Speed Queen Commercial Dryer Error Code SH: Shorted Thermistor Circuit
SH on a Speed Queen single or stacked dryer means the control reads the thermistor circuit as shorted. The reading is not real, so the dryer cannot hold heat normally and may stop. Leave the dryer to cool and call us if SH returns.
High: the dryer cannot read temperature and will stop until the circuit is repaired.
- Code
- SH
- Maker
- Speed Queen
- Equipment
- Dryers
- Applies to
- Single/stacked dryer electronic control (DRY716C family)
What does Speed Queen error code SH mean?
The thermistor is the temperature sensor, and the control interprets its resistance as heat. A shorted circuit gives a resistance that is effectively zero, which is outside what the sensor could ever really report. The control recognizes that the reading is false and shows SH (display text: SH). Because it cannot know the true temperature, the dryer cannot hold heat normally and may stop the cycle. This is the opposite of OP, where the circuit reads open. The manual points to a thermistor that has failed shorted, a lead pinched against metal, or a control input that reads the thermistor as shorted. The code is not about airflow, lint or load size, though a duct that is visibly crushed or a full lint screen is quick for an owner to rule out. If a gas dryer gives off a gas smell, get out of the building and call the gas utility from outdoors.
Affected models and control systems
Speed Queen single and stacked dryers with the electronic control (DRY716C family). The colon form of the same idea reads E:SH.
Code numbers and their meaning can change between control generations. We match the full model and control before acting on a code.
What you may notice
- SH on the display
- The cycle stops or heating ends
- Clothes are still wet when it quits
Possible causes
Listed in Speed Queen's documentation
- Thermistor failed shorted
- Thermistor lead pinched against metal
- Control input reading the thermistor as shorted
Other likely causes — what usually sits behind error code SH on this control. A technician confirms which one it is before any part is replaced.
- Moisture or lint packed into the thermistor connector bridging its pins
- A lead rubbed through its insulation where it crosses a cabinet bracket
Safe checks before calling for service
- Leave the dryer to cool with its door shut.
- Clean the lint screen and look at whether the exhaust duct is visibly crushed.
- Whenever there is a gas smell, leave right away and call the gas utility from outdoors.
- If SH returns, book service with us and leave panels closed; note when it first appeared.
How a technician diagnoses error code SH
- Confirm SH and check if it clears with a cooled dryer.
- Inspect the thermistor and lead for pinching, rubbing or moisture.
- Measure thermistor resistance and compare it with the specification.
- Disconnect the harness to see whether the short is in the wire or the part.
- Replace the failing part, then verify normal heat control.
- The thermistor sits where heat and line voltage are close, so the machine must be opened and isolated first.
- Telling a shorted wire from a shorted sensor needs a meter and the part's specification.
- Only after those tests can the control be called good or bad.
How error code SH differs from similar codes
OP is the open-circuit version of the same sensor; SH is the shorted one.
Technical reference
- Document
- Single and Stacked Dryers Troubleshooting DRY716C, Part No. 513447, April 2010, Error Codes (p.29)
- Edition
- Part No. 513447, April 2010
- Models / control
- Single/stacked dryer electronic control (DRY716C family)
- Section
- Error Codes (p.29)
- Checked
- October 2026
We use the maker's document to read the code and do not reproduce it. Always confirm the complete model and control before applying these steps.
Related Speed Queen dryer error codes
Can I keep drying with SH showing?
No. The dryer cannot read heat and may stop or heat wrongly.
Does a dirty lint screen cause SH?
Not directly. SH is an electrical reading, but clean the screen anyway.
Will SH go away by itself?
Rarely. A short in the circuit normally stays until it is repaired.
Need help with Speed Queen error code SH?
A technician confirms the cause on site and gives you the price in writing before any work starts.