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I was testing dryer thermostats wrong for years until a guy in a parts store set me straight
I used to just check them with a multimeter for continuity, thinking that was enough. Last week I had a Whirlpool dryer that kept overheating even after I swapped the high-limit thermostat. The older guy at the local parts place asked if I'd heated the old one up with a lighter while testing it. I hadn't... and when I did, the one I'd just installed failed the test too. I'd been putting in bad parts because I wasn't checking them under heat. How many other basic tests am I maybe doing wrong without realizing it?
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mason.drew10d ago
Ever test a capacitor just by checking for shorts? I learned the hard way you gotta check microfarads under load, otherwise a weak one can still show okay on a basic test. That dryer stat thing is classic, thermal cutoffs are useless to test cold. What other parts have you found that need the "hot" test to really know?
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faithpatel10d ago
My dad once replaced the same starter solenoid on his lawn tractor three times in a month. He was convinced the parts store had a bad batch. Turns out he was just touching the metal wrench between the positive terminal and the frame every time he installed it, frying the new one instantly. Some lessons you only learn by making the expensive mistake yourself.
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