Amana Dryer ALE643RBW

[jambatt]

Unit keeps burning wire off at connector on wire that runs from the heater thermostat to the thermal fuse. Replaced thermal fuse and wire with OEM last fall. #12 stranded wire. Will operate OK for six to twelve months before it Krispy Kritters the connector again. Connections are tight. Always same place. Any ideas as to cause??

[RegUS_PatOff]

you used this kit ? 

click on picture

[jambatt]

That's the one. Any ideas come to mind Reg why it would keep burning the wire off at the same place on the thermal fuse?

[RegUS_PatOff]

don't know.. but the "wire" is listed as "Assembly, wire" part # 2200011 on Sear's site..  $ 4.20

RP lists it as "harness" $ 5.25 (special order)

don't know if it's the set of wires ...

I'll keep looking...

Interesting Bulletin

"...female terminal that attaches directly to one side of the heating element."

High-limit thermostat, L250-80, with terminal extension arm

click on picture

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Which end of the wire is getting burnt: at the high-limit end or at the thermal fuse end? And is the same end each time?

[jambatt]

Thermal fuse end every time. Fourth or fifth time over the past few years. Orange #12 stranded wire. Connects high limit thermostat to thermal fuse. Finally burned spade off fuse last year so replaced it with OEM.

[Poobah]

Some of those older Amana kits come with shoddy at best wires and terminals, seem like they are made of a cheap lightweight aluminum anymore instead of the heavy duty (?) they used to be made of....if the dryer is cycling properly and not overheating..check to see what the exhaust temp is where it is supposed to be (I had an Amana with the digital board give me fits for 2mo. awhile back you couldn't control the heat setting...eventually replaced the board and that took care of it) then I would go to my local State Electric (what there called here) or electrical shop and see if they have a truly heavy duty terminal end  and a piece 0f 10 to 12 ga. wire and make your own wire assembly and see what happens.....it could be an amprage/current issue (low voltage..starving for power) and this point is the weakest link...I doubt it (but it's possible) is an overheating causing the burn as it should then damage the stat itself and or some of the other connectors also....I hate to try and remedy these types of problems, and hope this may help in some sort of way...good  luck

[jambatt]

Thanks everyone for the input. Have used Hi-temp heavy duty crimp connections to no avail. Just don't have an answer for the owner as to the cause. Guess I'll have to call it the mystery current overload.

[RegUS_PatOff]

does the previous Service Update Bulletin apply to your dryer ?

Will the new Thermostat fit your dryer in place of the old Thermostat/Wire combination ?

 

[jambatt]

Don't have wiring diagram, but I think the service bulletin doesn't apply here because it would bypass the thermal fuse if that thermostat is used.