What is the component in a dehydrator heating circuit looking like a diode?

Question

My Wards food dehydrator doesn't heat any more, and the only thing that I can't check is a small electronic component in line with the heating coil. The fan went bad, and the plastic fan blade melted. After replacing the fan, the heating element won't heat. Thought maybe this is some sort of fuse that blows when it overheats, it looks somewhat like a diode to me (rocket ship shaped). I'm tempted to just short circuit the device, but would prefer to replace it if I knew what it was. I tried measuring the resistance with my meter, and it read open circuit, even switching the leads. Can anyone help me identify this component?

Answer 1

If it is a shiny metal doohickey that is close(touching) the heating element then it probably is a thermostat (open when too hot) and should have a part number on it somewhere.Since your fan melted it probably shorted out then burned up.If you short the device,well make sure your fire insurance is paid up.

Answer 2

The resistance is low. countless ohms. The voltage transformations a small type because of fact the present differences. Wikipedia: a standard stable-state diode will enable large modern whether or no longer it rather is opposite-biased above its opposite breakdown voltage. while the opposite bias breakdown voltage is surpassed, a widespread diode is self-discipline to intense modern because of avalanche breakdown. besides this modern is confined via way of circuitry, the diode will many times be completely broken for this reason of overheating. A zener diode shows in actuality the equivalent residences, different than the equipment is in focused designed to be useful to have a decreased breakdown voltage, the so-stated as zener voltage. in comparison with the widespread gadget, a opposite-biased zener diode will teach off a controlled breakdown and enable the present to maintain the voltage around the zener diode close to to the zener breakdown voltage. For representation, a diode with a zener breakdown voltage of three.2 V will exhibit a voltage drop of very very almost 3.2 V throughout a extensive selection of opposite currents. The zener diode is as a result maximum suitable for applications such pondering the recent launch of a reference voltage (e.G. For an amplifier degree), or as a voltage stabilizer for low-modern applications. yet yet another mechanism that produces a an equivalent result's the avalanche effect as interior the avalanche diode. the two varieties of diode are needless to say built the equivalent technique and each effects are reward in diodes of this form. In silicon diodes as much as approximately 5.6 volts, the zener very end result's the significant result and shows a marked undesirable temperature coefficient. Above 5.6 volts, the avalanche result turns into significant and shows a beneficial temperature coefficient.