Laundry
Gas and Electric Dryer Repair
A dryer that runs but won't dry is usually starved for airflow or missing one heat part. We check the vent and the heat circuit, name the failed part, and quote it before starting.
Booking online? The dryer model number in the form lets us check parts before we arrive.
Step one covers the appliance; step two, your contact details. We follow up to book the visit.
How a dryer actually dries
A dryer is mostly an air mover. A blower wheel pulls room air across a heat source, through the tumbling clothes, through the lint screen and out the vent. The heat speeds up evaporation, but the moving air is what carries the moisture away. Choke the airflow and the clothes stay damp no matter how hot the drum gets.
Electric dryers heat with a coiled element on a 240-volt circuit. Gas dryers light a burner using a glowing silicon carbide or silicon nitride igniter and a gas valve with small solenoid coils. Both are protected by thermostats and a one-time thermal fuse, and a cycling thermostat or sensor keeps the temperature in range. When a vent is badly restricted, the high-limit thermostat and fuse are what trip, so a blown fuse is often a symptom of a vent problem, not the root cause.
Mechanically, the drum rides on rollers or glides and is turned by a long belt wrapped around it, with an idler pulley keeping tension. Squeals and thumps usually come from those parts. Newer machines add moisture-sensing bars that end the cycle when the load is dry, and ventless condenser and heat-pump dryers skip the duct altogether by pulling moisture into a tank or drain.
- Electric vented
- Gas vented
- Stacked and laundry-center
- Compact 24-inch
- Condenser (ventless)
- Heat-pump
Common dryer complaints and their usual causes
Heat and airflow are tangled together in a dryer, so many of these symptoms share causes. The vent is always part of the diagnosis.
- Tumbles but gives no heat
- Blown thermal fuse, open heating element, failed gas igniter or valve coils, only one leg of 240-volt power reaching an electric dryer
- Heats, but loads take far too long
- Lint packed in the vent or booster run, crushed transition hose, stuck exterior flap, dirty moisture sensor bars
- Won't start at all
- Door switch, thermal fuse on models that cut the motor, start switch, tripped breaker, failed motor or control
- Thumping as the drum turns
- Flat spots on drum rollers, worn glides, cracked roller axle
- High squeal or scraping
- Worn idler pulley, dry roller bearings, felt seal torn and letting the drum rub
- Stops a few minutes into the cycle
- Motor overheating, a thermostat opening on a blocked vent, failing gas valve coils that let the burner go out
- Burning or scorched smell
- Lint buildup around the heater or burner, a failed cycling thermostat letting it overheat, a cloth caught behind the drum
Safe checks before calling us
- Clean the lint screen with a soft brush and water. Dryer sheets leave a film that can clog the mesh even when it looks clear.
- With a load tumbling, go to where the vent exits, if you can reach it safely, and hold your hand near the hood. Warm air should push out hard; a weak puff means lint or a crushed section somewhere along the run.
- Pull the dryer out gently and look at the flexible hose behind it. It should be rigid or semi-rigid metal, short and free of kinks. Foil and vinyl hoses crush easily.
- For an electric dryer that runs cold, check the breaker. Electric dryers sit on a two-pole breaker; when only one pole trips, the drum keeps turning but the heater gets nothing.
- Wipe the moisture sensor bars inside the drum with rubbing alcohol if cycles end too early or run too long.
Safety first: Unplug an electric dryer, or unplug a gas dryer and close its gas shutoff, before moving it or opening anything. A gas odor means stop right there: no switches, no lights. Get out and phone 911 or the gas utility's emergency line once you're outside. Never replace a thermal fuse with a jumper wire: it's the last line of defense against a fire.
Signs a dryer needs a technician
- No heat after you've checked the breaker and cleaned the lint screen.
- Strong airflow at the outside vent, yet loads still take more than one cycle.
- A thermal fuse has blown more than once.
- Loud thumping, grinding or squealing that gets worse.
- Any scorched smell, or a gas odor near a gas dryer.
What to expect on a dryer visit
Airflow comes first. The technician checks the lint path and vent restriction before blaming a heat part, since a blocked duct will ruin a new element or fuse too. Then comes the heat circuit: continuity through the fuse, thermostats and element on an electric model, or the igniter and valve coils on a gas one. The drum support parts get a look while the cabinet is open.
If the vent is the problem, we'll show you where it's restricted. You'll get a clear explanation of what failed and the price, and the work starts only after you say yes. On stacked units the repair may involve lifting the dryer off the washer, which we'll mention before we begin.
Is this dryer worth fixing?
Dryers are simple machines, and most repairs involve inexpensive parts: fuses, thermostats, igniters, elements, belts, rollers and idlers. Those are nearly always worth doing. Replacing a motor or main control on an older, basic dryer is where the math gets closer, and we'll give you an honest read.
Swapping the dryer does nothing for a restricted duct. A long roof or wall run will slow a brand-new machine just as it slowed the old one, so the vent belongs in any decision.
How we approach dryer repairs
Vent before parts
We check airflow before replacing heat parts, because a new fuse on a clogged vent just fails again.
Gas and electric
Igniters, valve coils, elements and 240-volt supply problems are all part of the same diagnosis.
The price before the work
The failed part and the repair price are laid out first. Whether to go ahead is your call.
See which Northern Virginia ZIP codes we serve, or request a dryer repair.
Dryer Repair for Owners, Renters and Landlords
Dryer vents in townhouses and condos often run a long way, up through the roof or across a ceiling to a far wall, and every foot and elbow slows the air down. Add a humid Northern Virginia summer, when towels start out wetter and the air coming in is already damp, and a marginal vent turns into two-hour loads. Gas dryers need a gas line and a shutoff within reach; electric models need a 240-volt circuit.
How a Dryer Repair Visit Works
Tell Us What's Wrong
Name the make, add the model number if it is handy, and describe the symptom. A picture of the label inside the door lets us check parts.
Diagnosis at Your Home
The technician tests the appliance along with its power, water, drain, gas or vent connections until the fault is confirmed.
A Price Before Work
We name the failed part and give you the cost of fixing it. Work starts only after you agree.
Repair and Check
The part is installed and the appliance is run through a cycle so you can watch it working.
Related Repairs
Other appliances, brands and service areas on the site.
Dryer faults we fix
From heating and airflow faults to drum noise, sensors and controls, here's everything on our dryer list.
- Not Heating
- Drum Not Tumbling
- Takes Too Long to Dry
- Making Loud Noise
- Won't Start
- Dryer Overheating
- Not Drying Clothes
- Shutting Off Early
- Not Getting Hot Enough
- Taking Too Long to Dry
- Thermal Fuse Blown
- Heating Element Burned Out
- Gas Igniter Not Working
- Gas Valve Solenoid Failure
- Flame Sensor / Radiant Sensor Failure
- Blower Wheel Clogged with Lint
- Exhaust Duct Clogged
- Restricted Exhaust Airflow
- Dryer Venting Improperly
- Drive Belt Broken
- Drum Rollers Worn Out
- Drum Glide / Bearing Worn
- Idler Pulley Seized
- Drive Motor Failure
- Making Loud Noise During Operation
- Squealing Noise During Tumble
- Thumping or Banging Noise
- Rattling Noise
- Control Board Failure
- Cycling Thermostat Failure
- High-Limit Thermostat Failure
- Moisture Sensor Failure
- Dryer Door Not Closing Properly
- Door Switch Failure
- Lint Trap / Screen Damaged
- Start Button Not Working
- Dryer Won't Turn On
- Tripping Circuit Breaker
- Burning Smell
- Clothes Shrinking
- Clothes Still Wet After Full Cycle
- Clothes Damp but Warm After Cycle
- Auto-Dry Sensor Not Working
- Timer Not Advancing
- Electric Dryer No Heat — Partial Power
- Gas Smell from Gas Dryer
- Display Panel Not Working
- Buttons Not Responding
- Won't Spin at All
- Stops Mid-Cycle
- Heat Setting Not Changing
- Excessive Energy Use
- Excessive Static on Clothes
- Clothes Heavily Wrinkled
- Steam Function Not Working
- Moisture Sensor Needs Cleaning
- Exhaust Hose Kinked
- Exterior Too Hot to Touch
- Wrinkle-Prevent Tumble Not Working
- Requires Two or More Cycles to Dry
- Error Code on Display
- Low Gas Pressure to Dryer
- Drum Interior Light Not Working
- Door Handle Broken
- Auto-Dry Cycle Runs All Night
- Gas Burner Orifice Clogged
- Lint Fire Hazard in Ductwork
- Timer Advancing Too Slowly
- Three-Prong Outlet / Four-Prong Cord Mismatch
- Knocking at Startup
- Intermittent Squeaking
- Bird or Pest Nest in Dryer Duct
- Cycling Thermostat Stuck Closed
- Gas Valve Solenoid Kit Needed
- Thermal Cutout Needs Resetting
Dryer brands we work on
Quick notes for the dryer brands that come up most often, then the complete brand list.
- Whirlpool dryer repair
- Samsung dryer repair
- LG dryer repair
- Maytag dryer repair
- GE Appliances dryer repair
- Speed Queen dryer repair
- Electrolux dryer repair
- Bosch dryer repair
Guides on dryer problems
Dryer Repair FAQ
Brief answers to what customers most often ask us. Don't see yours? Ask when you call, or add it to the notes when you book online.
Still have a question?
Get in touch with the brand, the symptom and, if you can find it, the model number. Some things we can answer right away; others need a technician in front of the machine.
Airflow, most of the time. Lint collects in the duct over months, and in townhouses where the vent climbs to the roof it tends to settle at the bends and at the roof cap. A crushed hose behind the machine does the same. If the vent is clear, a weak gas valve coil, a failing element or dirty moisture sensors can shorten the heating.
Possibly, but check the breaker first. Electric dryers need both halves of a 240-volt double breaker; lose one and the drum may still turn, just without heat. After that, the usual suspects are the thermal fuse, the element and the high-limit thermostat.
It's a one-time safety cutoff that opens when the dryer overheats. Replacing it without finding why it blew means it'll blow again, and a restricted vent is the most common reason. A cycling thermostat stuck closed or a lint-coated heater can also cause repeat failures.
Yes. Gas dryers usually fail at the igniter or the valve coils, and both are routine repairs. If there's ever a gas smell around the dryer, get everyone out first and report it to 911 or your gas utility from the yard or the street.
Yes. Condenser and heat-pump dryers have their own quirks, such as lint filters in two places, a condenser that needs rinsing and a water tank or drain line. Let us know the model when you book, and check whether the building needs a certificate of insurance or an elevator reservation.
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