How to Test an Electric Dryer Heating Element

If your dryer is working properly but not producing any heat, you could have a faulty dryer heater element. To test this yourself, here are a few simple steps.

Step 1: Unplug the Dryer

Anytime you work with electrical appliances, it is important to unplug them. Failure to do so could result in electric shock.

Step 2: Locate Dryer Heating Element

The location of the dryer heating element will vary from dryer to dryer. Refer to your dryer manual for the exact location of the dryer heating element.

Step 3: Set the Multi-Meter

To test your dryer heating element, make sure the multi-meter is set to Rx1 on the resistance scale.

Step 4: Take a Reading

To take a reading on your dryer heating element take both probes on the multi-meter and place them at the each end of the dryer heating element. You should get one of two results.

• If the multi-meter read a high resistance, then your dryer heating element is working properly.
• If the multi-meter reads and infinite amount of resistance, then your dryer heating element is broken and needs to be replaced.

If the dryer heating element is working properly, then you will need to find another culprit. However, if the test proves the dryer heating element is faulty, you will need to replace it for the dryer to function correctly.