Repair guide
Dryer not heating? Gas and electric causes
By Deven Alcantara, EPA 608 certified technician ·
If the drum turns but there's no heat, check the simple causes first: on an electric dryer, one of its two breakers may have tripped; on a gas dryer, the gas valve may be closed. Make sure you're not on an air-only cycle, clean the lint screen and check the vent. Still cold? A heating part has likely failed.
Safety first
Unplug the dryer before you clean or check anything behind it. If you smell gas, don’t switch anything on or off and don’t light a match. Leave the house and call your gas company or 911 from outside. Never run a gas dryer with the vent disconnected, because carbon monoxide can get into the room. Lint is a real fire risk: the U.S. Fire Administration says failure to clean was the leading factor in home clothes dryer fires from 2018 to 2020.
What to check first
- Run a quick heat test. Whirlpool’s first test is to run a heated timed cycle for 5 minutes with the dryer empty, then open the door and feel inside. That tells you whether it’s no heat at all or slow drying.
- Check the cycle and settings. Air Only and Air Fluff never add heat, and a cool-down setting won’t either. Some energy-saving options run part of the cycle without heat: Samsung’s Eco Dry heats only part of the cycle, and LG says its Energy Saver, on by default for Cotton/Normal, air-dries for most of the cycle. To test, use a timed dry with those options off.
- Electric dryers: check both breakers. An electric dryer runs on a 240-volt, 30-amp circuit with two breakers. One powers the motor and drum and the other the heating element, so if only one trips the drum still turns but there’s no heat. GE warns a breaker can be partly tripped even when it doesn’t look it. Turn the breaker fully off for 30 seconds, then back on.
- Gas dryers: check the gas valve. If the gas shutoff valve behind the dryer is closed, the drum turns but nothing heats. The valve is open when its handle runs parallel to the gas pipe. A gas dryer also needs its own 120-volt outlet. On LG gas dryers, a d80 code can mean not enough gas is reaching the dryer.
- Clean the lint screen. Clean it after every load. Whirlpool notes that fabric-softener residue can block the screen even when it looks clean.
- Check airflow at the outside vent. Run the dryer for 5 to 10 minutes and hold your hand under the outside exhaust hood. Whirlpool says the airflow should be at least as strong as a hair dryer on high. Make sure the hood’s flaps open fully while the dryer runs and that no birds or insects are nesting in it. GE says never to put a screen or grid over the exhaust, because it collects lint.
- Look at the duct behind the dryer. Use 4-inch metal duct. Foil or plastic duct can crush or collapse, and the CPSC recommends replacing it with rigid or semi-rigid metal. Keep at least 4 inches between the dryer and the wall so the duct isn’t kinked. Whirlpool suggests cleaning the full vent run every one to two years, or sooner when drying slows down.
Electric dryer not heating
Once the power checks out, the usual causes on an electric dryer are a failed heating element, a blown thermal fuse or a bad cycling thermostat. GE also lists a burned or loose power cord connection at the rear terminal block. Samsung notes that low voltage at the outlet can let the controls and motor run while the heater doesn’t. A dryer needs 240 volts, and if it isn’t getting that, you need an electrician.
Gas dryer not heating
With the gas on and the vent clear, a gas dryer that won’t heat most often has a weak igniter or failed gas valve coils, or a blown thermal fuse. A restricted vent is often what makes these parts fail in the first place, so I check airflow on every dryer repair. GE also notes that vent length limits are tighter on gas models than electric ones, so check your model’s vent chart before adding length or elbows.
Heats, but takes forever
Whirlpool says a dryer that heats but takes a long time is most likely a vent problem or restricted airflow, and the CPSC says damp clothes at the end of a normal cycle can mean the lint screen or duct is blocked. Many dryers warn you: Whirlpool shows AF or Check Vent, and LG’s d75 to d95 codes mean the duct is 75 to 95 percent clogged. Samsung’s HC and hE heating codes usually point to a clogged lint screen or vent too.
Roof-vented dryers in Arizona homes
In many one-story Arizona homes, the dryer vents up through the attic and out the roof. Rosie on the House, the Arizona home-improvement show, says these runs can be up to 35 feet, and that screens over roof vents to keep rodents out clog with lint quickly and can cause overheating. GE says venting through the roof is acceptable but an outside wall is better. With a long roof run, you can’t easily see the outside flap, so the airflow test and a regular vent cleaning matter more.
When to call a technician
Call me if the breakers, gas valve, settings and vent all check out and the dryer still won’t heat, or if it shows a heating or temperature code that comes back after a reset. Those usually point to the heating element, thermal fuse, thermostat, igniter or gas valve coils. I also offer dryer preventive maintenance: an internal cleaning and lubrication of all bearing surfaces for $150, with the service call included. See what’s included.
Upfront pricing
$65
Service call, waived when you approve the repair. You get an exact price before any work starts.
Stacked washer and dryer units have a $125 service call, also waived with the repair.
From My Recent Repairs
- Whirlpool Electric Dryer Heating Element Failed: Element Replaced
A Whirlpool electric dryer's heating element had failed. I replaced the heating element.
Dryer Error Codes
Sources for This Guide
The checks and numbers in this guide come from the manufacturers’ own support pages and manuals, plus the public sources listed. Your owner’s manual has the final word for your model.
Sources
- Dryer Is Not Heating (Whirlpool)
- Not Heating, Gas Dryer (Whirlpool)
- Long Dry Times, Dryer (Whirlpool)
- AF or Check Vent, Dryer (Whirlpool)
- Check Vent Light on Dryer (Whirlpool)
- Electric Dryer Not Heating (GE Appliances)
- Gas Dryer Not Heating (GE Appliances)
- Dryer Venting (GE Appliances)
- Dryer Owner's Manual (49-90052) (GE Appliances)
- Dryer not heating (Samsung)
- Dryer heating and temperature error codes (Samsung)
- Why is my dryer not heating, not drying or taking a long time (LG)
- LG dryer error code list (LG)
- Clothes dryer fire safety (U.S. Fire Administration)
- Overheated: Clothes Dryer Fires (Publication 5022) (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)
- Why dryer vent maintenance should be a top priority (Rosie on the House)
Ready when you are
Still no heat? Book your dryer repair.
Call or text (480) 292-4746, Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm. Same-day and next-day appointments are often available.