Why is My Dryer Not Heating?

As we all know, wet clothes coming out of the dryer is no fun. There are many reasons why your dryer is not drying clothes efficiently, one of them being that your dryer is not heating. When your dryer turns on, starts, and even spins, but is not heating up, then you could be dealing with something as simple as excess lint or a dirty lint screen. But sometimes the problems can be more complicated, like a burnt-out motor, broken door switch, or faulty thermal fuse. Our appliance experts have become familiar with the common reasons for a dryer, not heating, which include:

• Lint buildup in dryer ducts
• Faulty burner or heating element
• A faulty thermistor or blown-out thermal fuse
• Drive belt or drum problems
• Broken door switches
• Power failure

Keep reading to find out why your dryer is not heating, and get expert advice from our Mansfield appliance repair professionals to get your dryer back to its proper performance. We have nearly 25 years of experience helping the community with their appliance issues.

Dryer Not Heating Due to Lint Buildup in Dryer Ducts

One of the most dangerous parts of your dryer is the fact that flammable clothing debris can get clogged up in the unit and air ducts. Whether you have a gas or electric dryer, if you have not been emptying your lint screen after every drying cycle, and haven’t received your annual air duct cleaning, then you are likely dealing with lint buildup. Lint buildup causes your dryer to stop heating properly due to the blocked-up airflow that prevents the heat from entering the inside of the drying drum. Not only this, but it causes your dryer to overwork and overheat, which can damage parts of your dryer, but most importantly, poses a fire hazard.

Cleaning your dryer filters after every use is crucial to prevent lint buildup. Additionally, clogged dryer exhaust vents preventing your dryer from heating. To keep you and your family safe, we recommend calling our team for an accurate diagnosis of your faulty drying process. We almost always look for buildup of lint because lint blockages impact the rest of the efficiency of the unit, which can increase your monthly energy costs. In fact, if lint buildup is affecting the airflow of the unit, then parts can overheat and become inoperable. Our professional dryer vent services are available to get your dryer heating again! With professional vent vacuums and the correct hose attachments, we can clean your dryer without causing damage to your air ducts.

Dryer Not Heating Due to a Faulty Heating Element

Another common reason why your dryer is not drying could be a bad heating element. Dryer heating elements transfer heat through the air using radiation, so it is an essential component to produce hot air in your dryer drum. Most electric dryers use heating elements that are made with an electric current that passes through metal coils that heat up the unit.

If you have a gas dryer and it is not heating, then you may be dealing with a broken burner. Unlike electric dryers, gas dryers use a burner, which can also become damaged and prevent proper dryer heating. Burners ignite the fuel which produces a flame. This flame heats up the dryer drum while evaporating moisture from the clothes. However, when your burner can’t ignite the pilot light, then you may be dealing with a faulty burner.

Our dryer repair professionals are well-equipped to replace your broken heating elements or burners. Once our dryer machine repair specialists have diagnosed the issue of the lack of heat in your dryer, we can safely remove the defective heating device and install a new one.

Dryer Not Heating Due to a Faulty Thermistor or Blown Thermal Fuse

If your dryer is not heating, consider your temperature sensor. To keep your dryer appliance as safe as possible, the thermistor prevents the dryer from overheating by determining the temperature inside of the dryer drum. You can’t always tell if you are dealing with your temperature sensor, so it is best to call in our Mansfield professionals to perform a continuity test, using a multimeter, to detect the efficiency of your thermistor.

To determine why your dryer is not heating, you may be dealing with a blown thermal fuse. Thermal fuses also work alongside your thermistor to work as an emergency shutoff. When a thermistor detects overheating, your thermal fuse will cut off the power to ensure no fires start. Sometimes thermal fuses fail or have had to use the emergency shutoff too many times. Our professional appliance repair team can determine if you have a blown thermal fuse that needs replacing or a triggered fuse that needs to be reset.

Dryer Not Heating Due to Drive Belt or Drum Problems

Is your dryer not heating and not spinning? You may be dealing with drive belt or dryer drum issues. The drive belt and the dryer dryer drum create tension, which results in its ability to rotate. When your dryer won't heat, consider a drum or drive belt issue.

In some cases, your drive belt may have become misaligned, which can cause your dryer to stop spinning. If the pulley or glide malfunctions, the belt can slip off of the drum, which will cause your dryer to stop spinning and won't heat properly. Our professionals can put the drive belt back onto the track, or replace it if it is frayed or broken.

Sometimes the drum can also be causing problems. If your drum is overloaded, the drum may not rotate, so make sure that you do not have an overloaded dryer. Additionally, the drum can crack and break, which would prevent proper dryer performance. We can inspect your dryer drum to make sure it has not been damaged.

Dryer Not Heating Due to Broken Door Switches

As with all the other safety precautions modern dryers have installed, yet another safety feature could be causing your dryer to stop heating. When your dryer is not heating, a possible cause could be a faulty door switch. Just like thermal fuses, door switches have an automatic shutoff feature when it detects that the door is open. Our professional repair services can address your faulty door switch. We locate the door switch harness and carefully disconnect it before removing the door switch. By securing your new door switch with mounting screws, your frustrating dryer dilemmas will be gone!

If you suspect that you’re dealing with the electrical malfunction of a broken door switch, then don’t hesitate to reach out to our professional appliance repair team in Mansfield. While a broken door switch is frustrating, it is a generally easy fix.

Dryer Not Heating Due to Power Failure

If you are dealing with a dryer that is not heating and won't even turn on, then you may be dealing with a power source problem. Power failures can occur from unplugged or frayed cords, tripped circuits, shutoff valves, gas supply issues, or other electrical issues. If your dryer is not turning on, make sure that you have no wiring problems or tripped circuits, and if you have a gas dryer, make sure your gas valve is on. Sometimes unplugging your unit and plugging it back into the outlet can do the trick too. Our team of experts is well-equipped to deal with power failure issues to ensure you can get your unit working again.

If your dryer is not turning on, then rely on us to address a wide range of reasons for power failure in a dryer appliance, including the already mentioned broken door switches and blown thermal fuses, as well as a variety of other issues, such as gas leakage or turned off gas supply.

Is Your Dryer Not Heating? Get Professional Dryer Repair in Mansfield

Your dryer appliance requires care and attention to perform efficiently and safely. When your dryer is not heating, our professionals are concerned about your safety first and foremost. You can count on us to address your malfunctioning dryer by addressing a wide range of components such as clogged air ducts, electrical panel malfunctions, blown fuses, faulty timers, and other heating issues.

When it comes to choosing a trusted dryer repair professional, count on us to provide you with quality parts and workmanship, which are guaranteed under our Neighborly Promise. We offer services for both commercial and residential dryers, and service all major brands. Deal with your dryer not heating for your convenience, but also for your safety. Prevent fire hazards and save money on monthly energy costs by seeking our dryer repair in Mansfield. We also offer services for your washing machine issues and all major kitchen appliances, making us your one-stop shop for all your appliance needs.

Call us to schedule an appointment with your Mansfield dryer repair specialist so you can get back to a functional laundry routine!