A dryer tech sheet is an essential part of your appliance. It can help you troubleshoot issues, including a shorted wire harness or a malfunctioning inlet thermistor. You can fix the most common problems by following the instructions in a tech sheet.
Problems with inlet thermistor
Generally speaking, the problem with inlet thermistors is that they get dimmer with increasing temperature. It’s, therefore, important to check the resistance value of your inlet thermistor. You can do this by looking at the tech sheet of your dryer, which should include instructions on how to test these components.
If you can’t see these indicators on your tech sheet, your dryer’s inlet thermistor may be shorted. The shorted thermistor will cause your dryer to stop or give an error code. To check if it’s faulty, remove the bottom cover panel to access the thermistor. The thermistor is a flat plastic or metal plate with two wires. If it’s too hot or too cold, replace it.
Inlet thermistor resistance
A thermistor is an electronic device that measures a heating element’s resistance. As the temperature rises, its resistance decreases. Therefore, it’s critical to check the inlet thermistor’s resistance. The resistance value should be at least two-four hundred and forty-five ohms. If the resistance is below this level, the thermistor is either shorted or faulty. The tech sheet that came with the appliance will list the thermistor’s resistance.
The dryer tech sheet comes with two thermistors: an inlet thermistor found on the heating element housing and an outlet thermistor on the blower housing. Both are part of the high-limit thermostat. The resistance of both thermistors varies inversely with temperature. If the resistance goes down, the dryer needs more heat to dry the clothes.
Wire harness
The Wire Harness is one of the important components of a dryer. It connects the motor and exhaust assembly to the dryer’s interior. The wire harness is made up of three different types of wires. The blue wire is the live wire, while the white and green wires are the neutral and ground wires.
Wire harnesses come in various configurations to meet the needs of different applications. Some are simple, while others are complex, with dozens or hundreds of components. A wire harness is usually the result of a process that starts with the design and moves through prototyping and production. When the wire harness is produced, it is assembled on a draw-out test board by operators. They check to ensure that the wire lengths and housings are correct and that cable ties are attached to all wires.
Inlet thermistor shorted
If you notice the error message “Inlet thermistor shorted” on your dryer tech sheet, the problem is most likely the inlet thermistor. This component helps regulate the temperature of the dryer. A good thermistor should have a resistance value of around 11K Ohms at room temperature. If your thermistor has a reading below this value, you must replace it. The resistance value of a thermistor also varies based on the temperature of the dryer.
