Dryer not heating

What this symptom might mean

A dryer that tumbles but doesn't warm has lost heat, not power, and the causes split by fuel. An electric dryer runs on a 240 V circuit with a double breaker: one half runs the motor and the other the heating element. If one half trips, the drum turns and the dryer stays cold; Whirlpool and Maytag both list this first. After that, the most frequent finding is a blown thermal fuse, a one-time safety device that opens when the dryer overheats, almost always because the vent or lint path was restricted. A failed heating element, a high-limit thermostat or a cycling thermostat come next. LG's guidance is that airflow restriction is the most common reason a dryer stops heating or drying properly.

A gas dryer heats with a burner controlled by an igniter, a flame sensor and gas valve coils, and any of those can stop the flame; a closed gas shut-off valve also leaves the dryer running cold. RepairWell does not give homeowners instructions on gas valves, connections or burner parts, and gas dryer heating faults are inspected and repaired only by certified technicians. The one thing everyone should check on either type is the cycle: Air Fluff or Air Only adds no heat, and LG's Energy Saver mode dries with little heat for much of the cycle.

Safe checks you can do first

1. Cycle and settings. Make sure the dryer isn't on Air Only, Air Fluff, or an eco or energy-saver mode. Run an empty timed heated cycle for five minutes and feel the drum; Whirlpool uses this test.
2. Electric dryers: both breakers. Find the dryer's double breaker in the panel. If either half is tripped or sits in the middle, switch it fully off and then on. If it trips again, leave it off and call; don't keep resetting it.
3. Lint screen. Clean the lint screen and wash it if fabric softener has glazed it (water should pass straight through). A blocked screen is the start of every overheating and thermal-fuse story.
4. Vent and outside flap. Unplug the dryer. Check the duct behind it isn't crushed or kinked, and go outside to confirm the flap opens and lint isn't packed around it. Rigid or semi-rigid metal duct is what manufacturers recommend; long foil duct traps lint. Have the vent professionally cleaned if it's been more than a year or two.
5. Gas dryers. Confirm the dryer is set to a heated cycle and the lint screen and vent are clean, then stop there. If a gas dryer tumbles but stays cold, book a certified technician. Do not touch the gas shut-off valve, the connector or anything behind the lower panel.
6. Load and moisture sensor. Wipe the metal sensor bars inside the drum with a damp cloth; residue can end sensor cycles early. Don't overload the drum.

Nothing above involves gas, wiring, refrigerant or removing panels. Those are technician-only: Any test or replacement of the element, thermal fuse, thermostats or terminal block, all of which involve the 240 V supply; Everything on a gas dryer's burner, igniter, valve, connector or shut-off; Confirming the dryer outlet is delivering 240 V, which is an electrician's job.

Repairs a technician may recommend

After inspection, not from the symptom alone.

• Thermal fuse replacement plus vent inspection. When the fuse has opened. The technician also looks for why it overheated, because a new fuse in a blocked dryer will fail again.
• Heating element replacement (electric). When the element has broken or shorted. A moderate repair and usually worth it.
• High-limit or cycling thermostat replacement. When a thermostat has failed open or is cycling the heat off early.
• Igniter, flame sensor or gas valve coil replacement (gas, certified technician only). When the burner doesn't light or lights and drops out. Diagnosed and replaced only by a certified technician.
• Power cord, terminal block or timer/control repair (electric). When one leg of the 240 V supply isn't reaching the element, or the control never calls for heat.
• Vent cleaning or duct replacement. When the duct is packed with lint, crushed or too long; often the underlying cause of everything above.

When to book

Book if an electric dryer still runs cold after you've confirmed both halves of the breaker are on and the cycle is a heated one, or if the breaker trips again; the likely parts (thermal fuse, element, thermostats) all sit on the 240 V side and aren't homeowner work. Book a certified technician for any gas dryer that tumbles without heat once the cycle and lint screen are ruled out. If the dryer went cold after a burning smell or a very hot load, say so when you call; we'll treat the vent as part of the job. Tell us electric or gas and the model. The visit is $89 with a written finding, waived if you proceed. See dryer repair and, for gas models, gas dryer repair.

Questions

Related

• Dryer taking too long to dry
• Dryer shutting off mid-cycle
• Dryer drum not turning
• Dryer making unusual noises
• Dryer
• Whirlpool
• Maytag
• LG
• Samsung
• GE
• Electrolux
• Kenmore
• Amana
• Inglis