Dryer not heating
Short answer: a dryer that tumbles with no heat has usually blown its thermal fuse or lost its heat source. On an electric dryer that is the heating element or half of the 240-volt supply. On a gas dryer it is the igniter or the gas valve coils.
What to check yourself
- Electric dryer: the breaker. An electric dryer uses a double breaker. If one half trips, the drum still turns but there is no heat. Switch the breaker fully off and back on.
- Gas dryer: the gas valve. Check that the shutoff valve behind the dryer is open, with the handle in line with the pipe.
- The cycle. Air Fluff and some Eco settings run with little or no heat.
- The lint screen and vent. A blocked vent is the main reason heating parts fail. See dryer takes too long to dry.
Electric dryers
| Part | What happens |
|---|---|
| Thermal fuse | A one-time safety fuse. It blows when the dryer overheats, almost always from poor airflow. |
| Heating element | The coil breaks. Sometimes it sags, touches the housing and heats nonstop, which is a fire risk. |
| High-limit or cycling thermostat | Fails open and cuts power to the element. |
| Control board or timer | Does not send power to the heat circuit. |
Gas dryers
- Igniter. It should glow orange for a few seconds before the flame lights. A cracked igniter does not glow.
- Gas valve coils. The classic sign: the dryer heats for the first few minutes, then runs cold for the rest of the cycle. The coils fail when warm.
- Flame sensor and thermal fuse. Either one can stop the burner from lighting.
The fuse is a symptom
If the thermal fuse has blown, replacing it gets the dryer heating again. But the fuse blew for a reason, and the reason is nearly always a restricted vent. In Sherman Oaks many condos and apartments have long vent runs through walls and up to the roof. If the vent is not cleared, the new fuse blows again within weeks. We check the airflow at every no-heat call.
How we repair it
We test the heat circuit part by part with a meter, find the failed part, and check the vent. You get the cause and the price before the repair.
$89 diagnostic, waived when you go ahead with the repair. 90-day warranty.Call (747) 351-2983