Maytag Dryer Electrocution and Fire Hazard

Recently, we investigated the case of a minor fire that occurred in an electric dryer.  The dryer was purchased through a local home improvement store and installed by their crew.  When the dryer was test started, the vent line immediately began smoking and burning.  The dryer was later examined at the retail store where it had been purchased.  It was subsequently determined that one of the line cord connections at the terminal block, apart from the ground wire, was somehow connected to the dryer housing.  This connection, in effect, had made the appliance electrically “live”.  As a result, touching any metal part of the housing and something else such as a metal water pipe could have caused significant injury to the user.  However, since this was a new appliance and had never been used, the installers would not have been aware of the condition.  Instead, when the dryer was started, the housing was not only electrified but, current traveled through the aluminum exhaust duct to ground.  The exhaust duct was burned because it could not withstand the amount of current flow.  The dryer in question is manufactured by Whirlpool under the Maytag brand and is a model number MEDC215EW.  There are currently no recalls for this model.  At present, it is unknown if this is an isolated incident or if other incidents have occurred.