A dryer not heating while the drum still turns is one of the most common calls we get, and on an electric dryer the answer is nearly always one of four parts: a 240 V breaker that has half-tripped, a thermal fuse that blew because the vent is blocked, a heating element that has broken, or a thermostat or control that is no longer switching the element on. The breaker you can check now. The rest need the back panel off and a multimeter.
This guide is for electric dryers only. If your dryer runs on natural gas or propane, the no-heat causes are different and involve the gas system, so please call a licensed gas technician rather than following these steps. For everyone else in London, Woodstock, Tillsonburg and the rest of Southwestern Ontario, here is how we work through it.
Start at the breaker: the half-tripped 240 V problem
An electric dryer runs on a double-pole 240 V breaker, or two tied 120 V breakers in older panels. The motor uses one 120 V leg; the heating element needs both. If one leg trips, the dryer tumbles for the full cycle and never gets warm, and the breaker handle may look normal.
Find the dryer breaker, usually a wide double breaker marked 30 A. Switch it fully off, then fully on. Run the dryer for ten minutes on high heat and feel the exhaust. If it warms up, you are done, but a breaker that trips repeatedly is telling you something about the element, the wiring or the outlet, and a warm or discoloured dryer plug is a reason to call an electrician. Also check the cord is seated firmly in the outlet; a loose leg gives exactly the same symptom.
The thermal fuse, and why it blew
Every electric dryer has a thermal fuse on the blower housing or exhaust duct. It is a one-time safety: when the exhaust air gets too hot, the fuse opens and the dryer either stops entirely or, on many models, keeps tumbling with no heat. It does not reset; it gets replaced.
The fuse blows for a reason, and nearly every time it is restricted airflow: a vent packed with lint, a crushed foil hose behind the dryer, a bird nest in the exterior hood, or a flap frozen shut in January. Replace the fuse without fixing the vent and you will be doing it again soon. Our post on a dryer taking two cycles to dry covers the airflow problem in detail, because it shows up as slow drying long before it shows up as no heat.
Blocked vents are not just a nuisance. Lint build-up is the leading cause of dryer fires in North American homes according to the National Fire Protection Association, which is why we treat a blown thermal fuse as a warning rather than a part swap.
Testing the thermal fuse
Unplug the dryer, pull it out and remove the rear or lower panel. The fuse is a small plastic rectangle with two wires. Disconnect them and check it with a multimeter on continuity: a good fuse reads near zero ohms, an open fuse reads nothing. It is a cheap part, but only worth replacing after the vent has been cleaned end to end.
The heating element
The element is a long coil of resistance wire in a metal housing at the back or bottom of the dryer. Over years of heating and cooling the coil thins and eventually snaps, and the dryer tumbles normally with cold air.
With the power off and the panel removed, look at the coil; a break is often visible as a gap or a sagged spot. With the wires disconnected, a meter should read roughly 8 to 15 ohms across the terminals on most household dryers, and an open reading means the element is finished. Also test between each terminal and the housing; continuity there means the coil is grounding out, which is the usual reason a dryer trips its breaker.
Elements on Whirlpool dryers and their Maytag, Kenmore and Amana cousins are usually a flat rectangular assembly held by two screws and are among the more straightforward replacements. Samsung and LG elements sit in round housings that need more of the machine apart.
From the van: a thermal fuse is a symptom, not a cause. If we replace it without cleaning the vent, we will be back in a month replacing it again. When a dryer stops heating, the first question we ask is when the vent was last cleaned, and the answer is usually never.
Appliance Experts repairs electric dryers across London and Southwestern Ontario, 6 AM–9 PM, seven days a week — usually same day. The service call is free with the repair, and every job carries a 90-day parts and labour warranty.
Cycling thermostat, high-limit thermostat and the control
If the fuse and element both test fine, the parts that switch heat on and off are next.
- Cycling thermostat. Mounted on the blower housing, it opens when the air reaches the set temperature and closes as it cools, keeping the drum in range. If it fails open, the element never gets power. Test for continuity at room temperature; it should be closed.
- High-limit thermostat. Sits on the element housing as a second safety. It can fail open just like the thermal fuse, and often for the same airflow reason.
- Timer or control board. On a mechanical dryer, the timer contacts that feed the element can burn. On an electronic dryer, the heat relay on the board can fail. Both are diagnosed by confirming everything downstream is good and there is still no voltage at the element.
- Moisture sensor and settings. Before condemning a board, check the dryer is not set to an air-fluff cycle and that the metal sensor bars inside the drum are clean. Dryer sheet residue on the bars ends a sensor cycle early and leaves clothes damp, which some people read as no heat.
When to call a pro about a dryer not heating
Anything past the breaker means working inside a 240 V appliance. Unplugging it makes that safe, but the diagnosis needs a meter and some experience to be sure you are replacing the right part rather than the first one you find. If you are not comfortable reading ohms, or the dryer has tripped its breaker more than once, call us.
Also call if the dryer is heating but overheating, smells hot or scorched, or shows scorch marks on the lint screen housing; that is a vent and safety problem, not just a heat problem. Our dryer repair service covers every major electric brand, and our London dryer repair techs carry thermal fuses, thermostats and common elements on the van, so most no-heat calls are fixed on the first visit. Typical electric dryer repairs in this region run $160 to $340 including parts and labour, with the diagnostic fee applied to the repair.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my electric dryer run but not heat?
The drum motor runs on one 120 V leg and the heating element needs both legs of the 240 V circuit, so a half-tripped breaker lets the dryer tumble cold. If the breaker is fine, the usual causes are a blown thermal fuse, a broken heating element, or a failed thermostat, timer contact or control relay.
How do I know if the thermal fuse is blown on my dryer?
Unplug the dryer, remove the rear or lower panel and find the small plastic fuse on the blower housing or exhaust duct. Disconnect its wires and test with a multimeter on continuity. A good fuse shows near zero ohms; an open fuse shows no reading and must be replaced.
Why did my dryer thermal fuse blow?
In almost every case the exhaust vent is restricted by lint, a crushed hose, a blocked exterior hood or a frozen flap. Hot air cannot escape, the temperature at the fuse rises past its limit, and it opens. Clean the full vent run before installing a new fuse or it will blow again.
How much does it cost to fix a dryer that is not heating?
A thermal fuse, thermostat or element replacement on an electric dryer in Southwestern Ontario typically lands in the 160 to 340 dollar range including parts and labour. The diagnostic fee is applied to the repair if you proceed, and a vent cleaning is often recommended at the same visit.
Can I replace a dryer heating element myself?
A careful DIYer with a multimeter can, provided the dryer is unplugged first and the element is confirmed open before ordering a part. Elements on many Whirlpool-style dryers come out with two screws. If the dryer has tripped its breaker or the wiring looks scorched, leave it to a technician.
The bottom line
A dryer not heating on an electric machine is usually the breaker, the thermal fuse, the element or a thermostat, in that order of ease. Reset the breaker fully off and on, and if that fixes it, remember a repeat trip is a warning. If it does not, the thermal fuse and element are the next stops, and a blown fuse always means the vent needs cleaning before the new part goes in. For a same-day visit anywhere in London and Southwestern Ontario, call Appliance Experts at (519) 900-3010 or book online, and bring the model number from the sticker inside the door.