Short answerWhen the drum spins but no heat comes out, the cause is usually an open thermal fuse or a heating element with a break in it, or, on gas models, a weak igniter or failed valve coils; a dryer that takes forever is most often starved for air by a vent packed with lint and dust. When you call, the office books a day and time window, the technician tests the heat circuit and the vent, and you get one written price to approve or decline before any part comes out.
01Dryer tumbles but won't heat (electric)
Usually: Most often the thermal fuse has opened, the heating element coil has broken, or the high-limit thermostat has failed open. Losing one side of the power supply, from a failing breaker or a burnt wire at the terminal block, looks identical, because the drum motor runs on one side while the element needs both.
What we do: Reset the breaker if it has tripped; after that, our technician measures voltage at the terminal block and tests the fuse, element and thermostats for continuity. When a thermal fuse has blown, we also find out why, since these fuses usually open when exhaust overheats behind a restricted vent.
02Gas dryer stays cold, or the flame lights and then dies
Usually: If the igniter never glows, it has likely cracked, or the flame sensor has failed and is holding the circuit open. If it glows and fades with no flame, or the flame catches briefly and goes out, the gas valve coils are the classic failure, because they weaken once they warm up.
What we do: Through the burner opening, the technician observes the ignition sequence, then puts a meter on the igniter, flame sensor and each valve coil. After any gas-side repair, our technicians check the connections they touched for leaks before leaving.
03Loads need a second or third run to dry
Usually: This is often an airflow problem, not a broken dryer. Lint mixed with wind-blown dust narrows the vent, the outside hood flap sticks, or the foil duct behind the dryer gets flattened and chokes the exhaust, leaving damp air with nowhere to go.
What we do: With the dryer running, we feel the exhaust at the outside hood, inspect the transition duct and lint screen housing, and test the heat source. When the vent is to blame, you hear that before any part is quoted, since a new element can't fix a blocked duct.
04Won't start, or runs without turning the drum
Usually: When a dryer has power but does nothing, look first at the door switch, the start switch and the thermal fuse, which on many models also cuts the motor. If the motor runs but the drum stays still, the belt has usually snapped; if the motor only hums, a seized idler pulley, a jammed drum or a failing motor is more likely.
What we do: We test the door and start circuit, give the drum a turn by hand to check for a loose belt or a pulley that drags, and check the motor's start switch. Belts, door switches and thermal fuses normally ride along in our trucks, so this one often gets fixed on the spot.
05Squealing, thumping or grinding as it tumbles
Usually: A rhythmic thump often comes from a flat spot on a drum roller or a belt that has begun to fray. A high squeal usually points to an idler pulley that has run dry or drum glides that have worn, and metal-on-metal scraping can mean the front bearing slides have worn through.
What we do: We open the cabinet and inspect rollers, pulley, glides and belt together, replacing the worn set so the next part doesn't become the next visit. Coins and underwire caught between the drum and the bulkhead come out, and the drum seal gets checked for tears.
06Shuts off partway through, then restarts after cooling
Usually: That pattern points to the motor's internal overload tripping. Lint packed around the motor, a drum dragging on worn rollers, or a motor near the end of its life makes it run hot enough to cut out.
What we do: We check the motor for heat and lint, feel whether the drum turns without drag, and vacuum lint out of the cabinet while it is open, which also lowers the fire risk. If the motor is on its way out, that shows up in the written price, and the choice is yours.
07Burning smell, hot cabinet or scorched clothes
Usually: Overheating comes from a cycling thermostat whose contacts have stuck closed, an element that has shorted to its housing, or lint that has gathered near the element or burner. A restricted exhaust makes each of these worse.
What we do: Until it has been checked, leave the dryer off and unplugged, or with its gas shutoff closed. We test the thermostats and element for shorts to ground, clear lint from inside the cabinet, and confirm exhaust flow and temperature are normal before the machine goes back into service.
08Auto-dry ends too soon, or never ends
Usually: Sensor-dry models judge dryness through metal bars inside the drum, and a film left by dryer sheets or liquid softener coats those bars and fools the control. A broken sensor wire or a timer that has stopped advancing does the opposite and keeps the cycle running.
What we do: Wiping the sensor bars with a little rubbing alcohol is worth trying yourself first. We test the bars and their harness, then check whether the timer or board advances the cycle; if those pass, airflow is next, because a choked vent keeps clothes wet longer than the control expects.