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Caution:
Please read our safety
information before attempting any testing, maintenance
or repairs.
 Before testing the ignitor, unplug the clothes 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.
There are two common styles of ignitors,
glow ignitors and spark ignitors. The ignitor ignites the gas
either by heating up and glowing, or by sparking. If the ignitor
fails, the dryer will not heat.
The easiest way to check the ignitor
is to observe it. Remove the small access panel in front, select
a high temperature setting and start the dryer. Watch the burner
assembly, shortly after starting the dryer the ignitor should
begin to glow or spark. If you see it glow or spark, then the
ignitor is working.
If the ignitor did not appear to
function and it is the spark type, it may be out of adjustment
which generally requires professional service or it may require
replacement. If the ignitor is the glow type, you can test it
for resistance with a multitester.
The ignitor has two wires connected to it.Label the wires and connections
so that you can properly reconnect them later. The wires are connected with slip
on connectors. Firmly pull the connectors off of the terminals (do not pull on
the wire itself). You may need to use a pair of needle-nose pliers to remove the
connectors. Inspect the connectors and the terminals for corrosion. If either
is corroded they should be cleaned or replaced.
Set the multitester to the ohms
setting X1. Touch one probe to each terminal. You should get a
reading anywhere between 50 and 600 ohms. If you get a reading
of zero or infinity, the ignitor is definitely bad and will need
to be replaced.
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