how access, test and remove the element and thermistor/switches. I’ll probably pull the drum. Past experience says the element assembly is easy-peasy to access with the drum removed. No-Pro-tip: Use a trigger clamp to hold the idler pulley under tension to get the belt back on one handed – remove the clamp after installing the drum and belt, before putting the bulkhead back on.
Will there be any problems, other than what was pointed out, with a dryer that is stacked on top of the washer? After we had it installed, I realized that Samsung screwed up making it stackable. Even at 5′ 9″ I have a little trouble seeing the settings. My wife is only 5′ 3″ and can’t see them at all. BTW, mine exhausts through the wall just 3′ away.
I stopped my repair at 4:17 because it felt like the two plastic tabs in the center of the bottom front panel were going to break off. I wish you didn’t edit out the whole procedure at that point. I’d like to see you exerting 100 lbs lifting pressure and not break the plastic tabs. My model is # DV42H5200 GF/A3 so maybe it’s a little different than yours. Hard to tell because I couldn’t see the inner parts of the control panel very good. I tend to not want to break things. It’s noisy and I have the rollers, belt and tensioner kit on hand but it works for now so I’ll wait for a comment to help me.
Please read this first. Before you take your dryer apart, use a multimeter to ensure you are getting 240 volts to your outlet. These dryers can run on 120 and appear to be working but no heat will be given off. In my case, I had to replace my breaker in the panel and didn’t need a new heating element. This can save you some time if you’re in the same boat.
Good article and thanks! It’s always good to see a article of someone doing the repair before diving in. By the way, I believe that my dryer is a little newer – the two ‘hidden’ screws for the heater box bracket have been replaced with simple tabs that fit into slots. The bracket is then secured in the front with two screws. And no need to beat up the engineers on the safety cutoff sensor; being an engineer myself, I know the safety cutoff will trip if there is a very high temperature (fire). The heating elements will eventually fail just like an incandescent light bulb. I do agree that higher temperatures caused by lint buildup in the exhaust vents will reduce the life, but that is a tough one to measure and once you know it is hotter than it should be, what do you do with that information? It will require a repair anyway.
I DID IT! Thank you so much! I delayed in responding at first as I feared it might explode (which should tell you how much experience I have with machine repair), but here now to say I very much appreciate this detailed walk through. You were definitely right about how stupid the design is but I think if you’re the manufacturer the idea is to make the repair possible but inconvenient so they can sell more dryers. And I would’ve been the dummy to just buy a new one if not for your excellent teaching!
Jeff you are our SUPERHERO!!!! we felt empowered and did the fix ourselves….Thanks for helping us learn and feel confident in what we were doing. Might not have been the right fix… but we were confident that we would be able to find the element and put it back together. It WAS the right fix. And now it works again. You rock!!!!!
Thank you Jeff. You just saved me time and a great deal of money with this article. Nothing short of brilliant. A full explanation with every step and I managed to do this within a couple of hours. I think that was very good as we also bought a Flu cleaning kit and did that. Just like he said there was a bagful of lint blocking the flu pipe which confirms what he suggested and probably why the heating element burned out. Watch this article for complete and precise details, suggestion and a very good instructional lesson.
My heat just stopped in my dryer and your article is steering me to do the repair. I checked the vent and the air still blows out so I know my vent pipe wasn’t clogged. I am always vacuuming out the lint from the lint collector area, it tends to fall down into the chamber below the lint filter when removing the lint filter. It is a terrible design. Lint should never fall into that lower chamber from the filter. I am sure once I pull the dryer out and remove the vent hose, I will find lint built up in the wall pipe. I will use the cleaner brush like you showed just to be safe. I will find the part number once I remove the heating element. If worse comes to worst, I will reference the manual for the part number.
it’s not that they are not smart. it’s the fact that they as a company, dont care . as they see it as gain for nothing. it fails, you, we the consumers. not have to have it repair or buy another. thus a gain for them. none of the products today, are made to last more the 5 years!! it is sad, nothing like days past. where they were made to last . .forever!! yet, you and many like you have shown how to make the repair. thank you very much. .
Great article for which I’m grateful. HOWEVER, I’ve tested & found continuity in thermistor, thermostat and heating coil (which I replaced a few months ago) & multimeter reads power on both insulated and heating element wires. But no heat! Driving me nuts! What am I missing? Any ideas anyone? Please and thank you!
HiHelloHey Jeff! Love this article, thank you for making it! Could you please make a article (if you haven’t already) on how to clean the washing machine door rubber gasket? All I can find is how to wipe/scrub it, but I am looking for one that shows me how to take it off so I can take it outside to hose it down.
Ok.. so I was a little skeptical about what could be the main reason a dryer wont heat and the fixes for it. It all seemed way too simple and easy! I thought I’m somewhat mechanically inclined and it just so happens I had a little extra time, so I figured Id give it a try. I mean… what would I possibly have to lose? If the parts I ordered from Amazon Prime did not fix my issue I could always just return them…right? Nah, they were only $33. So not only was the problem the heating element but on the back of the washer where the power connects to the black distribution block ( wires coming into the washer connects to wires inside the washer thru a plastic section ) there was some chaffing of the black and white wires due to them rubbing up against each other. And they had worn thru the plastic and were actually arcing off of each other. This was revealed when the back panel was removed and exposed the damaged wires. I guess Im just fortunate to have taken the time to investigate and also find this article which made the job about as simple as changing a tire on a bike. Thank you for going step by step and walking a viewer through the process. Highly recommend this article and I will be subscribing just in case I need to investigate something else.
I wanted to say what an amazing article I thought I had a bad fuse or element turned out that one of the wires came loose from the thermostat switch to the element it was just dangling, I’m guessing from moving it… but I went ahead and tested all the continuity on the leads and cleaned it. But those 2 hidden screws in the back were a major pain to get back on I used a little tape around the screw and driver to start. Thanks for posting!
Great article. Couldn’t have done this with any degree of confidence without it. The heating element looked almost exactly like the one you pulled out in this article, though not as black. What was even better than the article was the link to purchase just the coil and sensors. I was about to drop over $100 on the entire assembly, but the coil itself with sensors was only $30. Thank you so so much!
The heating element was a hero, and protected the thermal switch! Which is more expensive?? Those guys are not engineers. Engineers, by definition, make things better. Manufactured goods seem to be getting worse in multiple ways this century. That’s the problem with our world today, too many designers and not enough engineers! Excellent article!!!
Ugh. These are such a PITA to take apart. Had I known the heater was going to go a month after the belt, when I had this all taken apart, I would have replaced that, too. I’m not tearing this apart again. Here’s to buying a mismatched dryer because I can’t find my color new anymore and I don’t need a set.
Great article. Well done. Well explained. Agree 100% that these dryers aren’t built well for repair work. Well… they are if you’re a service tech and are billing someone I guess 😐 In the spring of 2022 I had to tear my Samsung apart to replace the belt and drum wheels. Now I apparently have to do it again to replace the heating element
Your article seems to be as simple in its instructions as it could possibly be however I absolutely can not get the upper front off to continue the replacement of the element. I was able to unsnap it at the top and outer sides but the center front has two clips that absolutely will not release. Please advise. I can not go much longer without my dryer and can not afford to call a repairman. Thanks!!
Terrible design. Just finished the job on a 10+ year old Samsung. New part is the same design. Also broke off the spade female connector trying to remove it. A rare size so I had to solder the broken connector to the wire. Seems the coil platform is cheap metal under tension when everything is screwed down tight. Combine that with high heat over time and you get a crack. Crack causes coil to break.
hey, I followed your steps and my heating element alongside the fuse and thermistor all have continuous circuits. The current reading on the heating element is also 9.7 ohms, just like the new one you replaced one. Yet my dryer has stopped heating as well in the last 2 weeks. What gives? Any ideas would be appreciated!
Thanks, you saved us $$$ and time. Was going to take 2 weeks for a repair person to come out. Had my dryer a little longer than that one. Our break was in that exact spot as yours. Identical crack too. I did not have lint issues like yours. I clean trap after every wash. And multiple times a year I do clean the tube and outside vent. It must be a flaw in that particular samsung dryer. Need to report this to Samsung. Hopefully they will put a bulletin out about this and hopefully a recall to fix it.
Best article ever to fix the problem. Followed it excatly and fixed my dryer issue. It was the heater core. It blew apart about where you showered yours. Got the part from Amazon. $30 and I replaced all the thermostat and core all together. This article really helped me thanks. In a hour or so it’s working line new.
Jeff, Thank you! Best fix-it article I’ve ever seen and the only one I’ve commented on. I purchased my heater element via Amazon which was $22. I overnighted it and it cost $38. Every detail of the job is outlined – even how to pull apart the connections which I usually lose patience with and ruin, get angry, cause more repairs and then spend more money. Great article that anyone can follow. I also took apart my vent hose and blew my power blower through it and cleared out the whole line. Agree with the one comment though, you will need some band aids!
This worked perfectly! My husband and I just finished repairing the dryer and what a joy it was to turn it on and get heat! We used the link you provided to purchase the heating element gathered up all the tools required and set to work. By far the most difficult part was getting the screws out of the back part of the heating element then putting them back in…more awkward than difficult. You saved us a hefty repair bill as quotes ranged from $220.00 ca to over $300.00 ca. Thanks Jeff!
What sets this article apart from others is the importance of checking electrical continuity of various components involved, not just the heating element. This way you can diagnose the actual problem. Last year I replaced the heating element using this article. This year the heating element has no problem, but the thermal fuse is the culprit. Thanks a lot!
Dryer stopped heating, searched and came across this article. Saved us HUNDREDS of dollars. Amazing detail showing how to take the part out, and how to put it back in. Ordered off Amazon witht the part number in the description, and it arrived the next day. Put it in, following this article, and we are back to wearing dry clothes. Cannot thank you enough.
Hey man, I super appreciate this article and I appreciate you even more for doing it in the first place. 3 years later after you made this article here I am perusal this article, step by step with this same dryer (grey color) and it’s been out of commission for almost 3 weeks. You’re awesome. Thank you so much. I seriously couldn’t have done it without you.
Watch the article once and ordered the part from the link. I was able to install like a pro. No problems. My element look just like yours. It was broken in the same place and had the same crack in the metal plate. We have had our dryer for 6 years and this was the first problem. Thank you for the article!
Thanks so much for your attention to detail and your well explained article. The crazy thing about this is the fact that my broken element had the break in the exact same place!! Second coil to the left of the retainer. And the base plate was cracked in the exact same manner. Thanks so much for saving me a lot of money by being able to do this myself. I appreciate it.
THANK YOU!!!!! You made replacing the heating element SO EASY. I got it repaired in about 2 hours, and that includes picking up the part. GOOD NEWS: I have a newer Samsung Steam Dryer and the metal platform that the element casing sits on does not have that back screw!! It has 2 slots that you just slide the back side into! Easy peasy!
I am having a real problem with the screws in the back of the heater. They are in so tight and I can’t get enough leverage to turn the screw. I put liquid wrench on them and hope they will loosen enough to break and come out. I had the same problem with one in the front and I put drill with pressure and it came out after a few tries, so that’s why I’m concerned. Any ideas please? Thanks
Thank you for walking through with me fixing 10+year old samsung dryer! I am sick and tired of being screwed over by out of warranty samsung affiliates (some local electronic store) that charges me $125 just to come here and push the on button to tell me to buy a new one, only later my contractor opened the front and found a sock stuck there. I opened it up myself today, and cleaned the drum with googone, and now the machine stopped making the horrible sound anymore!! I am so glad I tried, and thank you for your article!!
Thanks for this detailed article, I had the same exact problem with the heating element, and you’re right : my dryer was clogged with lint, so it explains why it was not very efficient anymore and why my element overheated and burned. Dangerous situation indeed. Now I will open and clean my dryer each year 🙂
I feel like these manufacturers purposely make it difficult so you have to hire someone to replace it for you. Not only that the thermostat is probably only for looks because it probably won’t work because they want the heating element to go out. These companies make much more money on service then the sales of the actual unit.
They should really put sensitive high limit safety thermostats in dryers since it would encourage people to be sure the dryer and the venting is free of lint and such. A lot of older dryers didn’t have any thermal cutouts in them but had sensitive high limit thermostats near the heating element or burner and would kick of the heating element or burner if it got slightly too hot or warm which protected the heating element from burning itself out. I actually picked up a Maytag DE306 dryer from 1974 that was still being used up until a few months before I bought it, when I got it home and cleaned the lint out, there were no thermal cutouts in it BUT had a high limit thermostat near the heating element that would cut power to it once it reached 150F to protect the heating element since it was at the very front and that’s probably why it lasted all these years.
Unnecessary whining! Tested My heating element resistance and it went to zero So 100% of the time? Not today tity baby and I use the f-o-I-L slinky duct because my “Ayer” duct goes straight through the wall to a louvered vent blowing out towards the ground. This cat most likely sniped the heating element to gain $$$ on his 100% of the time Service call. So in case you folks have to call a rip off out look for fresh cuts on your coiled spring heating element.
Thank you for this. While my dryer seemed to be built a couple of monkies, this was quite detailed and I was able to get my dryer apart (with alot of swearing, blood sweat and tears. No, I’m not kidding, I sliced myself on the heating assembly), I replaced the coil and got everything put back together and it works. I really hate Samsung’s belligerent use of screws
Imagine you have a 200k/yr job because you’re a ME/EE. Would you design a product that loses money over 20 years or one that lasts 8-12 years and only intelligent people will & can fix? You’ll design the product that my wife wants me to replace for $1000 rather than fix for under $100 “because i seem stressed” while cussing the whole process of replacing parts to save us half a mortgage payment. That’s a fact. The guy that makes a bulletproof design gets sacked.
The OEM part is a made-in-USA product. Can’t blame cheap foreign product. I am on my 4th heating element in my 13.5 years of using my Samsung dryer (300+ loads a year). Surprisingly, in the first 4 years, 3 burnt out, but the 4th one has lasted for almost 4 years. I always use Sensor Dry at low temperature setting.
Using foil duct is perfectly fine with an electric dryer. That manual you showed is for a gas dryer where it is NOT, recommended to use foils as gas dryer are a lot hotter than an electric dryer. I feel you twisted that information, maybe not on purpose, but wrong information was given if someone doesn’t have a gas dryer like you have.
Jeff, thank you for great article wish it was that easy to fix minds. But unfortunately i still need help fixing it because i have a crosley front loading dryer CDG-8000GWC and i took the whole thing apart and i didn’t know how to find the heating element and didn’t know how to find the part to fix it. Now all we can do is hang clothes to dry on hanging racks. 😢😢😭😭😭 I have a question what if we live in a apartment complex do we still clean the lint the same way you showed us? Thank you for the tips and advice is very helpful 🙏
Last dryer I fixed was a much simpler fix. Dismantling the entire unit is insane. Sadly that means I can’t just replace the thermal fuse and hope for the odds. (Even Samsung says thermal fuse it the problem in 6/10 “no heat” diagnoses. Heating element is listed at 35% of cases). But I’m not sure it’s worth rolling those dice to save $175 for a heating element even though the Thermal fuse is only $10
Be warned that after market parts might not last long. I was warned in comments when people said their heater only lasted months. Sure enough, my replacement went out after 10 months. But It wasn’t expensive and I bought 2 at the same time so I wouldn’t be stuck waiting for parts. The first heater lasted 8 years, btw. I might try the OEM, but I actually read a comment that said theirs didn’t last a whole lot longer. Makes you wonder. In any event, cheaper than getting a whole new dryer, at least for now. Mine was an electrolux, and I followed a article specifically for that model, so I know it wasn’t anything I did wrong. (Tested and replaced everything even though the thermostat and limit was still working on the original.) And once you know how to get it apart, it’s not a lengthy repair.
Awesome article! I’ve replaced mine twice using it, having owned the exact same unit for 7 years now. Most people would have thrown it in the dump, so you saved me a ton of money. After the second time, it made me ponder… if you swapped a thermostat with a lower high-end temperature range, could you save the coil from breaking?
100% legit..my dryer had exact same issue.. I saw other youtube that took out the drum and test all the elements, but your experience that it’s usually the heating coil was dead on. my friggin wife didn’t clean the lint catch… there were litterally layers of different colors of lint and it was compacted…😢
I got to tell you Jeff you are awesome….. Long time ago worked on a couple of my own personal dryers never touch this relatively new Samsung front load dryer but wow you took me from taking the header off to getting the door and the front plate assembly off to getting the heater element out knowing how to test it with a multimeter and then put it all back together by telling me or reminding me to take a picture of the wires putting it all back together and it works perfectly wow who knew …… Lol look Mom I can learn….. Lol all kidding aside really you helped me tremendously …. The bottom of the dryer did have a bunch of lint I’d say a fairly large pan for cooking was full half a gallon to a gallon of actual lint but there was none in the upright tubing taking it up to the roof who knew that I cleaned out 6 months ago and it was still pretty clean just a lot of lent in the element itself which yes caused it to overheat and snap
Hello! I just wanted to say thank you so much for your article and your patience in explaining it. My dryer wasn’t drying! So I googled and your article came up and I watched and then I said let me see if I can do it on my own and guess what I fixed it thanks to you!!! I feel so proud of myself!! My issue was the thermal fuse not the heating element, I only spent $15 bucks 😁 thank you and keep up the great work!!