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A hand holding damp towels just taken from an open front-load dryer in a US home laundry room, the drum interior visible.

Dryer
Not Heating

The drum turns and the cycle runs, but the air stays cool and the clothes come out damp.

(844) 314-5837

Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm

  • 5 checks before you book
  • 5 questions that narrow it
  • 6 causes, cheapest first

Book a visit

Three short steps, about a minute.

or call (844) 314-5837

What it
usually means.

A dryer that tumbles without heat has a working motor and a broken heat path. On an electric dryer that path is the power supply, the thermal fuse, the high-limit and cycling thermostats and the heating element. On a gas dryer it is the gas supply, the igniter, the flame sensor and the valve coils. The thermal fuse deserves special attention because it blows when the dryer overheats, and a restricted vent is the usual reason. Replacing the fuse without clearing the vent brings the same visit back a few weeks later.

A technician holds a digital thermometer probe at the open door of a front-loading dryer in a US home laundry room. The 6 causes, cheapest first

Answer these first

01

Is the dryer electric or gas?
02

Is there any heat at all, or is the air completely cool?
03

On a gas dryer, can you see an orange glow or hear the burner light through the small window near the bottom?
04

Did it get very hot or smell scorched before the heat stopped?
05

Does the dryer run normally on an air-only setting?

Check these
before you book.

Dryer not heating: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything.

01

Switch the dryer's breaker fully off and back on; a half-tripped 240V breaker is common and costs nothing.

02

On a gas dryer, make sure the shutoff valve handle runs parallel to the pipe, and that a propane tank is not empty.

03

Clean the lint screen and check the outside vent flow, because a restricted vent is what blows the thermal fuse.

Also worth checking

  • Try a timed dry on the highest heat setting, not a sensor cycle, to rule out the settings.
  • Tell us whether the dryer overheated or smelled hot before the heat stopped.

How soon does it need a visit?

Not urgent on its own; the dryer is not a hazard while it runs cool. If it overheated or smelled of burning just before the heat stopped, keep it off until the vent is checked.

The causes,
cheapest first.

6 things dryer not heating turns out to be, from half-tripped 240v breaker to cycling thermostat or control.

The cost guide
  1. 01 no repair

    Half-tripped 240V breaker

    On an electric dryer, one half of the double breaker can trip and leave the motor running with no power to the heater. Resetting it fully is free and worth trying first.

    No repair: check it yourself
  2. 02 no repair

    Gas supply closed or empty

    A shutoff valve bumped closed when the dryer was moved, or an empty propane tank, gives exactly the same result as a failed part.

    No repair: check it yourself
  3. 03 low

    Blown thermal fuse

    A one-time safety fuse that opens when the dryer overheats. The part is small, but the reason it blew, usually the vent, has to be found too.

    Fixed by thermal fuse and thermostat repair
  4. 04 low to moderate

    Burned-out heating element

    The coil breaks with age and heat. The drum turns normally, and a continuity test on the element confirms it.

    Fixed by heating element repair On an electric dryer
  5. 05 low to moderate

    Failed igniter or valve coils

    On a gas dryer, an igniter that glows but does not light the burner points at the valve coils; an igniter that never glows has failed itself.

    Fixed by gas burner and igniter repair On a gas dryer
  6. 06 moderate

    Cycling thermostat or control

    A thermostat stuck open or a control that never sends power to the heater leaves every other part healthy and the air cool.

    Fixed by controls and sensors

The makes
it happens on.

14 makes on this site; dryer not heating can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page.

All 14 brands

Dryer Not Heating,
where we come out.

9 metros, each with its own page.

All service areas

Tampa BayFL · 31 areas

OrlandoFL · 30 areas

Miami / South FloridaFL · 47 areas

New York MetroNY · 75 areas

HoustonTX · 36 areas

ChicagoIL · 50 areas

Los AngelesCA · 95 areas

San DiegoCA · 31 areas

San Francisco Bay AreaCA · 74 areas

A parent and a child folding warm towels together on top of a front-load dryer in a bright laundry room
For the heart of your home.

Questions about
dryer not heating.

Why does the drum spin if there is no heat?
The motor and the heater are on separate circuits inside the dryer. On an electric model the motor uses 120V and the heater needs the full 240V, so losing one leg of power, a thermal fuse or the element stops the heat and leaves the motor turning.
Is the thermal fuse the same thing as the thermostat?
No. The cycling thermostat switches the heat on and off many times each load. The thermal fuse opens once, when the dryer gets too hot, and has to be replaced after it blows.
My dryer heats sometimes and not other times. What does that mean?
An intermittent heater often points at a cracked element coil that opens when hot, a gas valve coil that fails as it warms, or a thermostat on its way out. Note which setting and how far into the cycle the heat drops.
Is it worth repairing a dryer that is not heating?
Usually. The parts involved are among the least expensive on a dryer, and the drum, motor and cabinet are unaffected. The repair-or-replace question comes up mainly on a very old dryer that also has a worn motor or drum bearing.

Back to your everyday

Still seeing dryer not heating?

Book with what you checked above — 5 answers save the technician the first part of the visit.

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(844) 314-5837 Schedule a repair