Dryer Not Heating? 7 Causes and Fixes

A dryer not heating is usually a cheap problem hiding behind an annoying symptom: the drum turns, the clothes come out damp and warm at best. Before you assume the machine is finished, work through the checks below in order. The first few cost nothing and take about ten minutes.

One thing decides which list applies to you. Electric dryers heat with a coil element on a 240-volt circuit. Gas dryers heat with a burner lit by an igniter, and they only use electricity to turn the drum and run the controls. Find the label inside the door or on the back if you are not sure which you have.

First checks on a dryer not heating

Run the dryer for five minutes on a high-heat setting with a normal load. Open the door and feel the drum. Cold means no heat at all. Barely warm means heat is being made but not reaching the clothes, or it is cutting out early. A dryer not heating at all points toward a fuse, element or igniter, while a weak, slow dryer points toward airflow.

Next, look at the lint screen and the outside vent hood. Pull the screen, hold it up to the light and look for a film of lint that blocks the mesh even when it looks clean. Then go outside and run the dryer while you watch the vent hood. You should see the flap pushed open and feel a strong stream of warm air. A weak breath means the duct is restricted.

If you only remember one thing from this article, make it this: a dryer that is slow to dry is a fire warning as much as a repair job. Our guide to dryer fire prevention explains how to clear the vent safely.

The 7 causes of a dryer not heating, in the order to check them

Go down this list from the top whenever you have a dryer not heating. The earlier items are the most common and the least risky to deal with.

1. Blocked lint screen or vent. Restricted airflow makes the dryer overheat, so the high-limit thermostat or thermal fuse shuts the heat off to protect itself. Clean the screen, disconnect the duct at the back and clear it, and check the hood outside.
2. Tripped breaker (electric dryers). A 240-volt dryer uses a double breaker. One half can trip while the other stays on, so the drum still spins but there is no heat. Switch the breaker fully off, then back on. If it trips again, stop there.
3. Blown thermal fuse. This small one-time fuse sits on the blower housing or heater box. When it opens, you usually get a dead-cold drum. It blows because of overheating, so the vent still needs to be cleared before anyone replaces it.
4. Failed heating element (electric). The coil can break or burn through. A technician checks it for continuity with a meter. It is a common wear item on older machines.
5. Bad igniter or gas valve coils (gas). The igniter glows to open the gas valve. A weak igniter glows but does not pull the valve open, so the burner never lights. You will hear the dryer click and then nothing happens.
6. Faulty cycling or high-limit thermostat. These regulate temperature. A failed one can hold the heat off or let it turn on and off too quickly, so the clothes never get fully dry.
7. Control, timer or moisture sensor trouble. The drum runs but the board does not send power to the heater, or the sensor bars inside the drum are coated with fabric-softener film and the dryer thinks the load is already dry.

Why a dryer not heating on the electric side needs a meter

Items 3, 4 and 6 look identical in a dryer not heating on the electric side from the outside: the dryer runs and stays cold. You cannot separate them by guessing, and an element on a live circuit is dangerous to probe. Unplug the machine first, and leave the testing to someone with a multimeter and the wiring diagram. A technician can test each part in a few minutes and replace only the one that failed.

Gas dryers add rules of their own

If you smell gas near the dryer, do not run it and do not flip any switch. Leave the house, then call your gas utility from outside. Never try to adjust the gas valve or work on the gas line yourself. Gas work is not a home repair.

A gas dryer not heating while the drum spins most often has a weak igniter, a worn valve coil, or a vent so restricted that the flame safety switches shut the burner off. Another quick check is the shutoff valve behind the dryer. The handle should sit in line with the pipe. If someone moved the dryer recently, that valve may have been bumped partly closed. Turning a valve that is already open into the open position is fine. Anything beyond that is for a technician or the utility.

If the dryer was moved or installed lately, the cause could also be a kinked flexible duct or a loose electrical connection. Our page on dryer installation lists what a correct hookup looks like.

Safe checks for a dryer not heating before you book

You can do these without opening the cabinet:

• Clean the lint screen and wash it with warm soapy water and a soft brush once in a while. Dryer sheets leave a waxy coating that blocks airflow even when no lint is showing.
• Check the outside hood for lint, a stuck flap or a bird nest.
• Reset the breaker once, fully off and fully on.
• Dry a smaller load. An overstuffed drum can look like a heating fault.
• Wipe the moisture sensor bars with a cloth and a little rubbing alcohol.
• Write down what you hear and see: clicking, burning smell, tripped breaker, how many minutes before it stops.

Our appliance diagnosis tool can help you match those notes to a likely cause before you call.

Stop and call us if you notice any of this

With a dryer not heating, stop using it and arrange a visit if you smell burning or hot plastic, see scorch marks, find lint packed around the burner or element area, or if the breaker trips again after you reset it. Do the same if a gas dryer smells of gas, or if the dryer gets very hot on the outside while the clothes stay damp.

Never jumper or bypass a thermal fuse or thermostat so the dryer will run. Those parts exist because the dryer overheated. Removing them lets the dryer keep heating when the vent is blocked, which is how lint fires start. Capping off a vent to test the dryer is no safer.

Also consider the age of the machine. Where a dryer not heating comes from a thermal fuse or element, repair usually makes sense. If the cabinet is rusted through, the drum is worn and the controls are failing at the same time, our repair or replace calculator is a fair way to weigh it up.

What a visit for a dryer not heating looks like

We repair a dryer not heating in West Sacramento, Sacramento, Davis, Woodland, Dixon, Vacaville, Elk Grove and Rancho Cordova, both gas and electric, on all the major brands. Our technician arrives in a marked service vehicle, offers to wear shoe covers in your home, and brings a tool bag and troubleshooting schematics. The vehicle is stocked with common repair parts, so many jobs are finished on the day of the service call. The repair price is quoted after the technician has looked at the dryer.

When you book, mention whether it is gas or electric, the brand, and what you have already tried. It saves time at the door.

If your dryer not heating problem is still there after the checks above, you can book a visit and we will take a look. The service call is $80, and same-day service is available.

For more on how dryers are rated for efficiency, ENERGY STAR’s clothes dryer page is a good reference.

Common questions

Why does my dryer run but not get hot?

The motor and the heater are on separate circuits. A blown thermal fuse, a failed element or igniter, a bad thermostat, or half a tripped breaker can leave the drum turning while no heat is produced.

Is it safe to keep using a dryer that heats poorly?

Not for long. Poor heating often comes from a clogged vent, and a restricted vent traps heat and lint. Clean the lint screen and duct first, and stop using the dryer if you smell burning.

Can I replace the thermal fuse myself?

The part is simple, but it blows for a reason, usually blocked airflow. Replacing it without clearing the vent, or bypassing it, invites a fire. Unplug the dryer first, and have a technician check the cause.