It’s an all-too-common occurrence: you put a load of laundry in the dryer, it starts to tumble and then stops. Then, wet clothes linger around the house, and you spend time waiting for them to air dry or end up wearing damp clothing. There are many reasons why a dryer won’t heat, and some of them are simple fixes that don’t require the help of a professional appliance repair technician.
A tripped circuit breaker or clogged vent is one of the most common problems that prevents a dryer from heating, but it’s also an easy fix. Examine your breaker box to make sure that both of the breakers are in the “ON” position. If they’re tripped, reset them and try running the dryer again.
If your dryer’s lint screen or innards are free of lint clogs, but it still fails to generate heat, your dryer may be overloaded. It’s important to only place a small amount of clothes in each drying cycle. A full dryer will take longer to run and won’t produce enough heat to effectively dry the clothes.
A blown thermal fuse is another possible reason for your dryer not heating, but it’s difficult to diagnose without disassembly of the dryer. This safety device is designed to detect excessive temperatures in the dryer and shut it down before a fire can start. It’s typically located close to the exhaust vent. To replace it, you’ll need to disconnect the power and remove the back panel. dryer not heating