Dryer Not Heating? These Are the Most Common Causes
Nothing is worse than finding a pile of cold, wet clothes inside your dryer after running a full cycle. But why exactly is your dryer not heating all of a sudden? In most cases, the problem can be diagnosed and repaired by a novice at home.
Why Is Your Dryer Not Heating?
Don’t freak out if your dryer won’t heat, you’re not alone! We see this issue all the time, and one of these parts is most likely the source of the failure:
Blown Thermal Fuse
All dryers use a thermal fuse near the heat source as a safety mechanism meant to protect against overheating.
What Can Go Wrong?
These fuses are designed to fail when the unit gets too hot during a cycle. The fuse will blow at a certain temperature which shuts the dryer off completely.
How to Diagnose
Turn off power to the unit and locate the thermal fuse. Use a multimeter to test the fuse for continuity and replace the part if necessary.
Image from Sears Parts Direct
Defective Gas Igniter
Gas dryers rely on a burner to generate heat, and the gas inside the burner won’t light without a working igniter.
What Can Go Wrong?
The problem with dryer igniters is that they’re very delicate, so even normal use can cause them to break or burn out.
How to Diagnose
Access the igniter inside the unit and look for any physical damage. Then test it with your multimeter and install a new igniter if you find no continuity.
Image from Repair Clinic
Gas Valve Solenoid Malfunction
The valve that lets gas into your dryer’s burner opens and closes using solenoid coils that allow the proper amount of gas in.
What Can Go Wrong?
Restricted air flow and overloading your dryer can cause the gas valve solenoids to fail, which may explain your dryer not heating.
How to Diagnose
If your igniter glows red but doesn’t ignite the burner, you most likely need to install a new gas valve assembly.
Image from Repair Clinic
Broken Heating Element
Electric dryer models use a radiant element to generate heat by warming the air before it enters the unit.
What Can Go Wrong?
Again, overheating, overloading, and restricted airflow make your dryer work harder, and can result in a broken heating element.
How to Diagnose
Use a multimeter to test your element for continuity. If you find none, you’ll need to replace the part.
Image from Repair Clinic
If you’re still dealing with a dryer not drying after inspecting these parts, call Northeast Appliance Repair right away! Our dryer repair experts will have it back up and running fast.
