If your tumble dryer is no longer heating up it could very likely be due to a faulty element. In this video Josh explains how to use a multimeter to test if your dryer element has a fault.
A multimeter is a versatile tool that can be used to measure electrical resistance within a circuit, just as you would use a ruler to measure distance. If you've got a faulty appliance within your home and you're not sure what's causing the fault, a great way to find out is to use a multimeter.
Multimeters come in two different types: digital and analogue. On some you may have to setup and calibrate according to your manual before you're ready to test. A multimeter can test elements, thermostats, switches - in fact it can test most electrical component within an appliance.
If you would like to see how to test your parts for problems, you can see Mat fault checking vacuums and thermal fuses.
What You Will Need:
Step 1 - Switch Off Your Appliance
Safety First! Please make sure that you have switched your appliance off at the mains before starting your repair.
Step 2 - Setting Up The Multimeter
You need to set up and calibrate the multimeter as per the instructions, and turn the dial to the lowest ohm rating. Proceed to take the probes of the multimeter and place them on the relevant terminals inside the connector.
The ideal reading for a tumble dryer element is between 20 and 50 ohms - so any reading significantly outside of this range means the element is faulty and needs to be replaced, in this case this element in this video is fine.
Fancy Giving Your Appliance A Good Clean Now?
If you think it’s about time that you showed your appliance some TLC, eSpares are here to help you. We have a wide range of cleaning products for the various appliances that are found around the home and garden, and they can all be found on our website in the Cleaning Products area.
You can find lots more of our useful help and tips on looking after your appliances at home, and also further advice and video tutorials on how to fix your appliances yourself at the eSpares Advice Centre.
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