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do I have to replace the entire thermal fuse or can I repair the black wire connection to the fuse? The wire sparked and blew when the backing hit it when I took it off.
Hi @gandychan, What is the model number of the dryer? The burn mark on the machine caused by the spark must have occurred because there must have been power still connected to the machine when you removed the backing plate or cover. You were lucky that you didn’t kill yourself! Disconnect the power from the machine and test the thermal fuse with an Ohmmeter to check if it still has continuity or not. If it has continuity then it may be designed to operate and open the power circuit when the temperature exceeds its rating and then restore back to normal when the temperature has dropped back down again below the fuse’s set release temperature. If it is testing open circuit then this may be because it is a non re-settable type (I don’t know what type it is) and it is a safety feature to prevent fires from occurring by disconnecting the power to the dryer. Then the thermal fuse will have to be replaced as it cannot be repaired. The wire connection would still have to be cleaned and checked if it is secure etc so as to ensure that there is a good electrical connection
