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Caution:
Please read our safety
information before attempting any testing, maintenance
or repairs.
 Before testing the gas coils, unplug the dryer or shut off
the power at the fuse box or breaker panel to avoid an electrical
shock hazard.
A gas dryer blows air through
a burner assembly to heat the air. The burner assembly consists
essentially of a gas valve, ignitor and a flame sensor. If
any part of the burner assembly malfunctions, the result will
be low or no heat and slow drying of the clothes.
On the gas valve are one or
two coils (solenoids) used to open and close the valve to
control the flow of gas. If a coil fails, gas will not flow
and the dryer will have no heat.
The easiest way to diagnose
a problem in the burner assembly is to observe the burner
operation. Remove the small access panel at the bottom, front
of the dryer, select a high temperature setting and start
the appliance. Watch the burner assembly, shortly after starting
the dryer the ignitor should begin to glow. Next you should
hear the click of the gas valve coil and a flame should ignite.
The flame should be mostly blue and it should remain on for
a minute or more.
If the ignitor glows for several
seconds (up to 15 seconds) and then goes out, the problem
is probably the coils (solenoids). If the ignitor glows and
stays on, then the problem is usually the flame sensor. If
it ignites and then quickly goes out, it is most likely a
problem with inadequate air flow.
Test the coil for resistance
using a multitester.
Set the multitester to the ohms setting X1. Place a probe
on each terminal. The multitester should change from a reading
of infinity to roughly 40 ohms when the probes touch the terminals.
If the reading is infinity or substantially different from
40 ohms, the solenoid should be replaced.
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