--- title: "Dryer Problems — Symptoms and What They Mean" description: "Every dryer symptom we are called out for, what each one usually points to, and the likely causes from least to most costly. Begin with the one you notice." url: "https://dryerrepair.center/problems/" --- Start with the symptom # Dryer problems, symptom first. Every symptom we are called out for, traced to the causes that actually explain it — cheapest first. Start from what you are seeing rather than from what you think is broken. ## Needs a visit now A dryer that smells of burning, runs too hot, trips the breaker or smells of gas can start a fire or leak gas indoors, so these come first — each with its usual causes, cheapest first. Stop the cycle and cut the power; for gas, leave the house and call the gas utility from outside. [Book a visit](https://dryerrepair.center/schedule/) Fire or gas risk ### [Dryer Burning Smell](https://dryerrepair.center/problems/dryer-burning-smell/) A hot, scorched or electrical smell from the drum, the cabinet or the vent outside while the dryer runs. Causes, cheapest first 1. Lint packed in the vent run *low* 2. Lint built up inside the cabinet *low* 3. Heating element touching the housing *low to moderate* [All 5 causes and what to check](https://dryerrepair.center/problems/dryer-burning-smell/) Fire or gas risk ### [Dryer Smells Like Gas](https://dryerrepair.center/problems/dryer-gas-smell/) The dryer smells like gas: a rotten-egg odor near a gas dryer at startup, during a cycle, or all the time. Causes, cheapest first 1. Loose or damaged gas connector *low* 2. Slow ignition from a weak igniter *low to moderate* 3. Gas valve coils not closing cleanly *moderate* [All 5 causes and what to check](https://dryerrepair.center/problems/dryer-gas-smell/) Fire or gas risk ### [Dryer Overheating](https://dryerrepair.center/problems/dryer-overheating/) The cabinet, the door or the clothes come out far hotter than normal, sometimes before the dryer shuts itself off. Causes, cheapest first 1. Restricted vent or crushed duct *low* 2. Cycling thermostat stuck closed *low* 3. Heating element shorted to the cabinet *low to moderate* [All 5 causes and what to check](https://dryerrepair.center/problems/dryer-overheating/) Fire or gas risk ### [Dryer Tripping Breaker](https://dryerrepair.center/problems/dryer-tripping-breaker/) The breaker for the dryer trips at startup, when the heat comes on, or at random during a cycle. Causes, cheapest first 1. Heating element shorted to ground *low to moderate* 2. Burned terminal block or loose cord *low* 3. Motor drawing too much current *moderate* [All 5 causes and what to check](https://dryerrepair.center/problems/dryer-tripping-breaker/) ## Everything else we are called out for Nothing is scorching and no gas is involved with these, so a booked window is normally fine. Each page lists what an owner can safely look at before the visit. [The repairs behind them](https://dryerrepair.center/services/) ### Dryer Not Heating The drum turns and the cycle runs, but the air stays cool and the clothes come out damp. 6 causes ### Dryer Takes Too Long to Dry Loads that used to dry in one cycle now need two, or come out damp at the seams. 5 causes ### Dryer Not Starting The panel lights up and responds, but pressing start does nothing or only makes a hum. 5 causes ### Dryer Not Turning On No lights, no display, no sound: the dryer acts as if it is not plugged in. 5 causes ### Dryer Not Spinning The dryer runs and may heat, but the drum stays still or turns only in fits. 5 causes ### Dryer Stops Mid-Cycle The dryer starts normally, then shuts off partway through, sometimes restarting after it cools. 5 causes ### Dryer Making Loud Noise Squealing, thumping, rumbling, scraping or rattling that was not there before. 5 causes ### Dryer Door Won't Latch The door swings back open, will not stay shut, or closes but the dryer acts as if it is open. 5 causes ### Dryer Vent Clogged Weak airflow outside, long drying times and a hot laundry room: the vent is not carrying the air away. 5 causes ### Dryer Leaving Marks on Clothes Black streaks, brown spots, greasy stains or small tears that appear only after drying. 5 causes ### Dryer Leaking Water Water under a ventless condenser or heat-pump dryer, or dripping from a vented dryer's duct. 5 causes ### Dryer Control Panel Not Responding Buttons do nothing, the dial turns without effect, or the display is frozen or flickering. 5 causes ### Dryer Error Code The display shows letters and numbers, or the lights blink in a pattern, and the dryer stops or will not start. 5 causes ## Not every dryer breaks the same way. A gas dryer has a burner and a flame sensor, a stacked pair shares a frame with its washer, and a ventless one condenses its moisture instead of blowing it outdoors. Find the one you own. [All dryer types](https://dryerrepair.center/types/) ### Electric dryer The most common dryer in US homes: a 240-volt heating coil, a belt-driven drum and a vent to the outside. ### Gas dryer Heat from a burner on natural gas or propane, lit by an igniter and watched over by a flame sensor, with the motor on 120 volts. ### Stackable dryer The dryer half of a stacked pair or a single-frame laundry center, where the height and the closet decide how the repair is done. ### Ventless dryer Heat-pump and condenser dryers, including 24-inch compacts, that take the water out of the air instead of blowing it outside. Every kind we service ### All dryers, side by side The archive puts the 4 types against each other: how to tell which you own, what fails on each, and which manufacturers build them. How to tell yours What fails on each Who makes them Open the type archive Familiar brands. Expert care. ## For the brands in your laundry room. Independent repair service. Not affiliated with, authorized or endorsed by any manufacturer. Brand names and model numbers are the property of their respective owners and are used here for identification only, to describe the appliances we service. [All 14 brands](https://dryerrepair.center/brands/) ## The repairs behind the symptoms Most people arrive knowing what they are seeing, not what is wrong. These are the jobs a visit usually turns out to be. [All 10 repairs](https://dryerrepair.center/services/) diagnostic ### Diagnostic visit One visit that turns damp clothes, a silent drum or a hot smell into a named part and a price. low to moderate ### Heating element repair No heat or weak heat on an electric dryer, traced to the coil, its terminals or the safety parts on its housing. low to moderate ### Gas burner and igniter repair A gas dryer that tumbles without heat, or heats and quits, repaired at the igniter, the flame sensor or the valve coils. low ### Drum belt and roller repair A drum that will not turn, or turns with a squeal, thump or scrape, repaired at the belt, the idler pulley, the rollers and the glides. moderate to highest ### Motor and blower repair A humming dryer that will not start, a rattle behind the drum, or weak airflow, traced to the drive motor or the blower wheel. low ### Thermal fuse and thermostat repair The safety parts that stop a dryer from overheating, replaced after the reason they tripped has been found. lowest ### Door switch and latch repair A dryer that ignores the start button with its door shut, or a door that will not stay closed, fixed at the switch, catch or hinge. moderate ### Controls and sensors A blank display, a panel that ignores buttons, codes, or cycles that end too soon or never end, traced to the board, timer or sensors. lowest ### Vent cleaning and inspection The visit that prevents most dryer fires and many of the repairs above it: the duct, the hood and the lint inside the cabinet. moderate to highest ### Ventless condenser and pump repair Heat-pump and condenser dryers that leak, stop with a full-tank warning or take hours, repaired at the exchanger, pump and filters. For the heart of your home. ## Questions about the problems. ### What I am seeing is not listed. Can you still help? Yes. The list holds what owners report most often, not every way a dryer can misbehave. Describe what you see, hear or smell when you book, and the diagnosis starts there. ### The dryer has two of these problems. Which page comes first? Read the one that showed up first, since the second often follows from it: slow drying and a cabinet that runs hot are frequently one blocked vent, not two failures. Every problem page links the ones it usually travels with. ### Which of these cannot wait for a regular appointment? A burning smell, the smell of gas, a cabinet too hot to touch and a breaker that trips each time the dryer starts. Every problem page says how urgent it is. Squeaks, a slow cycle or a door that needs a push can usually wait for a booked slot. ### Can I keep drying loads until the technician arrives? Only if nothing smells hot and the breaker holds. Clean the lint screen before every load and never leave it running while you are out. If you smell burning or gas, stop using it altogether, and for gas leave the house and call the gas utility from outside. --- **[Read on the site: Dryer Problems — Symptoms and What They Mean](https://dryerrepair.center/problems/)** **[Book a visit with DryerRepair.center](https://dryerrepair.center/schedule/)**