SOLVED!! GE Dryer not Heating

GE dryers are known to be durable and most especially preferred by a family who has a large laundry to take care of. However, after a long period of usage, you might come across a scenario where you are stuck with your GE dryer not heating and you don’t know how to deal with that.

Probably you have gone on some other sites but you haven’t figured out what exactly is wrong with your GE dryer, you are at the right place. 

Your GE dryer is a large dryer and one of the most common issues other users have reported is their GE dryer not heating up. 

When that happens, the majority of them simply turn off and try to adjust the settings of their dryer without trying other simple troubleshooting steps.

Maybe you are also in that loop, and you tried power cycling your GE dishwasher or you’ve tried changing the setting with no result, then you should check your vent pipe if it is not clogged up. Not the thermostat or thermal fuse.

Anyway, I will be breaking down all the steps you can take to self-diagnose your GE dryer not heating coupled with some advanced troubleshooting steps which would require the service of a repairman.

That said, let’s delve into it.

How to Troubleshoot GE dryer not heating

Below are some simple steps you can take to self-diagnose your GE dryer if it is not heating as it is supposed to.

1. Check Your Vent Pipe

One of the great pointers of a clogged vent is if your GE Dryer has been taking quite a long time to dry up but suddenly now stops heating.

The Vent pipe is connected to the back of your dryer and it passes moist air away from your Dryer. However, you might not be able to figure out if the vent is clogged unless you take it out and check through the tube for any particle blocking the free movement of air on it.

If the vent tube is clogged, use a brush or any appropriate cleaning material to clear it off.

Also, ensure the vents are clear as possible before installing them back to the back of your dryer. If after following this procedure and you are still stuck with your GE dryer not heating.

2. Check the Heating Element

The heating elements work by resisting electric power to generate heat in the unit. What this means Is that the heating element needs to generate a certain amount of pressure for the GE dryer to heat optimally. 

However, you could be faced with a scenario where your heating element is faulty and here is how you can check it.

1. Remove the GE dryer from the power supply
2. Remove the top by unscrewing the screws near the door
3. Unscrew the front and remove it by lifting it up and toward you
4. Make the belt firm while pulling it till you can move it to the side
5. Slide the tub out the front
6. Now inspect the heating element for any tears and damages
7. If there are none, use a multimeter to test for continuity

If the continuity test is negative it needs a replacement since you will still be stuck with your GE dryer not heating.

3. Check the Thermal Fuse

The thermal fuse might not necessarily be the first thing you should check however it can lead you to the fact that your dryer might have overheated making the thermal fuse trip off either the heating element or the whole unit.

That being said, here is how you can self-diagnose the thermal fuse

• Unplug the dryer from the power source.
• Locate the thermal fuse around the blower housing (you can check the manual if you can’t locate it)
• Once you’ve located it, get a multimeter and check for its continuity
• If it has continuity, it is okay. However, if it doesn’t, it needs a replacement

4. Check Electrical Panel 

Due to a sudden power outage or some other power-related issue, you might experience a scenario where your GE Dryer isn’t coming on or it is coming on but the dryer is not heating. In scenarios like this, the breaker connected to your dryer might have tripped off.

So, if you are unsure about this you can simply check your electrical panel to see if there is any switch that has been tripped off. All you have to do is to reset your breaker.

If you are unsure about that, here are the steps you can follow to do that

How to Reset a Tripped Circuit Breaker

• Turn all the lights off and unplug all your devices
• Now, open up your electrical panel and locate the breaker that was flipped in the wrong direction

NOTE: if the breaker is damaged quit the resetting process and call for the services of an electrician for replacement if not, continue to the next step.

• On the breaker, move the switch to the OFF position to fully reset it
• After doing that, move the breaker to ON and be patient for at least 10 seconds

If you are still stuck with your GE dryer not heating after carrying out these steps then you should proceed to the next troubleshooting step.

5. Check the Cycling Thermostat

A thermostat’s job is to regulate the temperature of your dryer to prevent it from overheating. If you are faced with an issue such as a burned thermal fuse you should check the heating element, and the cycling thermostat to avoid having to deal with a burned thermal fuse again.

That said, here is how you can troubleshoot this:

• Locate the cycling thermostat around the blower housing. You can use your manual to locate the component.
• Use your smartphone to capture the present state of the component to remember the state you left it after tinkering with it.
• Unscrew and remove the unit
• Use a multimeter to test the terminals of the cycling thermostat.
• If there is continuity simply reassemble the unit using the picture you snapped earlier.
• But, If there is no continuity then the cycling thermostat needs a replacement else move on to the next troubleshooting step.

6 . Check the Gas Valve Solenoid

If you are using a Gas GE Dryer then you might come across this issue. If your Gas solenoid is faulty you might come across an issue whereby gas is not correctly supplied to the burner which will in turn not make the dryer heat up your laundry.

However, you might not easily know if it is faulty unless you check them and here is how you can do that.

To check them:

• Remove the dryer from the power source
• Use your manual to locate the gas solenoid
• Now, visually inspect the gas solenoid and whether it glows and then goes out without igniting. If it doesn’t then the gas solenoid is defective and needs a replacement

7 . Inspect the Igniter

The igniter basically produces the fire that generates the heat. In a scenario where the igniter isn’t working there would be no heat generated in your Gas Dryer which would in turn result in your GE dryer not heating.

If you have gone through the troubleshooting above without no positive result, here is how to check if your gas igniter is faulty

• Unplug the Dryer from the power supply
• Use your manual to locate the position of the igniter
• Get a multimeter and test for continuity.
• If the test shows no continuity, you need to replace the igniter. If it does have continuity you should check the next troubleshooting step.

8 . Check the Timer

The timer is among the least likely issue why your GE dryer not heating. However, it is not a problem you can write off that is why it is placed as the last troubleshooting step.

That being said, here is how you can test the timer to ensure it is working optimally

• Unplug your GE dryer from the power source
• Locate the timer on your Dryer and unscrew the necessary part to access the terminals of the timer.
• Now, use a multimeter to test for continuity.
• If it has continuity, then you might have a control board issue and you might have to call for the services of a repairman or contact GE customer support 
• However, if it doesn’t have continuity you should get the timer replaced

After following all these listed steps above you should have resolved your GE dryer not heating, if not you should contact a repairman or GE customer support

That said if your GE dryer is not spinning you should check here for a comprehensive guide on how to resolve that.

GE dryer heating element test

If you are unsure about how to test your GE dryer heating element simply follow the steps outlined below

• Inspect the heating coils for any breaks
• get a multimeter or ohmmeter and check for continuity or resistance
• Place the ends of your multimeter terminals on your heating coils.
• During testing, if you hear a beeping sound and you are seeing a number close to 10, the heating element is good to go else, you should get a replacement.

How do you fix a GE dryer that is not heating?

If you are stuck with your GE dryer not heating due to issues such as a heating issue or a power-related issue below are some troubleshooting steps you can follow to resolve it

• Check Your Vent Pipe
• Check the Heating Element
• Check the Timer
• Inspect the Igniter
• Check the Gas Valve Solenoid
• Check the Cycling Thermostat
• Check the Thermal Fuse
• Check the electrical panel

Conclusion

By now you should have figured out the reason behind your GE dryer not heating and the appropriate steps you should take to resolve it. However, if you are not comfortable tinkering with the Dryer your self you can contact GE dryer customer support or any local repairman to repair your dryer.