Check our error code guide for dryers as an error code may mean that your dryer needs service and no other troubleshooting needs to be performed.
Some settings, like Eco Dry, will cause portions of the cycle (like the beginning) to operate without heat. You can find out more about your dryer's cycles, settings, and features in our guide.
The following steps apply even if only one cycle is having the issue, as long as the cycle with the issue is one that is supposed to heat.
Set the dryer to Time Dry, make sure Eco Dry is turned off, and then start a cycle. After 30 seconds, open the door and feel inside.
If the dryer has heated before, and the installation hasn't been changed in any way, you can skip step 3.
If the dryer has never heated since it's been installed in its current location, or since the installation was recently changed, then it is likely that installation is the cause of the issue and service is not required. Review step 3 closely.
The following steps in the installation can cause no heat:
The user manual contains all you need to know to install the dryer correctly, however, we recommend having a professional do it.
Turn the circuit breaker off, wait 30 seconds, and then turn it back on.
Electric dryers have two circuits. In most homes, these circuits are connected so that they will trip together. However, it is possible for only one of the circuits to trip. If this happens, the dryer will turn on and spin but will not heat. By turning it off and back on, you can confirm that both circuits are turned on and no longer tripped.
Check our error code guide for dryers as an error code may mean that your dryer needs service and no other troubleshooting needs to be performed.
If your cycles end too quickly for the dryer to get warm, select Dryer cycle ends too quickly, as those troubleshooting steps may better address your issue.
(If you already know your dryer is heating, you can skip this step.)
Set the dryer to Time Dry, make sure Eco Dry is turned off, and then start a cycle. After 30 seconds, open the door and feel inside.
The dryer will not be able to heat well if the lint filter is clogged, so clean the lint filter before or after every cycle.
Eco Dry intentionally reduces heat output to save energy. (Clothes still get dry, but it may take longer which saves energy in the long run.)
Eco Dry doesn't use any hot air at the beginning of the cycle. If you feel like the dryer isn't as hot as it should be, make sure it's not because it's the beginning of a cycle using Eco Dry.
On models with the setting, Eco Dry will automatically turn on for certain common cycles (like Normal or Time Dry). To dry your clothes more quickly and with higher heat (but also higher energy expenditure), turn off the setting every time you run a Normal or Time Dry cycle, or run a different cycle.
This matches federal requirements for energy use in dryers, which all appliance manufacturers must follow.
When the drum is cool and empty, press Adjust Time Up + Dry Level until "Ins" or "In" appears on the display. If that doesn't work, try Cycle 1 + Wrinkle Prevent or Air Fluff + Wrinkle Prevent. Next, hold Start/Pause. Do not open the door during the test. The results will display for five minutes when the test is finished:
If your dryer doesn't have the buttons mentioned, or you can't get the test to work, there is a different way to run a vent blockage test.
A vent blockage test confirms if your dryer can exhaust through your vent.
The dryer will reduce heat if detects that heat and moisture are not leaving (to prevent overheating and fires in the vent.) Your exhaust vent needs to be:
It is very rare for this issue to require service.
Dryer heater failure usually means no heat at all (check the Dryer has no heat at all section at the beginning of the article.)
If it heats but cycles are long, the vent is likely clogged (see steps 4, 5, and 6.)
However, if the vent blockage test passes, and you're certain that there is an issue or defect with your dryer, then visit our Support Center to request service.
The moisture sensors are two curved metal bars inside the front of the drum, typically in the housing for the lint filter or to the side of it.
On Sensor Dry cycles, (most cycles) the sensors stop the cycle when they detect dry laundry. The sensors can get residue on them from dryer sheets which may cause them to not work properly.
Clean them with a soft cloth and a drop of dish soap.
If you want drier clothes when using a Sensor Dry cycle, set a higher Dry Level.
(Damp Alert is also known as Mixed Load Bell on older models.)
When drying mixed loads, lighter fabrics will dry faster than heavier ones. When the lighter fabrics at the front of the drum brush against the sensor bars, a Sensor Dry cycle will stop, even though the heavier fabrics at the back of the drum are still damp. (Manual Dry cycles don't have this problem since they dry the clothes until the time runs out.)
The Damp Alert was designed to address this. It will signal when the load is about 80 percent dry. This is your cue to remove all the clothes that are dry and leave the rest, letting the cycle continue. It's also a good time to remove anything that you want to hang or air dry.
The minimum load size is about 4 regular sized bath towels. If there's less than that in the dryer, there may not be enough to brush against the sensor bars to let the dryer know that wet laundry is still inside.
For extremely small loads, soak a few towels and throw them in with the load to increase the load size to the minimum.
Check our error code guide for dryers as an error code may mean that your dryer needs service and no other troubleshooting needs to be performed.
(If you already know your dryer is heating, you can skip this step.)
Set the dryer to Time Dry, make sure Eco Dry is turned off, and then start a cycle. After 30 seconds, open the door and feel inside.
Sensor Dry cycles run until the clothes are dry. If it's taking a long time, the most common reason is that moisture isn't leaving the dryer.
The lint filter is the first place where moisture might get blocked, so clean the lint filter before or after every cycle.
The Eco Dry setting reduces heat output in order to save energy. In fact, the beginning of the cycle doesn't use any hot air at all.
This extends the length of the cycle as a tradeoff for spending less energy total.
If you know you were using Eco Dry, this alone could explain why a cycle takes longer and you may not need any other troubleshooting. However, the following steps can help improve drying time performance so you may want to do them anyway, especially if you aren't sure whether you were using Eco Dry or not.
On models with the setting, Eco Dry will automatically turn on for certain common cycles (like Normal or Time Dry). You will have to manually turn off the setting to run these cycles without Eco Dry, or run a different cycle. This matches new federal requirements for energy use in dryers, which all appliance manufacturers must follow.
When the drum is cool and empty, press Adjust Time Up + Dry Level until "Ins" or "In" appears on the display. If that doesn't work, try Cycle 1 + Wrinkle Prevent or Air Fluff + Wrinkle Prevent. Next, hold Start/Pause. Do not open the door during the test. The results will display for five minutes when the test is finished:
If your dryer doesn't have the buttons mentioned, or you can't get the test to work, there is a different way to run a vent blockage test.
A vent blockage test confirms if your dryer can exhaust through your vent.
In order for moisture to leave your dryer, your exhaust vent needs to be:
It may be the case that your cycle is expected to take longer. Long cycles are expected in the following situations:
It is very rare for this issue to require service.
Dryer heater failure usually means no heat at all (check the Dryer has no heat at all section at the beginning of the article.)
If it heats but cycles are long, the vent is likely clogged (see steps 4, 5, and 6.)
However, if the vent blockage test passes, and you're certain that there is an issue or defect with your dryer, then visit our Support Center to request service.
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