How To Tell If A Thermal Fuse Is Blown (Quickly & Easily!)

Protecting your appliances is crucial for keeping them in tip-top shape so that they can last you for the years to come. That’s why many different machines contain a thermal fuse, a device that helps your appliance protect itself. But what happens if the unit begins malfunctioning? How can you tell if your thermal fuse is blown?

To tell if a thermal fuse has blown, check your appliance for heat. If it’s not producing heat, you need to remove the thermal fuse and test it with a multimeter. If the multimeter has no significant change in readings, then this means your thermal fuse has blown and needs to be replaced.

The thermal fuse is a safety device that’s necessary for keeping your appliance safe. But this fuse can malfunction and blow. This guide will help you understand how to tell if your thermal fuse is blown and what steps you need to take after such a discovery.

A thermal fuse is a component included in many of your heat-producing appliances that allows your unit to open your circuit if your machine is overheating. Think of it as a type of safety device.

The fuse can help detect heat due to a component breakdown or a short circuit. However, they don’t reset themselves once this is detected, so you will need to replace it once triggered or set off. It is essential for you to know that the thermal fuse only reacts to situations where the temperature is excessive, not the current unless the current is what causes excessive heat.

If you have figured out that the thermal fuse on your dryer has blown, then you will need to make sure you clean the venting to prevent your newly installed thermal fuse from blowing. Typically, when thermal fuses in dryers fail, it’s due to lint building up in the exhaust venting, causing the dryer to overheat.

This is the classic reason why it’s crucial that you take a vent brush and clean out your vent at least once a year. This will help prevent fires, overheating and keep your dryer in its best working condition. You can also use a vacuum to clean this up as well as it will help to suck all the lint out of the exhaust tube.

Replacing the thermal fuse on a dryer is more involved than replacing one on a coffee pot or hairdryer. That’s why we’ve included these instructions for you because the thermal fuses for dryers are the most common ones to blow.

However, the first thing you want to do before proceeding is to buy a replacement fuse. Check the make and model of your dryer first, and then go and buy the thermal fuse specifically for that. There are many ‘universal’ thermal fuses out there, but it’s best to get the one that’s created especially for your dryer.

The heating element is a piece that’s within your dryer that’s made up of several coils protected by an aluminum or metal casing. This is where the heat in your dryer comes from when it’s running your laundry.

If there’s anything wrong with this heating element, then you will most likely need to run your dryer a couple of times to dry your clothing thoroughly. Also, you may notice a sort of burnt metal smell. These are indications that your heating element is failing and needs to be replaced.