You’ve landed here because you are stuck with your Kenmore dryer not drying, probably you have tinkered with some part, tried resetting it and you’ve carried out a power cycle, but you just can’t wrap your head around why you are still stuck with your Kenmore dryer, not drying.
If this is you, You don’t need to take off any other parts, all you have to do is to read through the troubleshooting steps I am going to be listing below.
The majority of users that are faced with issues such as this are those using an older model of Kenmore Dryer and you’ve used it for years.
That being said, let’s delve into proven ways to troubleshoot your Kenmore dryer if it isn’t drying your laundry.
How to fix Kenmore dryer not Drying
Since you are stuck with this issue, I will be breaking down the reason why your Kenmore dryer isn’t drying up and the appropriate troubleshooting steps you ought to take to fix it.
While some might require you to call a repairman, you should always be mindful of unplugging the machine before touching the inner components.
Tinkering with it comes at a personal cost, so you should ensure you are comfortable with what you are disassembling or you should request the service of a repairman.
Below are the reasons and troubleshooting steps if you are stuck with your Kenmore dryer not drying.
1 . The Vent is Blocked
The vent is a delicate part of the Kenmore dryer since its main job is to remove the moisture heat that has passed through your clothing out of the dryer’s system.
In a scenario where the vent is blocked, it could take a long time before your clothes get dry.
That is not all, since your vent is clogged, it could result in your dryer being overheated hereby leading to damages to the thermal fuse or fire hazards
To resolve this follow the steps below
- Locate the exhaust pipe and place your hands near it.
- Inspect if the air is coming out of the pipe and the air is warm
- If the air isn’t warm or there is no almost no air coming out then your vent is clogged
- Turn off the dryer and unplug from the wall socket
- Open the guard door while pulling the lint door out
- remove the vent pipe
- locate the vent system cover and remove all the lint there using any appropriate cleaning material
- Also, if there is any obstacle in the airflow, remove it with your hands.
2 . The Lint Screen is Clogged
If your lint screen is clogged with lints, it will make it harder for your clothes to dry while in some cases they might not dry. This is one of the reasons why it is recommended to clean the lint after every load cycle. However, if you are unsure if your lint screen is clogged with lint you can check by following the instructions below.
- Power off your Kenmore dryer.
- Locate the lint screen and remove it – you use the user manual to locate its position if you don’t know where it is.
- Check through the lint screen.
- If the lint screen is dirty, you need to remove the excess lint with the help of a clean cloth.
- You can use warm water and soap to make it easy to get the lint off the screen while using a brush for tough lints.
3 . The Thermal Fuse is Faulty
A burned thermal fuse is one of the most reoccurring cases in your Kenmore thermometer especially when the problem you are facing is related to the heat. That said, you might want to also impact other parts of the machine after checking through your thermal fuse since a blown thermal fuse is caused by a defect in another component
That being said, here is how to resolve a blown thermal fuse
- Power off your Kenmore dryer and unplug it from the power source
- Using the manual, locate the thermal fuse
- Disassemble the dryer and use a multimeter to test for continuity in your thermal fuse
- If there is continuity, it will show a zero reading meaning, the fuses are fine.
- If the reading is far away from that, then the thermal fuse needs a replacement
After replacing your thermal fuse, you should check the heating element in your dryer to avoid having to deal with the thermal fuse again
3 . Check the Heating Element
The Heating Element’s job is to warm the air entering the dryer. In a scenario where the heating element is faulty, the dryer would not produce enough heat required to dry your clothes.
That said here shows you check your heating element
- Power off your Kenmore dryer
- Take off the bottom panel using a screwdriver
- AT the right corner you would see the heating element
- get a multimeter and check its continuity
- If there is continuity, proceed to the next step, else your heating element needs a replacement.
4 . Uneven Load inside the Dryer
This might not be a defining factor why you are stuck with your Kenmore dryer not drying up. But it is an issue you can’t write off most especially when you have uneven loads in the dryer, such as clothes that are different from each other like a Blanket and a simple T-shirt and you are making use of auto dry.
To be on the safer side, it is better to dry clothing of similar sizes inside the dryer since different clothing type requires a different amount of heat and turning to get it dry, also the clothes have to be evenly distributed in the dryer.
5 . Issues with the Thermostat
Just as similar to the thermal fuse, the thermostat is the first line of action when it comes to the prevention of overheating on your thermostat. If your dryer overheats due to a faulty timer or a blocked vent, the thermostat has to trip off the system or the heating element.
That is why you might be stuck with your Kenmore dryer not drying.
That said, here is how you can check your thermostat
- Power off your dryer
- Go to the back of your dryer and locate the thermostat using the manual
- Get a multimeter and use it to touch the terminals of the thermostat to test for continuity.
- If there is continuity, then the thermostat is working fine, if it isn’t then the thermostat needs a replacement.
6 . Tripped Power Fuse
This might not be a likely issue as to why you are stuck with your Kenmore dryer not drying. However, it is a problem you cannot write off since an increase in the voltage supplied to your washing machine can cause your electrical panel to trip off. And since your Dyer makes use of 240volts, which is shared equally between the dryer power and the heater. A tripped-off power fuse could make your Kenmore dryer not dry up your laundry.
that said here is how to troubleshoot the dryer
- Inspect the fuse and the circuit breaker for any torn wire or damages
- Also, check the circuit breaker to see if the breaker connected to the dryer has been tripped off. If it is, simply reset it
- However, if you perceive an odour but you can’t wrap your head around where it is coming from, then you should call the services of a repairman.
7 . The Igniter has issues
If your igniter is faulty it will cease to produce enough heat to dry your laundry. Another point is if you are not seeing an orange flame around the igniter compartment.
To test your igniter, you can simply use a multimeter to test for its continuity. If it doesn’t have continuity then you need to get a replacement for it.
8 . The Flame Sensor is Faulty
The flame sensor detects heat from the flames the igniter creates. If your flame sensor isn’t working, you might not know until you test for continuity with a multimeter
That said, this should be among the last set of things you should test if you are stuck with your Kenmore dryer not drying.
Kenmore Elite Dryer not Heating Reset Button
Unfortunately, your Kenmore Elite dryer doesn’t have a reset button. However, if your Kenmore elite dryer is giving you an issue and you want to reset it. You can do that by unplugging the unit from the power source while waiting for 1 minute before plugging it back.
If this doesn’t resolve the issue you are facing you should check here for a comprehensive guide on how to resolve your Kenmore elite dryer if it is not drying up your laundry.
Why is my Dryer Running but not Drying?
One of the common reasons for this is that either your heating element has tripped off, or the heating section of your fridges has tripped off from the circuit breaker due to an increase in power supplied to the dryer.
Conclusion:
After going through this article you should have figured out the reason behind your Kenmore dryer not drying and the appropriate troubleshooting steps you should take to resolve it. However, if you are not able to self-diagnose on your own, you should call the services of a repairman or simply contact Kenmore customer service.