Is your dryer an electric or gas dryer and you wonder why it suddenly stopped getting hot? Well, don’t get it twisted! Several factors can make your dryer stop getting hot, some of those factors and their possible solutions will be discussed in this article. Relax and gather enough information that you need to fix the why is my dryer not getting hot issue.
Common reasons an electric or gas dryer is not heating are a clogged vent, tripped circuit breaker, no gas flow, a faulty thermal fuse, or a broken heating element. All these glitches can be fixed and as you read on you will discover the exact reason why your dryer is not getting hot and also how to fix it.
It can be very frustrating when you realize that your clothes are still wet even after placing them in your dryer to dry especially when you need to wear the clothe the next day. Get your tools ready as we take you through the process of how to fix why is my dryer not getting hot problems all by yourself. 
Causes of Dryer not getting Heat
Whether you own an electric or gas dryer, you need to know the exact reason why your dryer is not getting heat. Here are some of the causes below:
Blogged Air Vent and Duct
This is one of the most common causes of the dryer not getting hot. The clogged air vents cause poor airflow in clothes dryer systems. To check if your dryer’s air vent is blocked, turn on your dryer and go outside to feel the airflow leaving the vent. If the flow is slow and not very warm, then your vent needs a thorough and good clean.
Dryer is Overheated
Another common reason why your dryer is not getting hot and it’s just blowing out cold air is because it has overheated.
The Dryer is Overloaded
If your dryer is too full, the heat won’t be able to circulate properly to the dryer. Therefore causing your clothes not to get dry. 
Faulty Thermal Fuse
The thermal fuse is a safety device created to prevent your dryer from catching fire. In the most recent models, once the dryer temperature exceeds a particular level, the thermal fuse is tripped, and the dryer stops working. While on older models, the dryer may continue to work but it won’t produce heat.
The Dryer’s Heating Element is Burnt
Once your dryer’s heating element get spoilt like twice within a year or two, then the thermal fuse, which is supposed to protect it, is probably faulty and might need an immediate replacement. Also, the temperature in the heating chamber may be too high and this may be caused by poor venting.
If you have an electric dryer, your air is heated using an electric heating element. If you have a gas dryer, there is a gas burner that is responsible for heating the air.
There is a Broken Thermostat
In most recent models, the thermostats are usually located close to the heating element. Once there’s a broken or faulty thermostat, then the dryer’s heating will be inhibited.
A Dirty Lint Screen
The lint trap is designed to remove dryer lint, ensuring it does not clog the vents. If you don’t clean the lint trap from time to time after every load, the airflow will be inhibited and not circulate properly through your clothing.
The lint screens should be cleaned every time you run the dryer. Once the screen gets dirty, your dryer will usually run hot air, but your clothes may come out still wet even after a full cycle.
The Dryer Door is not Closed Properly
If the dryer door is not completely closed when your dryer has been turned on, then it may not get hot. There will be an audible click once you close the dryer door firmly. In case you don’t hear the click, then it means the door has not been completely closed.
There is a Faulty Timer Motor
In case your dryer uses a mechanical timer, then a faulty timer may be the cause why the dryer is not heating. In some models, if the timer is not moving to the next cycle, the heat may keep running till it becomes too hot, tripping the thermal fuse. While in other models, a defective timer may stop heat from being released.
The Dryer is not Connected
Surprised? Well, it will shock you to know that many people forget to plug the dryer in even though this sounds absurd. You need to ensure the dryer is connected before it can get hot. Since there is no power flowing to the dryer, it can not function properly. Therefore connect your dryer to a power source.
The Dryer is in an “ECO” or Cool etting
In the process of switching a button on your dryer, you may have tampered with the Settings. For instance, your dryer may have been set to an eco or cool setting unknowingly. Check if your dyer is on a cool setting and change it to heat.
There’s a Tripped Circuit Breaker
If you are using an Electric dryer, then note that it needs two 120V breakers: one to run the motor that turns the drum, while the other one is for powering the heating element.
However, the two breakers may trip separately, depending on how the panel is wired. One of the tripped breakers would explain why the drum is turning while the dryer is stone cold. If any breakers are tripped in your electrical panel, then you will need to reset them.
There is no Gas Flow
In case you have a gas dryer, ensure you pay your gas bill timely and that the gas valve feeding the dryer is on. Also, ensure that the dryer’s gas line is the right size (That is 3/4 inch), and do a gas line replacement if needed.
There may be a Complex Gas or Electrical issue
If you are using a gas dryer, the dryer may stop heating due to a faulty flame sensor. A gas dryer needs a flame to heat the air required to dry your clothes. However, a faulty flame sensor will not allow the flame to ignite, talkless of heating the air.
All the possible causes of why is my dryer not getting hot issues have been stated above, check through to know the exact one inhibiting your dryer’s heating. 
How to Fix Why is my Dryer not Getting hot issue?
The different reasons why your dryer might not be heating have been stated above. Once the problem is known, the next thing is to find a lasting solution to it. Here are the possible solutions to fix the problem of why is my dryer not getting hot:
Fix Clogged Vents and Ducts
Since this is the most common cause of why is my dryer not getting hot issues, you need to try and fix it by yourself by checking if your venting is blocked. Follow the steps below to fix clogged vents and ducts:
- Disconnect the dryer and pull it away from the wall.
- Remove the cover of the dryer vent and have a closer inspection of the vent.
- There’s a probability that there is a significant amount of lint that has been built up in the dryer over time.
- Begin a timed dry on high heat.
- Check the exhaust vent outside and with the aid of your hand, be sure that the air is very warm and exiting at a decent flow.
- If all you can feel is little airflow, then your venting likely needs to be cleaned or replaced.
- Clean the air vent thoroughly and reconnect it to the dryer.
- After that, connect the dryer back in to see if it starts working properly.
- You should clean your dryer vents from time to time to ensure the dryer is working properly and also getting hot.
Once a dryer vent is clogged, then the drying cycle can double or triple in time. You will also notice that your clothes do not completely get dry at the end of a regular cycle. This should solve the why is my dryer not getting hot problem, if not, try the next fix.
Fix Dryer is Overheated Issues
Most manufacturers have a legal requirement that ensures once your dryer gets too hot there is some form of control in place to prevent it from catching fire and burning the whole house even when it gets overheated.
Fix Dryer Heating Element that got burnt
To fix the dryer’s heating element that got burnt, follow the steps below:
- Check the metal wire coil for any breaks in the wire.
- In case the wire is solid and has no breaks in it, then the heating element is good.
- However, if the wire has a break in it, then the heating element is faulty.
- Now, check the manual to figure out where the heating element is located.
- Make sure the heating element is not blocked by any debris.
- Also, ensure that the heating element is not touching any other electrical components close to it.
- To check if there’s still power flowing to the heating element, make use of the multimeter.
- If there’s no visible electrical conductivity, then there may be a need to replace the heating element.
- You can reach out to a professional who can assist you.
- Peradventure your dryer is old, replacing the heating element might be your best and this could be better off than getting a new machine.
This should solve the why is my dryer not getting hot problem, if not, try the next fix.
Close the Dryer door properly
In case you can’t close the dryer door properly, then you might need to take a closer look at the latch. Follow the steps below to achieve that:
- First, make sure no clothes are blocking the way.
- In case there are clothes in the way of the latch, then the door can’t close.
- However, if there are no clothes in the way, then you should check the latch and see if it is busted.
- There is a possibility that you may need to replace the door latch to fix the issue of why is my dryer not getting hot.
- Take a look at the manual and check the type of latch recommended.
- You might be able to fix this issue on your own by simply ordering a new door latch.
This should solve the why is my dryer not getting hot problem, if not, try the next fix.
Clean the dirty lint Screen
If your lint screen still appears dirty, even after you have removed the lint by hand, then you can go ahead to follow the steps below:
- Soak the lint screen in warm water and mild soap and use a brush to scrub it till it’s clean.
- Dry the lint screen thoroughly before replacing it with its initial position.
- Check inside the slot where the filter goes to see if the lint has spilled inside.
- Use a vacuum cleaner to suck it out in case you find debris there.
This should solve the why is my dryer not getting hot problem, if not, try the next fix.
Fix broken Thermostat
Follow the steps below to fix the broken thermostat in your dryer:
- Locate the thermostat leads, and make use of a multimeter to test for continuity.
- You will find the thermistor next to the thermostat.
- Repeat the multimeter test on the thermistor.
- Replace the part if either of these components fails the multimeter test. This should fix the heating problem.
- Take some photos before removing the part to help you when you replace it.
Replace a Faulty Timer
To check and replace the timer, follow these steps:
- Disconnect the dryer from the power source.
- In case you have a gas dryer, switch off the gas.
- Locate the small timer motor, and do a continuity test.
- If it fails the continuity test, then you need to replace the timer or the timer motor.
This should solve the why is my dryer not getting hot problem, if not, try the next fix.
Plug in your Dryer
Ensure to check behind the dryer and be sure that the power cord is not kinked. Make sure the plug is properly plugged into the wall socket completely. Depending on the dryer type you have, the power cord might need to be in a particular outlet.
This should solve the why is my dryer not getting hot problem, if not, try the next fix.
Replace the Gas for Gas Dryers
One of the causes why is my dryer not getting hot is when a gas dryer is not heating because of a lack of gas. Follow the steps below:
- Ensure the gas valve is switched on.
- Be sure that the gas pipe is connected to the dryer.
- Finally, ensure that your gas bill has been paid.
That’s it! Now you have gas.
In case you just simply want to reset your dryer not getting hot and you don’t want to go through the stress of carrying out other complex troubleshooting steps, you can locate the reset button on your dryer and just reset.
Most dryers are designed with a reset button on the control panel. If the motor won’t run, allow the dryer to cool for about ten minutes. Then tap the reset button.