I finally figured out how to spot when a dryer heat element is about to fail

Lately, I've seen a pattern where dryers take longer to dry but the heat seems okay at first. Turns out, if you check the element for small hot spots with an infrared thermometer, you can catch it early. I've started doing this on every service call and it's prevented a lot of callbacks. Just a quick scan before reassembling saves so much time.

4 comments

4 Comments

harper_owens1mo ago

Hey, I read a forum post last month about this exact thing. Some tech said they found hot spots on elements that still tested fine with a multimeter. The infrared scan showed uneven heating before it fully died. They caught it during a routine check and saved the customer a full breakdown. It made me start carrying a thermometer in my kit too. But I wonder if doing it every time is overkill like laura486 said?

oliver_stone151mo ago

That's a CLEVER way to catch a problem before it gets worse. I'm gonna try that scan on my next few jobs. Being proactive like that saves everyone a major headache later.

laura4861mo ago

Last year, a friend in IT said their weekly scans caused more problems than they solved. They wasted time on false alarms instead of fixing real issues. Waiting for clear warning signs can sometimes be a smarter approach. Constant scanning isn't always the best use of time.

ruby_wright9d ago

@oliver_stone15 is right about being proactive, but how do you tell a real hot spot from a normal temp change? My cheap IR gun gives weird reads on shiny metal.