# Help diagnosing non starting electric dryer **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 26, 2016, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-diagnosing-non-starting-electric-dryer/758407 "2016-06-26T15:04:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-diagnosing-non-starting-electric-dryer/758407/21 "2016-07-10T03:31:49Z")
A)Is it one of these? None of them use that particular name, but I think it’s just their name for the t-stat near the top bearing. B)If it is, search for it again with the correct model number, you missed a digit before the WW at the end (I picked GTDP180ED **0** WW to get the search to work). ---
**Author:** ![Deereman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Deereman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deereman)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-diagnosing-non-starting-electric-dryer/758407/22 "2016-07-10T04:27:06Z")
The thermostat is at the front of the drum, on top. It’s quite literally a thermostat for the bearing. I did mistype the model number GTDP180ED2WW The thermo was literally broke when I found it, one terminal, while still connected, was broken and hanging, with the wire attached. The wire terminal was partially melted and black, the wire looked like it got hot too. The other wire from the thermo has signs that the terminal got warm. To me it just looks like the terminal broke off the thermostat and started shorting out. I don’t think the thermo failed in a normal fashion, I think it just plain BROKE. I’ve cleaned out the dryer, there was quite a bit of lint built up in front of the blower. It’s all cleaned out now. There are no part numbers on the paperwork. After some research I found a part number of WE4M137, which is replaced by WG04F02270. With some fiddling, I bypassed the thermostat, and the dryer started up and ran. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-diagnosing-non-starting-electric-dryer/758407/23 "2016-07-10T05:28:28Z")
Looks like I forgot to put a link in on my last post… [http://www.repairclinic.com/Shop-For-Parts/a8b3c24d1286139/Model-GTDP180ED2WW-GE-Dryer-Thermostat-Parts](http://www.repairclinic.com/Shop-For-Parts/a8b3c24d1286139/Model-GTDP180ED2WW-GE-Dryer-Thermostat-Parts) And here’s the part you mentioned: [http://www.repairclinic.com/PartDetail/GE-Dryer-High-Limit-Thermostat/WE4M137/276438?modelNumber=GTDP180ED2WW&ss=a8b3c24d1286139&mr=1](http://www.repairclinic.com/PartDetail/GE-Dryer-High-Limit-Thermostat/WE4M137/276438?modelNumber=GTDP180ED2WW&ss=a8b3c24d1286139&mr=1) ---
**Author:** ![Deereman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Deereman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deereman)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-diagnosing-non-starting-electric-dryer/758407/24 "2016-07-17T05:01:44Z")
Just an update, hopefully the last one haha Got the replacement part, installed it, and repaired the wire. The dryer is back together and running! Got the part from [https://apex-used-appliance-parts.com/](https://apex-used-appliance-parts.com/) Even with shipping it was half the price of a new one ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-diagnosing-non-starting-electric-dryer/758407/25 "2016-07-17T05:06:59Z")
You already put it back together, but I was going to say that if you hadn’t and you can run it with any of the panels off (they probably provide structural integrity), it might be a good idea so you can keep an eye on it. In all likely hood, it just failed on it’s own, but there’s always the chance that it something overheated so bad and so quickly it fused the contacts together and they heated and melted. At least, if there was a fire, right up at the top of a metal case is a good place for it. If the sensor is touching any part of the cabinet, after it’s been running for a half hour or so, you could put your hand on it to see how hot it is (not that you’d have anything to compare it oo. Of course, to be realistic, it probably just failed and it’s probably fine. ---
**Author:** ![Deereman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Deereman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deereman)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-diagnosing-non-starting-electric-dryer/758407/26 "2016-07-17T08:05:06Z")
It’s not to hard to get to to SEE the area now that I know where to look, I could remove the top of the dryer and still have a runnable machine. I did actually test things that way [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-diagnosing-non-starting-electric-dryer/758407.md?page=1)