Kenmore dryer
showing tE1
tE1 on a 796-prefix Kenmore says the electronic control has decided the thermistor, its temperature sensor, has failed.
Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm
- Sensor circuit
- Controls and sensors
- Source: Kenmore
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What tE1
actually means.
tE1 on a 796-prefix Kenmore says the electronic control has decided the thermistor, its temperature sensor, has failed. Sears gives the same description for tE2.
Kenmore dryer display · also shown as tE2
What to do when tE1 shows on the dryerKind of codeSensor circuit
A thermistor or the moisture sensor bars reading outside their range, or the wiring to them. The reading is checked with a meter before any part is ordered.
Usually leads toControls and sensors
A blank display, a panel that ignores buttons, codes, or cycles that end too soon or never end, traced to the board, timer or sensors.
Shows up asDryer Takes Too Long to Dry
Loads that used to dry in one cycle now need two, or come out damp at the seams.
MakeKenmore
Store-brand dryers in electric and gas versions, built for Kenmore by other manufacturers over the years.
SourceSears PartsDirect: Kenmore 796 model dryer error codes (Wayback 19.11.2019)
From the Sears chart for the 796 prefix; tE2 on the same chart is described the same way.
Before you book,
in this order.
Each step comes from Kenmore's own guidance for tE1 on its dryers. Follow it to the end: the last card says whether this is a visit.
Stop the cycle and unplug the dryer.
Check that the lint screen is clean and in place before judging anything else.
Book a visit so the thermistor can be measured, since a good one reads near 10,000 ohms at room temperature.
What not to do
tE1 does not by itself mean the dryer is overheating; it is about a sensor the control no longer trusts.
What you may
notice with it.
The dryer problems tE1 tends to arrive with. Answer these at the dryer before anyone is booked.
All problems
Dryer Takes Too Long to Dry
5 causes, cheapest first
Where tE1 usually leads
Controls and sensors.
Kenmore
dryers.
Store-brand dryers in electric and gas versions, built for Kenmore by other manufacturers over the years.
Kenmore dryer repair
Electric dryer
The most common dryer in US homes: a 240-volt heating coil, a belt-driven drum and a vent to the outside.
Gas dryer
Heat from a burner on natural gas or propane, lit by an igniter and watched over by a flame sensor, with the motor on 120 volts.
Stackable dryer
The dryer half of a stacked pair or a single-frame laundry center, where the height and the closet decide how the repair is done.
In Kenmore's own words
The electronic control detects that the thermistor (temperature sensor) has failed.
Every code on this site is taken from the manufacturer's documentation, never from a forum or a parts listing. From the Sears chart for the 796 prefix; tE2 on the same chart is described the same way.
Kenmore tE1 dryer repair,
where we come out.
The same visit in every metro below: the code, the model number, and a diagnosis before any part is ordered.
All service areasTampa BayFL · 31 areas
Miami / South FloridaFL · 47 areas
New York MetroNY · 75 areas
HoustonTX · 36 areas
ChicagoIL · 50 areas
Los AngelesCA · 95 areas
San DiegoCA · 31 areas
Questions
about tE1.
Can I clear tE1 myself?
Is tE1 on a Kenmore 796 the same as E1 on a Kenmore 110?
Will a new thermistor always clear tE1 on my Kenmore?
Back to your everyday
Still showing tE1?
Book with the code exactly as displayed, the whole model number, and whether you smell burning or gas — for a code, that is where the diagnosis starts.