You need to have an ohmmeter. Then you need to get access to the heater terminals. Depending on the model, it could be located near the front of the dryer or back of it. UNPLUG the dryer before removing any screws. When you fid therheater element, measure the resistance between the 2 main terminals (you don't have to disconnect any wires before measuring). You should measure somewhere between 9 and 20 ohms. If that's good, then measure between 1 of the terminals and the case (ground connection) of the heater. If you measure less than 100 ohms, then you may have an internal short in the heater element. To make sure, disconnect the wires going to the heater element and re-measure. Now you should have a very hightresistance measurement, more than 100,000 ohms to infinity. If you measure less than 1000 ohms you either have a short inside the heater, or something that got inside and got burned up, producing a carbon path for the electricity. If the heating element checks good, then look of an open thermal fuse.
Answers & Comments
You need to have an ohmmeter. Then you need to get access to the heater terminals. Depending on the model, it could be located near the front of the dryer or back of it. UNPLUG the dryer before removing any screws. When you fid therheater element, measure the resistance between the 2 main terminals (you don't have to disconnect any wires before measuring). You should measure somewhere between 9 and 20 ohms. If that's good, then measure between 1 of the terminals and the case (ground connection) of the heater. If you measure less than 100 ohms, then you may have an internal short in the heater element. To make sure, disconnect the wires going to the heater element and re-measure. Now you should have a very hightresistance measurement, more than 100,000 ohms to infinity. If you measure less than 1000 ohms you either have a short inside the heater, or something that got inside and got burned up, producing a carbon path for the electricity.
If the heating element checks good, then look of an open thermal fuse.