Why is my dryer running but not heating?
On an electric dryer this is usually a blown heating element or a tripped thermal fuse, and a tripped fuse nearly always means restricted venting caused it. On gas it is more often the igniter or flame sensor. Check the breaker first: half a circuit tumbles without heat.
Start at the breaker, because it costs nothing
An electric dryer runs on a double pole breaker with two live legs. One leg drives the motor, both together drive the heat. Lose a leg and you get a machine that tumbles happily and dries nothing, which looks exactly like a dead element.
Switch the breaker fully off and back on. This is worth doing before anything else because it is free and it is not rare.
Electric: element or fuse
A heating element fails open and the machine tumbles cold. A thermal fuse does the same thing, and on many platforms a blown fuse also cuts the motor, so a dryer that will not start at all can be the same part.
The important part is what comes next. A thermal fuse is a safety device that blew because the machine overheated, and machines overheat because air cannot get out. Replacing the fuse and leaving the vent packed gets you a few more weeks and the same fault again.
Gas: igniter and flame sensor
A gas dryer that tumbles without heat is usually an igniter that no longer glows, a flame sensor that will not close, or a gas valve coil that has failed. The pattern of the fault is diagnostic: an igniter that glows and then never lights is a different part from one that never glows at all.
Gas dryers also have thermal cut-outs, and the same venting logic applies to them.
The venting question, again
Whatever the part turns out to be, the vent run is part of the job. Disconnect the hose at the back and run the machine for two minutes: if it heats normally that way, airflow is the underlying problem and the failed part was a consequence.
This is not an upsell. Restricted airflow is the most common cause of dryer fires, and a machine that has already blown a thermal fuse has told you it got hot enough to matter.
Questions
Why is my dryer turning but not heating?
Can I replace a thermal fuse myself and leave it at that?
Is a dryer with no heat dangerous to run?
How long does a heating element take to replace?
The facts, plainly
- Service
- Washers and dryers only. Top load and front load, electric and gas. No refrigerators, ovens or dishwashers.
- Area
- House calls within 25 miles of Springfield, MO. The machine is never transported.
- Availability
- By appointment only. One technician, so a booked slot is a confirmed slot.
- Pricing
- Not published. The machine is diagnosed first and you get a price before any work starts.
- Credentials
- Licensed and insured, City of Nixa contractor license.
- Brands
- LG, Samsung, Whirlpool, Maytag, GE, Kenmore, Frigidaire, Speed Queen and other major brands.
- Parts
- Common failure parts travel on the van, which is why most repairs finish in the same visit.
- Phone
- (417) 414-0284
Other things people ask first
Get your laundry day back
Book a time on the calendar, or call and talk it through. Service is by appointment only, so a booked slot is a confirmed slot.