FER331AS1 Frigidaire Dryer - Instructions

Our heating element went out on our Frigidaire Affinity dryer. My husband is good at repairing things so we decided to order the part and do the repairs rather than hire a service technician. Before looking at the dryer we thought the back could be unscrewed and taken off to give access to the element but it did not. He had to take the dryer drum out to access the element. It was easy enough for him to do though and since we had everything opened up I was able to use the shop vac to get all lint cleaned out. I'm glad he did have to take the drum out after I realized the gasket on the exhaust pipe wasn't fitted on properly. There was some lint where there should not have been. Now that everything is clean and we have the new heating element installed we are good to go! The whole process of taking apart, installation and putting back together took about an hour and 15 minutes so not bad and we only had to pay for the part and shipping! Thanks PartSelect!

1. unplug the dryer, remove the aluminum vent and move it to an area that has a lot of elbow room.
2. remove the top lid with a flat screwdriver. It seems that the top lid was being held by 2 metal clips on each end.
3. on the right hand side removed the 2 wires from the front face of the dryer. this is the switch for the open door sensor. remember which wire goes where.
4. the on the left and right side will be one screw and one metal clip, unscrew and pop the front panel with a flat screwdriver.
5. in front of the drum remove the plastic clip that is used as a guide for the drum to be in place.
6. look in the drum and there is 3 screws that form a triangle shape. remove the screws.
7. remove the belt from the drum. inspect the belt. replace if necessary.
8. lift up and pull out the drum.
9. remove the rear drum assembly and replace it with the new parts.
10. repeat in reverse and your done.
It took me 40 minutes the first time i replaced the rear drum assembly then i forgot to hook the belt up correctly and i unassemble the unit in 5 minutes fix the belt and assemble the unit in 5 more minutes. Now the wife is happy.

The repair requires the front panel to be removed. First remove the top by removing two screws in the back of the top panel. Once the top is removed, you have access to all of fasteners for the front panel. I removed the control panel to give myself more room. Simply remove the wire connectors on the panel and two connectors in the upper right of the cabinet. There are four screws that hold the front panel on, two on the inside about a third from the top and two more on the outside at the very bottom. Once the screws are removed, pry the front panel from the machine since there are spring clips holding the panel to the machine. Once the front panel is removed, you have access to the guides and the felts.

I ordered the knobs at less than half the price I paid before from the retailer. The knobs came in the mail very quickly. I took the knobs from the package and put them on. Easy repair, and I was especially happy with the ease of ordering and quick delivery.

Simply popped it back into place, careful not to break the new handle.

Replaced rear drum bearing, drum support bearing & drum belt. Still very noisy. Will order new motor & see if that does the trick.

Romoved front from dryer . Then loosened tub , slid belt on , reached in back and put belt on pulley , turned tub till belt went into place and reassembled dryer all with the help of a 3 year old and an8 year old,so in my oppinion it was one of the easiest fixes i've ever done!

I used the percentage scale on this website to try and determine the likely cause. After reading several sites, I couldn't make sense of the timer not working on just one type cycle. When I got the dryer drum off, I could plainly see that one of the heater coils was broken. They get heat stressed and break down over time and a hard shake probably finished this off. This unit is 5 plus years old. It was Saturday and I had no heater, so I actually found it at a local parts supplier. Also replaced the drum bearing and the bearing cup in the rear along with the heater. BTW, a new heater comes with a HIGH thermal switch attached to it so don't buy it extra. The bearing cone also comes with a new bushing in the pack. I DID use the Thermal Limiter that I order from the site because I was already in there. Everything works great now. I may have gotten most off my parts elsewhere but this site was the biggest help of them all. I will definitely be back here again.

UNPLUG DRYER (this is key) Removed the top of dryer. used screwdriver and pliers to remove two screws and electrical connections then reinstalled new part stick the magnet behind the part to the back of the dryer to help control the small screws.

First, removed the metal access panel by removing screws. (EASY)
Second, pressed the timer knob onto the timer shaft. (EASY)
Third, mounted the start switch to the mounting surface. (A BIT DIFFICULT)

Fourth, pressed the start knob onto the freshly mounted start switch. (EASY)

Fifth, replaced the metal access panel by replacing screws. (EASY)

Dryer now functions like new.

After lifting the dryer top and finding the location of the thermal limiter on the back of the dryer, where it is difficult to get at, I carefully cut through the dryer cabinet with the multimaster on three sides to form a 'flap' upon which the limiter was mounted. By prying this flap open from the back, the two wires and two screws are easily accessible to replace the limiter, without having to remove the whole drum. Afterwards, I just bent the flap back into place and taped the seams. If it ever blows again, the fix will take all of about two minutes.

Just snap into place

After unplugging the dryer, disconnecting it from the vent, and moving into an open work area, I popped the top open with the blade of a screwdriver, disconnected the two wires that connect to the door switch, then lifted the front panel (with the door) up and away from the drum. Next, I lifted the drum out of the worn rear bearing assembly and lowered it into the dryer in order to release tension on the belt. I then removed the entire drum by carrying it forward and out of the way. I then removed the old bearing assembly, which was loose and covered with metal dust. After cleaning the area with a dry cloth to remove the old grease and metal dust, and vacuuming all the lint off *everything*, I installed the new bearing assembly with a 5/16" nut driver, being careful to position the provided ball-bearing between the plastic bearing assembly and the outer clip. The little ball-bearing is very important, as it is the drum's only path to ground, and prevents the build up of static electricity as the drums spins. I then filled the new bearing assembly with the provided grease. Everything is easy up to this point, but the difficult part for me was removing the old hub from the drum and re-attaching the new one. It is held on by three screws and they become seated very tightly. After loosening them and removing the old hub from the drum, attaching the new one prvoed difficult as well, as the screw-holes in the new hub are not threaded to fit the screws. The screws muct be forced to cut a thread as you install them, which requires a great deal of force. After installing the new hub and putting the new belt (pruchased separately) around the drum, the next step is to reinstall the drum by lifting it in through the front of the dryer and positioning the new hub over the new bearing assembly and pressing it down into place. It will gently "snap" into place as it seats. Then, on the back side of the dryer, I removed the vent panel by removing the two screws that hold it in place and positioned the new drive belt (loosely dangling around the drum) over the motor's drive wheel and behind the sring-tensioned idle arm. Then it is a simply matter to reinstall the front panel by genly lifting the drum and sliding the door opening inside it, then reseating all the little clips that hold the front panel in place. I then pressed the top back into place, reconnected the vent hose, plugged it back in and checked for operation. My fifteen year-old dryer now works like new!

Replaced the heating element assembly. Problem was still there. Checked the electrical schematic to try to resolve. Everything checked out except the contacts on the motor M-1 to M-2 had no continuity. Removed the switch from the motor and exercised it. Works fine now.

just pushed new knob on.