To fix a dryer that is not heating up, you will need to check the thermal fuse, clean the exhaust vent, repair the thermostat or temperature switch, check or replace the heating element, and check the timer. Whether you need to buy a new broken part or just fix the old one depends on the part itself and the degree of its damage.
When you have any trouble with your drying machine, this is really terribly annoying, especially if you urgently need to use it. We advise you to contact a highly qualified specialist if you are not confident in your abilities and do not have repairing experience. Although, you can try to deal with this trouble yourself. Before you start repairing this machine, you need to figure out why it does not perform its functions the way it has to. You need to inspect each listed internal component in detail and repair it using our instructions.
But before you start repairing it, you need to:
- unplug your machine. This point relates to safety, so you should not skip it.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the causes of why your dryer is not heating up and how to solve this trouble.
Common reasons why your dryer won't heat up?
Experts identify such reasons why your dryer does not heat up as a broken thermal fuse, exhaust vent, a problem with the dryer thermostat or temperature switch, malfunction of the heating element, and broken timer.
Let’s consider in detail the most popular causes why your dryer does not heat up:
- Broken thermal fuse
If your dryer turns on and spins, but there is no heat; the trouble might be with the thermal fuse. It is necessary for the machine because it stops the machine if there is a risk of fire.
If the machine overheats, so the fuse has tripped at that moment. After this happens, the thermal fuse will work, however, the fuse will not allow the heating elements to receive power. And in this case, the dryer will not heat.
- Exhaust vent
It doesn’t matter if you have solved your problem with the dryer in the first step, you should still check the exhaust vent.
The problem may lie precisely in the clogged hose. You have to check the hose and clean it if necessary.
- Problem with dryer thermostat and temperature switch
These two important components of the dryer are necessary to control and maintain the desired temp. Failure of any of them can result in both the dryer not heating or overheating, which can cause the tripping of the fuse. At that rate, your machine will stop heating.
- Malfunction of the heating element
Also, your trouble may be connected to the uncorrected work of the heating element. This caused a failure in the heating of the machine.
- Broken timer
On some dryers, especially mechanical ones, you can find a timer. At first glance, it may seem that the timer has nothing to do with your machine not heating up. However, if the timer is broken, it may not advance the cycle while running the dryer. This can manifest itself as the fact that no heat is released at all or, on the contrary, the dryer overheats. You may notice this if your dryer is only spinning and waiting for a signal from a timer, but nevertheless, there is no signal.
Steps to repair your dryer
It’s time to talk about what you may do if you’ve faced a non-heating machine for drying.
Let’s take a closer look at the steps that will help cope with your trouble.
- Broken thermal fuse
Check the thermal fuse. If your machine overheated at this point, the thermal cutout may have tripped to protect the machine. Because of this, the heating elements will not be able to heat up, thus the thermal fuse serves for preventing fire.
So, the first action that you should do is check the thermal fuse. Typically, the thermal fuse is a disposable component. So you can just replace the thermal fuse. It is located next to the exhaust vent on the dryer. Some models have a thermal fuse reset function in the machine, but in most cases, the thermal fuse must be replaced in order to keep the dryer running properly.
- Exhaust vent
Clean the vent. The hose near the vent can become clogged with lint. This will block the heat from drumming the exhaust vent and cause the dryer to overheat. In this case, the thermal fuse will trip and, as a result, the machine will stop heating.
Inspect your dryer’s vent and clean if necessary. If you find a large amount of lint there that you find difficult to remove, contact an appliance repair professional who will help you solve this problem with modern equipment.
- Problem with dryer thermostat and temperature switch
Repair the thermostat or temperature switch. As we have said, both of these components are responsible for temperature control. A failure in the operation of one of them can lead to overheating of the dryer and the operation of the thermal fuse.
At this stage, it is necessary to сheck the machine thermostat and temperature switch in your machine. This can be done with a multimeter.
- If a dryer temperature switch is broken you will get zero reading.
- For a broken temperature switch, you will get a zero reading or infinity.
If you find that one of these details is not working, you should replace it with a new one.
Replacing a broken thermostat will be more difficult than a temp switch because you must unplug wires and substitute them in exactly the same order. On some machine models, you will have to remove this detail and replace it.
- Malfunction of the heating element
Replace the heating element. Broken heating elements can also cause the dryer not to heat up. To check their work you should remove the back panel of the dryer and locate the heating element, which you can find by the metal wires rolled together. Unplug the wire and measure the element with a multimeter, if the value is zero, change it.
- Broken timer
Check the timer. A malfunctioning timer cannot cause your dryer to stop working. However, as we have said, if the timer is broken it does not advance the cycle of the machine. This can lead to both the machine not heating up, or overheating and the thermal fuse tripping.
Сheck if the machine’s timer is working properly. If you must check this component, unplug the wires from the engine and use a multimeter to check for continuity. If you get infinity - your engine needs to be replaced.
We hope that by following our recommendations, you will be able to repair your dryer. However, we advise you to contact a master who will have special equipment and will be able to repair your appliances.
Call the professional craftsman
If our pieces of advice haven’t helped you cope with your trouble or you have doubts that you can’t do dryer repair, you should call a household appliance repair specialist.
Atlas Appliances Repair company provides home appliance repair services in Texas. We provide our clients with quality and fast repairs made by skilled technicians at reasonable prices. Our team identifies the breakdown using modern equipment. We deal with such types of household appliances:
- Dryers
- Refrigerators
- Oven stoves
- Washing machines
This is not our complete list of repairs, visit our website and check out our service list. We will be glad to help you!
FAQ
Experts strongly advise against running the dryer without a thermal fuse. This can only be done for a short period of time and if you are absolutely sure that your dryer is working correctly and there are no power outages.
If the dryer’s heating element breaks more than once or twice a year, this could be a sign of a fuse that is bad and should be replaced.
Heating elements can last about 8-18 years depending on the dryer model and how you use it.
If you don’t have a multimeter but need to test the thermal fuse, you can disconnect the wires from the thermal fuse and connect them with a jumper. Then test the operation of the thermal fuse by turning on the dryer.
Typically, a new dryer thermostat costs about $3-$20. This is the price for buying the part itself, if you need help installing it will cost more – about $180.
