BDE7500 Maytag Dryer - Instructions

I am writing this story in the hope it will save time and trouble for others. I have used PartSelect with great success after our washing maching burned through a belt last year, so after our old Maytag dryer stopped heating, I looked on your website. I found it was probably the heater element so I ordered it and also printed off the blueprints and repair steps of my dryer since I no longer had the book. When the part finally arrived (5 days on a 2 day shipping charge-- I wasn't happy with the 5 days), it had different instructions on the heater element package than the PartSelect website offered. This is where things got difficult; what should have been a 20 minute job took 2 hours because I followed the directions on the package and took the dryer apart from the back instead of from the front panel side. By the time I figured it out, I decided to keep going anyway and ended up taking virtually everything apart (body shell, top, motors, wiring harnesses- anything I could disassemble) cleaned everything, and put it back together. So I believe that it all worked out for the best anyway since I will get many more years out the dryer for doing that. If you don't want to take the whole machine apart (and I am sure most people do not), just take off the front panel. There are two screws located near the bottom of the front panel; take these out and lift the front panel up halfway by tilting, then pull out. The heater element is right there on the lower right side. Make sure to follow the directions on the PartsSelect website and you will be fine. The most important tool for me was a 1/4" socket. Make sure you have this before you start. Having one that attached to a straight driver (like a screw driver) instead of a ratchet worked best. The dryer works like new now.

First I unplugged the dryer! Then unscrewed the two screws at the bottom of the front door. To remove the front door, swing the bottom up about 30 degrees until the two triangular hooks at the top of the door release. Then release the two wires going to the door switch from their harness so as to gain more slack to move the door out of the way. The switch was secured by 2 hex head sheet metal screws1/4inch in diameter. I used a small right angle socket wrench to get these loose. I only had to remove the front screw completely to be able to take the switch out for exchange purposes. Once this was done, reverse the process and plug it in! (BTW, the electrical schematic for this dryer is up under the top console)

Although I ordered the heating element and thermal fuse in anticipation I really needed the Terminal Insulator kit for the heating element. The screw that the heating element is attached to on one side and the power supply on the other snapped (the weld joint came apart). First removed the front panel by unscrewing the two screws that hold it in place which are located about 4" from the floor. Next removed the front cover of the heater housing by undoing the two screws that hold it to the bottom plate and unscrewed the nuts that hold the heating element in place on the inside and the outside of the heater housing. Assembly was easy just follow the steps backwards.
! When the front is off it is a good time to use a vacuum cleaner to remove the lint that accumulates everywhere, especially in the air output !

Removed front of Dryer, using screw driver and putty knife to push in the top clips. Front drops down. Disconnected wires to heating element. Then removed whole heating element chamber. Removed old heating element from chamber. Then installed new heating element insude of old chamber. Reinstalled chamber in dryer. Hooked up all wiring. Note! Dryer "must be unpluged" before starting any work! Last step reinstall front of dryer. Repair complete!

From previous experience I suspected the thermal fuse. Turned off the power and removed the front of the dryer by removing the two philips head screws in the door hinge and the two screws on the opposite side of the opening. The front came off easily since all that holds it in place besides the 4 screws are two spring clips. The thermal fuse is located on the side of the chamber enclosing the heating element. I removed the wires connected to the thermal fuse and temporarily joined them together with a spade type connector in order to determine if the thermal fuse was the problem. Turned the power back on and tried the dryer......it ran normally. Turned the power back off and removed the thermal fuse by taking out th two screws with a 1/4" nutdriver.
Ordered a replacement thermal fuse, installed it (with power turned off) and put everything back together. Dryer functioned normally after the thermal fuse had been replaced.
The thermal fuse can be removed and reinstalled using a 1/4" nutdriver. The wires are connected with push on spade type terminals.
Note: The swing damper on the dryer vent (the hooded cover where it exhausts to the outdoors) was jammed in the closed position with an accumulation of lint, which caused the dryer to overheat and blow the thermal fuse. If you experience a blown thermal fuse, always look for the cause or you'll blow the replacement within minutes of running the fryer again.

I troubleshot the repair using the repair help section from Parts Select. It made finding the problem a snap. I then removed the four wires and two screws that held the heating element in place. Removed two screws that held thermal fuse in place and replaced. By accomplishing the repair myself I saved well over a hundred dollars.

Googled Maytag dryer troubleshooting and arrived at partselect.com. Using their site, I was able to learn more about how my dryer operated, was configured and how to remove the front panel. I then removed front panel. Tested fuses and thermostats. All were good. Visually inspected heater element. No apparent break in heater coils. I ultimately removed the heater assembly to get a better view of the heater element and then noticed the break in the heater element. Once I saw that it was obvious where my problem was. I then ordered the part, installed it and tested it and it appeared to work fine. My wife tells me it works great and she is impressed. FYI - I don't know much about dryers except that it drys my clothes. Thank you partselect.com!

I first unpluged the dryer, then I removed the front cover of the dryer. The Heating unit in located in the lower right side of the machine. I unscrewed the heating "tube" from the dryer and unpluged it from the dryer. ( good idea to mark the wires because they are same color.) I unscrewed the two halves of the heating unit and saw that indeed the heating coil was broken. I unscrewed the coil and fed it through the insulators. The coil was old and uncooperative, so I decided to cut it at each insulator with wire cutters. This sped up the process and protected the insulators. I carefully fed the new coils through the insulators and attached the ends to the terminals. Be careful not to over tighten or you may break the insulation on the terminals. I reinstalled the heating unit and attached the wires and tested the dryer. Job Done! Thanks Parts Select!

Took off door, then removed front of dryer to access the internal controls. Project went pretty darn well

1: Removed heater cowling by removing 3 screws holding it in place.
2: Opened two halfs of the cowling by removing 4 screws on the flange.
3: Removed 2 nuts holding element ends to the cowling.
4: Removed bad element making note of how the element was threaded through porcelin element bracket/holders.
5: Installed new element.
6: Reversed steps 1-3

How to repair a Maytag Dryer. (Call the nearest serviceman.)
Shut off the power and unplug the machine.
Open the 'box'. Two screws in the front near the floor and hinge open.
Make a diagram of ever screw and piece you remove.
Diagnose the problem.
Order the necessary parts from ....
Replace the part. (The element replace the second time in 30 years.)
Give the box a cleaning inside and out.
Put it back together.
Make sure all the parts you took out go back in.
Plug it in and turn on the power.
Test it.

Using a magnet to hold all the screws was helpful.
Having all the right tools is helpful. The requirements were pretty basic.
A good mechanical aptitude is essential or very helpful.
It is very important the exhaust port is patent. A leaf blower would be helpful in testing. I reversed the hose on our vacumn cleaner and packed foam around the tubbing to test it. (The local dealer warn me about using too much of the clothes softner.)
Karl Spees on behalf of my wife Soonja

This is super easy:

Just take out two screws on the front panel and drop the front panel off the dryer.

Then pull the wires off the heater assembly and remove (1 screw).

Move the heat fuse and heat sensor to the new heater.

Put the new heater in, plug in wires, pop front back on and, wow, that was easy!

Less than 30 min and I am a business sales guy, not an appliance repairman.

Insure the double pole breaker in the breaker box is functioning properly.

Replaced the heating element and both thermostats. Hope that takes care of problem! You tube was a tremendous help through video's.h

Took the front cover off and remove three screws and took the heater Element housing out. Removed four screws opened the housing removed two screws, the took out the old Element , put in the new one. Replaced all screws and the front cover. Turned the power on and hit the start button and it works perfectly?.