The main function of the dryer is to dry your clothes by heating them up to a certain degree of temperature. When your dryer fails to perform its basic function then this becomes an issue for the owner. We are here to help you tackle issues with your dryer not heating in this guide.
The issue of your dryer not heating could be due to a surge in power supply, a defective part, or a clogged air vent.
Here in this article, we would briefly discuss why is my dryer not heating and how to fix the issue of the dryer not heating to the expected degree.
Why is My Dryer Not Heating
The are several reasons why your dryer is not heating and they include the following:
- Clogged or blocked dryer vent.
- Insufficient gas supply.
- Insufficient electric voltage.
- Tripped circuit breaker.
- Leaked or kinked gas supply hose.
- Blown thermal fuse
- Faulty heating coil
- Damaged thermostat.
- Damaged dryer timer
Dryer not Heating
I will take you through various steps to fix your dryer not heating up issues even if you don’t have the technical know-how, ensure you call a technician.
Check your Dryer Door
If the door of your dryer is not properly closed or aligned, the dryer won’t heat up. The door switch would prevent the dryer from operating if the doors are open or if the switch is damaged. Close the door properly and ensure you replace a faulty or damaged door switch.
Clean Dryer Air Vent
The moisture of your wet cloth is evaporated by the heated air and is pushed out of the dryer through the vent. The vent can be found at the back of every dryer. When the dryer vent gets clogged, there won’t be enough flow of air to produce heat.
A clogged vent is one of the most common problems faced with almost all dryers. You should clean the vent of your dryer very often. However, if you are a novice we would take you through the steps on how you can thoroughly clean your dryer vent to improve heating.
- Unplug the power cord of your dryer or switch off the circuit breaker.
- Remove the lint trap filter and clean with a vacuum brush attachment.
- Use your Vacuum cleaner to clean the inner part of the lint trap housing.
- You can use the long flexible brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner. Make sure the brush reaches the bottom of the cavity to properly clean the cavity.
Tripped Circuit Breaker
The circuit breaker is a safety device that is connected to the main power supply in the building. When there is a surge in power supply, the circuit breaker trip off to disrupt the flow of electric current thereby preventing fire outbreak or damage to home appliances in the process.
Electric dryers need two 120 volts breakers, one to run the motor that turns the drum, and one to power the heating element. Those breakers may trip independently, depending on how the panel is wired. A circuit breaker can also trip off due to being overloaded with heavy appliances at the same time.
Sometimes your dryer not heating up issues can be from a tripped circuit breaker. You can manually or automatically reset the circuit breaker to resume its working operation.
- Turn off all devices on the electrical circuit.
- Locate the electrical service panel or circuit breaker board.
- Find the tripped circuit breaker. The tripped circuit breaker position will differ from the positions of others. You will find it in the middle position and not in the right or left position
- To turn OFF the circuit breaker: shift the handle of the circuit breaker away from the centerline of the panel.
- To turn the circuit breaker handle ON: Shift the handle toward the centerline of the service panel. If the handle is firmly seated, it would make an audible click.
- Now turn your dryer back on and check if it’s now working.
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Replace Thermal Fuse
Unlike the circuit breaker that can be reset, the thermal fuse has to be replaced. A blown thermal fuse is one of the most common reasons for your dryer not heating issues. The thermal fuse is located near the heating element or on the blower housing.
You can use a multimeter to test for continuity of the thermal fuse, if the multimeter fails to read, then the thermal fuse should be replaced.
Replace Faulty Heating Coil
You will experience your dryer not heating due to a faulty heating coil. If the dryer’s heating coil is damaged the dryer won’t heat up. Therefore, we advise you to check that your dryer’s heating coil isn’t damaged or faulty to ensure that your dryer is heating up as expected.
- Unplug the electric dryer from the power cord that is connected to a wall outlet.
To test The heating element of your dryer: - Use a screwdriver to remove the coil panel by using a screwdriver at the lining at the side. The coil panel resembles a metal box.
The heating element is located at the back of your dryer. Remove the 2 screws that are attached to the heating element of your dryer then slide the panel out. - You will see 3 red wires which are also known as the lead attached to the bottom left area of the panel.
- Connect the multimeter to the wires on the heating coils to check for connectivity. Well, if the multimeter doesn’t read then the leads are no longer functioning and should be replaced.
Check Thermostat
The thermostat regulates and controls the flow of heat in the dryer. A faulty thermostat won’t make your dryer heat the way you want. Ensure you test the thermostat and replace a faulty thermostat.
- Remove the back panel of your dryer with a Philips or flat head screwdriver as suitable.
- Locate the thermostat, it looks like a prolonged and circular piece of metal.
- Remove the wires and leads connecting to the thermostat.
- Use your multimeter to find if its reads, if the multimeter doesn’t read then the thermostat needs to be replaced.
- Once you have fixed the heating coil or replaced the thermostat, then plug back your dryer. Reassemble the parts, and make sure you use to fix the right screws and bolts in the right place. Then plug in the electrical cord as this should help fix your dryer not heating up issues.
Check Gas Valve Solenoid
The gas valve, ignitor, and flame sensor are components of the burner assembly. Your gas dryer often blows hot air through the burner assembly. The gas valve solenoid is a small coil that controls the opening and closing of the gas valve.
A faulty gas valve coil or solenoid can prevent gas from flowing into the dryer. Without the flow of gas your gas dryer not heating up issues. Use your owner’s manual to locate the gas valve solenoid. If other components of your gas dryer are functioning properly, changing the valve coils or solenoid can help solve this issue.
- Remove the top and front covers of your dyer, you can use an electric drill.
- Pull the coil wire and unscrew the 2 gas valve coils.
- Set the new gas valve coils and tightly screw them using a screwdriver.
- Finally, replace the panel.
Check Dryer Timer
This dryer timer controls the unit cycles by regulating the length of time that power is directed to each setting. If your dryer timer gets faulty or defective, enough heat or no heat would be produced and your dryer may even fail to start.
Check Power Cord
If you are using an electric dryer, make sure the power cord of your dryer is firmly connected to a power outlet. If it doesn’t work, connect a different device to the power wall outlet. If the device works then ensure you fix or change the wall power outlet.
Check Gas hose
If you are using a gas dryer ensure you check the connection hose that supplies gas to the dryer. Gas won’t flow to the dryer when the connection hose is kinked, clogged, or has leakages. Lastly, ensure you have enough gas supply.
In conclusion, always ensure you have enough gas supply if you are using a gas dryer and for the electric dryer ensure you properly check your circuit breaker and use a good power wall outlet. If after trying the steps listed above you can request for service. And in case you recently purchased the dryer check for warranty coverage and should be returned to where you purchased the appliance.