WED9600TA1 Dryer runs no heat

[bsaucer]

Model Number

WED9600TA1

Brand

Whirlpool

Age

6-10 years

Duet dryer runs but does not heat. I went to the customer's house to check it out. It is in a narrow closet sitting on top of the matching washer. I could not access the top without pulling it out and putting it on the floor, but then the cord doesn't reach the outlet.

I removed the bottom panel, and checked the element, the HL-thermostat, and the thermal cut-off. Those were all good. I checked live voltage readings. I get L2 voltage to the heater (through the motor switch, I assume), but no L1 voltage to any of the parts I checked. I would at this point assume the control board is not putting out L1 voltage to the heater circuit.

I forgot to check the thermistor(s), but would they cause this symptom? Or would they cause an error code instead?

Is there a diagnostic manual for this model? I did not see one in the lower panel.

 

[Jake]

Im confused.

I could not access the top without pulling it out and putting it on the floor, but then the cord doesn't reach the outlet.

How did you check for power when the cord doesn't reach the outlet?

The first thing I always do is use my multimeter to do a volt test at the dryer terminal block, where the power cord connects to it.

First make sure your getting 230-240 volts at the terminal block in the back of your dryer. The outer wires are hot, middle wire is neutral. So put your volt meter probes on each of the two outer wires at the terminal block and see what your meter reads, you should get 230-240 volts between the two outer wires on the terminal block.

Jake

 

[bsaucer]

I could measure at the outlet. However, If the board and motor are running I would assume I'm getting L1 and neutral into the dryer. And I measured L2 voltage at the wire (detached during measurement) that goes to the heating element while the dryer was running. That tells me I'm getting both L1 and L2 into the dryer. The common of my meter was placed on cabinet ground, and I read 110V from L2 (wire to heater element) and ground (neutral through 3 prong cord). So neutral is connected.

I know I was reading the L2 side of the heater, because the wire I checked is the one that comes from the motor area, not the one from the HL- thermostat.

 

[Jake]

But its very important to put your meter leads on the two 120 hot legs to see if your getting 240 volts. I have been out on service calls many times and my meter would read 0 volts across the two hot legs, even though each 120 volt leg to neutral was still getting 120 volts, which is enough to make the dryer run but not heat.

Jake

 

[bsaucer]

If that were the case I'd get 120 on the L1 side of the heater circuit (measured against neutral-ground), but I'm not. Besides, I did measure 220 across the outlet.

Meanwhile, the customer says she will bring the dryer to the shop this weekend.

 

[bigbuck]

Here is your Tech Sheet.

 

[bsaucer]

Thanks for the tech sheet. By the way, I also measured continuity through the cord while I had it unplugged.