Are you pulling out sopping wet clothes from your dryer—or clothes so hot it seems like they were dried on the surface of the sun rather than in your home appliance?
Sometimes, a thermostat reset can help. Many modern dryers come with a reset button on this component, and Admiral is no different.
As is common practice, Admiral dryers come with a reset button on the high-limit thermostat. You can find this component on the heating assembly box toward the bottom right of the dryer.
This post will give you more details about how to get to this reset button and what to do if pressing it doesn’t solve your heating problem.
Admiral Dryer Reset Button Location
The high-limit thermostat sets the temperature limit for your dryer. If it gets set too high, it can allow the dryer to heat up too much and cause a fire. But if it isn’t set high enough, it won’t heat up enough to actually dry your clothes.
Therefore, resetting the thermostat to its default heating settings can potentially fix an under- or overheating dryer.
Like other dryer models, Admiral dryers have a resettable thermostat—that is, a thermostat with a button that resets the thermostat’s settings.
It’s also straightforward to access.
How to Access the Admiral Dryer Reset Button
In some dryers, you need to remove several panels, disconnect wires, and sometimes even pull out the dryer drum.
Luckily, the thermostats in Admiral dryers are exceptionally easy to access. All you have to do is unscrew the rear panel (after unplugging the appliance, of course).
Legitimately, that’s it! Once you remove the back panel, you’ll find the thermostat on the side of the heater assembly box to the bottom right. Press the button, replace the panel, and plug the dryer back in so you can run a cycle to verify that the reset worked.
Why Isn’t the Reset Button Working?
Unfortunately, this quick fix isn’t always enough. The reason is that over- and underheating can be caused by several factors, not just a thermostat set to the wrong temperature.
Because of this, you may need to try one of the following fixes instead:
Clean the Dryer
Lint and other debris can accumulate throughout the dryer. Primarily, you’ll find lint in the lint screen, which you need to clean after every cycle anyway. But how about the filters? The blower wheel? The inside of the dryer? The vents?
You’ll want to check all these places, starting with the ducts. In vented dryers, the machine maintains its ideal temperature using airflow. So if there are blockages in the ducts bringing air in or out of the device, it can affect the temperature.
Then, take a look at the filters. Are they filled to the brim? Much like air filters in your car, you’ll need to replace them.
Also consider the blower housing and blower wheel, which circulates air through and out of the dryer. And take a look throughout the inside of the dryer to ensure that lint isn’t building up on or around other internal components.
Moisture Sensor
The moisture sensor lets your dryer know when your clothes are dry by measuring the water content in the drum. However, it may malfunction and give the appliance false readings.
If it misreads the moisture content as higher than it really is, it may cause your dryer to continue running when it shouldn’t and overheat your clothes. Conversely, if it underestimates the amount of moisture left, it will signal the dryer to stop too early and leave you with wet clothes.
Typically you can find the moisture sensor inside the door or drum near the lint screen. Check the bars inside for any unusual bending, and use your multimeter to verify if the part is receiving continuity. Replace if it’s misshapen or there’s no continuity.
Heating Element
The heating element takes heat created by the heater (in electric dryers) or ignition assembly (in gas dryers) and transfers it to the dryer drum using coils.
However, its coils can break, bend, or short out. They may also get pulled too close to or far away from the drum by the warping of the heating element’s casing.
Take a look at this component and inspect it for any bulging or warping. Then, take your multimeter and verify whether it has continuity. As with the moisture sensor, replace the heating element if it’s misshapen or noncontinuous.
Fortunately for frustrated appliance owners, Admiral dryers come with a resettable thermostat. And it’s much easier to access it in this brand of dryer than in other models—just unplug the power cord, remove the rear panel, and then find the thermostat toward the bottom right.
If resetting the thermostat doesn’t work, you can check out other fixes like cleaning up any lint buildup in the dryer vent and checking the moisture sensor or dryer heating element.
Other problems that may keep your dryer from heating correctly include heavy loads of laundry, blown thermal fuses, and failed gas valve coils (in a gas dryer).
Call in a service technician if these DIY solutions fail.
