Samsung Dryer Model No. DV338AEB/XAA Thermal Cutoff Wire Replacement

[ChipCity]

Hi there, so our dryer quit heating but still runs.  I replaced the thermal cutoff fuse and the thermostat a few months ago and it ran fine.  Now it has quit heating again so I pulled the heater unit out to take a look.  The wire that goes to the thermal cutoff fuse from the thermostat on the heater coil housing has melted and severed.  This is the second time this has happened on the exact same terminal.  I've checked continuity on all three components and everything checks out.  I did find a point in the heater coil that was touching itself so I bent it back so that's not happening anymore.  I've checked for shorts between the housing and components and everything is fine.  

My question is about the wire I need to replace.  The wires on the machine read 105°C 600V 14AWG.  I have some THHN wire that is rated for 90°C 600V 14AWG.  I'm not sure that this will do the trick.  The guy at the hardware store also suggested I try the wires from an electric oven range plug replacement, as they are insulated, and I have that as well.  I believe that wire is rated for 250°C 600V (although I am not certain) so theoretically it makes sense.  The electric range part is a Range Kleen Item No. 7100 with ceramic insulation.  Both wires are stranded as well as the original wire.

TLDR: Is it safe to use the THHN wire or should I use the insulated wire from the range repair kit?

 

Any advice is much appreciated!

 

To note: I am not an electrician I have limited working knowledge about electrical stuff so here is what the alleged THHN wire reads...

The wire reads [SOUTHWIRE E51583 F (UL) (14AWG) 2,08mm² CU TYPE MTW OR THWN OR THHN PR II AND GR II 600 VOLTS VW-1 OR AWM --- c(UL) T90 NYLON OR TWN75 600 VOLTS FT1 -ANCE 90C --- RoHS]

[Terry Carmen]

You need whatever wire is supposed to be there, however a bigger problem is that you don't have a way to securely connect the new wire to the old wire or terminals, since you can't use plastic wire nuts or tape, and I don't think ceramic wire nuts will stay connected with all the vibrations going on in a dryer.

My best suggestion would be to buy a replacement wiring harness that will come with all the correct connectors.

You'll also need to replace any parts that don't have bright shiny clean terminals, or show any signs of overheating, like the thermostats and/or heater.

 

Edited August 27, 2023 by Terry Carmen

[ChipCity]

On 8/27/2023 at 7:22 AM, Terry Carmen said:

however a bigger problem is that you don't have a way to securely connect the new wire to the old wire or terminals

I should have clarified...  I do have the proper high-temp terminal connectors and have those connected properly.  I'm not new to electrical work I just don't have a higher level understanding of electricity, circuits, component selection, etc.  I know the basics and about enough to be dangerous, point is I just want it to be a safe setup thus my question of the wiring selection.  While I'm not opposed to replacing an entire wiring harness that would not be necessary here since it is only a short section of wire (maybe 3-4" long) that needs replacement.  The rest of the wires in the harness appear to be fine.

UPDATE: I used the THHN wires and so far they seem to be working, still need to run them through more heat cycles to be sure.  I did order some 200 °C 600V 14AWG wires and will swap that connection out when they arrive, should be an upgrade.  That all being said, my original question about the rating and safety of the wires remains unanswered.  This is just guesswork on my part.

[Terry Carmen]

THHN is too stiff and the temperature rating is too low and it's not the correct wire for this use, but the wires are burning off because of a poor connection not because of the temperature rating of the wire.

Quote

 I do have the proper high-temp terminal connectors

You still need a way to connect a vibration-proof, heat-proof and lint-fire proof way to connect the short piece of wire to the rest of the wiring harness.