Were you drying a load of laundry only to find that it wasn’t dry at the end of your dryer’s cycle? Or maybe your clothing was dry but also so hot that it felt like it was about to catch fire.
Fortunately, many gas dryer and electric dryer brands install thermostats with reset buttons or switches. Because the thermostats are involved with managing heating, pressing these buttons or flipping these switches can make it so you pull out warm—but not too hot—and dry clothing.
Panda dryers have two thermostats, both of which should be resettable. But unlike other dryers, these thermostats are in separate locations that require you to disassemble the dryer more extensively than other brands.
This post will clarify how to access both of these thermostats and briefly mention what else you can do if resetting the thermostat or thermostats fails.
Thermostats can be resettable in one of two ways: Via a button that you press or through a switch that you flip by inserting a pin into the thermostat.
Panda dryer high-limit and cycling thermostats come with reset buttons that you can press to restore the default settings for both components.
But unlike most other dryer models, the thermostats in Panda dryers are placed far apart. Accessing each one requires different steps.
Cycling Thermostat: What It Does + How to Access It
The cycling thermostat turns the dryer’s heating components on and off based on how hot the dryer already is. If it malfunctions, it may tell the dryer to cycle on and off at the wrong times, leading to under- and overheating.
The cycling thermostat is the easier of the two thermostats to access in Panda dryers. All you have to do is unplug the dryer’s power cord, unscrew the back panel, and remove it.
You’ll find the cycling thermostat at the bottom of the backside of the dryer drum. It will look like a small, black cylindrical piece with wires going to it.
High-Limit Thermostat
The high-limit thermostat determines how hot your dryer can get by setting the maximum temperature. A maximum temperature set too low means your dryer won’t be able to heat up enough to dry effectively; too high and it will overheat, risking a fire.
In Panda dryers, the high-limit thermostat requires a little more work to reach:
Unscrew the rear panel and remove it.
Toward the bottom right of the dryer, you’ll find the idler pulley. Remove the belt from the spindle.
Unscrew the vertical bar holding the drum in place.
Remove the dryer drum.
Reach in toward the front of the dryer. From the back, the thermostat will be on the left side. It will be a black cylinder on top of a black heating assembly box.
For both thermostats, be sure to put everything back into place as it was and then plug the dryer back in. Run a regular cycle to verify that the reset worked.
What Else Can I Do If My Dryer Is Over/Underheating?
Resetting the thermostats may fix your heating problem—but only if your dryer wasn’t working because of the thermostat’s settings. If some other component has failed or if there’s an obstruction in the dryer, a reset won’t be very helpful.
But before you call in a professional and fork out your hard-earned dollars, try out the following:
Check the thermostats for continuity using a multimeter. Resetting won’t do much if they’ve already been fried.
You can also check the heating element using a multimeter. This component is responsible for sending heat to the dryer drum. Its coils sometimes break or the box can warp, interfering with its ability to transfer heat.
Clean out any lint buildup. Not just from the lint screen and filter, but from the ducts and inside of the dryer itself. Lint can’t make its way under the drum and around other components like the timer, motor, and blower wheel.
Test the moisture sensor with a multimeter. This part tells your dryer how much moisture is left in the drum, influencing how long and hot the dryer runs.
If there’s insufficient continuity to the thermostats, heating element, or moisture sensor, purchase and install a replacement.
Panda dryers come with two resettable thermostats—the cycling thermostat and the high-limit thermostat.
Accessing the high-limit thermostat is a bit more arduous than getting to the cycling thermostat. Still, it’s worthwhile to try resetting both if your dryer is over- or underheating your laundry.
However, resetting your thermostats isn’t the only fix: You can also try clearing out any lint accumulated in the exhaust vent, lint filter, and other areas, as well as testing components like the heating element or moisture sensor for continuity.
Also, consider looking into whether the dryer thermal fuse has tripped. While the thermal fuse isn’t necessarily the source of a heating problem,
If all else fails, don’t hesitate to call a service technician.
