When you’ve just washed a large load of laundry and placed it in the dryer, the last thing you want to deal with is a broken dryer. What do you do with all those wet clothes? You can hang them out to dry… but honestly, who wants to do that? We’ve got a few quick troubleshooting tips for when your dryer won’t dry.

If your dryer isn’t heating properly, it certainly isn’t going to dry clothes very well. This annoying problem can be caused by a few different factors, including full lint trap, clogged dryer vent, burned out heating element, and faulty thermostats. Use this quick troubleshooting guide to figure out why your dryer won’t dry.

 

Dryer Won’t Dry Clothes Troubleshooting Guide

#1 Dirty Lint Trap

This first tip regarding a dryer taking too long may seem obvious, but it can often get overlooked. If there is a large buildup of lint in the lint trap, it may take your dryer much longer to dry clothes.

We highly recommend cleaning the lint filter after each use. This will decrease dryer time and increase energy efficiency.

dryer won't dry#2 Clogged Dryer Vent

Clogged dryer vents are a common cause of a dryer not heating. Build up of lint, hair, dust, and other debris can greatly restrict the airflow to the dryer. Without proper airflow, the dryer’s timing can get thrown off, causing clothes to take much to long to dry.

We recommend cleaning dryer vents at least once every year. This will lead to better dryer efficiency and reduce fire hazards.

#3 Heating Element Burned Out

When your dryer won’t dry fast enough, or at all, a burned out heating element may be to blame. If it is even partially burned out, the drying time will be affected.

To check the dryer heating element yourself, use your owner’s manual to find the heating element inside the cabinet. Test it with a multimeter. Replace the element if needed, or call a certified appliance repair technician.

#4 Faulty Thermostat

A high limit thermostat or cycling thermostat malfunction can be the culprit if your dryer isn’t drying clothes properly. The heat will shut off prematurely if one of these thermostats is broken.

We recommend testing other parts before replacing a dryer thermostat, as this is a less likely cause of a dryer not drying. If you determine that a thermostat is to blame for the problem, replace it or have a dryer repair technician near you fix it.