How to Replace a Thermal Fuse on a Kitchenaid Dishwasher
KitchenAid dishwashers have a thermal fuse, located inside of the control board compartment of the dishwasher. The thermal fuse is designed to cut power to the dishwasher when it detects an abnormally high level of heat in the dishwasher. When the thermal fuse is tripped, it is almost always due to the malfunction of another component inside of the dishwasher. The thermal fuse can not be reset, and must be replaced before the dishwasher can be used again. Before replacing the fuse, you should identify the reason it was tripped, otherwise it will more than likely continue to trip.
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Disconnect power to the dishwasher by turning off the breaker in your fuse box.
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Open the dishwasher door, then remove the screws at the top of the inside of the door securing the control panel.
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Close the dishwasher door, then flip the control panel down. Locate the control board cover, located on the right side of the back of the control panel.
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Depress the tabs located on the left side of the control board cover to release the left side. Slide a flat-head screwdriver through the tab on the bottom of the control panel to release the tab on the bottom of the control board cover, then use the screwdriver to release the tabs on the right side of the cover. Remove the cover.
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Locate the thermal fuse, which is clipped to the top wall of the control board cavity and has two wires connected to it.
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Cut the two wires connected to the thermal fuse approximately 1 inch away from the fuse.
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Pry the tab on the outside of the thermal fuse, remove and discard it.
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Strip 1/4 inch of shielding from the wires that were cut off of the thermal fuse.
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Insert the wire with the white stripe into the positive terminal on the new thermal fuse, then insert the other wire into the negative terminal. Tighten the screws on the top of the terminals to secure the wires to the thermal fuse.
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Slide the shield onto the fuse, then clip the fuse onto the top wall of the control board cavity, in the location from which the old one was removed.
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Secure the wires using a zip tie.
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Snap the control board cavity cover back into place, then resecure the control panel to the dishwasher by aligning the control panel, opening the door and reinstalling the screws.
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Turn the dishwasher breaker back on to complete the installation of the new thermal fuse.
References
Writer Bio
Andrew Todd has been writing since 2006. He has written for the Consumer Search website and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida. Todd has a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from the University of Central Florida.
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