Dryer not heating? It's the vent, the fuse, or the element — in that order

A dryer that runs but doesn't heat is one of the most-repairable appliances in the house, and the number-one cause isn't a broken part at all — it's a vent so clogged the dryer's own safety shut the heat off. Check that before you order anything. The order below goes from most likely and cheapest to least likely and most expensive.

Cause 1: Clogged exhaust vent ($0, and the most common)

Dryers have a thermal fuse that blows permanently when exhaust temperature gets too high. Exhaust gets too high when the vent is restricted. So a blown fuse is usually a symptom — replace the fuse without clearing the vent and it blows again in a month.

1. Pull the dryer out and disconnect the duct from the back.
2. Run the dryer on air-fluff (no heat) for 30 seconds with your hand at the exhaust port. Strong airflow? The dryer's fine; the problem is in the duct. Weak? Check the internal blower housing for lint.
3. Clean the full duct run to the exterior cap with a rotary vent brush kit ($20–$30, attaches to a drill). Clean the exterior flap too — birds nest in them.
4. If the duct is the white vinyl accordion type, replace it with rigid or semi-rigid aluminum. Vinyl is a fire hazard and is no longer code.

Clothes taking two cycles to dry, a hot laundry room, or a burning-dust smell are all the same vent problem a few months earlier.

Cause 2: Blown thermal fuse ($5–$15)

If the vent was clogged, the fuse is almost certainly gone. The thermal fuse is a small white plastic part, about an inch long with two wire terminals, mounted on the blower housing or exhaust duct inside the dryer.

1. Unplug the dryer (or kill the breaker for a hard-wired one; close the gas valve on a gas dryer).
2. Remove the back panel or lower front panel — model-specific; the model number sticker is inside the door.
3. Pull both wires off the fuse. Set a multimeter to continuity. Touch the probes to the two terminals. A good fuse beeps/reads near 0 ohms. A blown fuse reads open (OL).
4. Replace with the exact part for your model number. Don't jumper it to "test" — that's the part that keeps the dryer from starting a fire.

Testing takes 20 minutes. The part ships for under $15.

Cause 3: Heating element (electric) — $30–$60

If the fuse is good and the dryer still runs cold, the element is next. On an electric dryer it's a long coil inside a metal housing, and the failure is simple: the coil breaks.

1. Power off. Find the element housing — usually behind the drum or in the lower back.
2. Disconnect its two or three wires. Meter for continuity across the terminals. Open = broken element.
3. Visually: a broken coil is often obvious. One strand snapped or sagging onto the housing.
4. Replace the element ($30–$60 for most models). While you're in there, test the high-limit thermostat and cycling thermostat mounted on the housing — they're $10–$20 each and often go at the same time.

Ninety minutes for a first-timer. An appliance tech charges $200–$350 for the same job.

Cause 3b: Igniter or flame sensor (gas) — $20–$50

A gas dryer that tumbles but doesn't heat usually has a cracked igniter. Watch through the small access panel at the burner: if the igniter glows orange, then goes out without the gas lighting, the flame sensor or gas valve coils are the issue ($20–$40 for coils). If it never glows, the igniter is cracked ($20–$50). Both are screw-and-plug replacements, but gas valve work beyond the coils is a tech's job.

Cause 4: Power (electric) — $0

An electric dryer runs on 240V but the motor only needs 120V. If one leg of the 240 is dead — one half of a double-pole breaker tripped, or a bad outlet or cord terminal — the drum spins and the heat does nothing. Reset the breaker fully off then on. Check the cord where it enters the dryer for a scorched terminal.

Symptom cheat sheet

| Symptom | Likely | Cost | |---|---|---| | Runs, no heat, clothes take forever lately | Vent, then fuse | $0–$15 | | Runs, no heat, started suddenly | Thermal fuse or one breaker leg | $0–$15 | | Runs, no heat, fuse tests good (electric) | Element | $30–$60 | | Gas, igniter glows then quits | Gas valve coils | $20–$40 | | Gas, igniter never glows | Igniter | $20–$50 | | Heats, then stops mid-cycle | Cycling thermostat or vent | $0–$20 |

When to call a pro, and when to replace

Call a tech if you aren't comfortable meter-testing a 240V appliance, if the diagnosis points to the control board or motor ($200–$450 in parts), or for any gas valve work past the coils. Expect $90–$150 for the visit, credited toward the repair, and the Find a Pro page gets two to four local appliance techs in a day.

Replace rather than repair when the dryer is over 12 years old and the repair is over $250, or when the drum bearings are also squealing. A new basic electric dryer is $500–$800; you won't recoup a $350 board on a machine with two years left. And whichever way you go — clean the vent first. It's the fix for this dryer and the insurance for the next one.