A dryer that tumbles but doesn't heat is sending you a clear message: something in the heating circuit failed open. Almost always it's a thermal fuse that blew because the vent is clogged with lint. Fix the vent first or you'll just blow another fuse.
Many dryer symptoms can be diagnosed and fixed on the first visit. Flat $149 trip fee, credited toward the repair when you approve it.
Need dryer repair? Call 7am–9pm, every day.
Step-by-step
Pull the plug at the wall. For gas models, also close the gas shutoff valve behind the dryer.
Pull the lint screen, wash it with soap and water (lots of unseen residue from dryer sheets). Then disconnect the vent hose at the back of the dryer and at the wall. Vacuum both ends and the wall duct. This alone fixes many 'no heat' complaints.
Walk outside, find the vent flap on the wall, and confirm it opens when the dryer runs. A stuck flap or a bird's nest behind it = no airflow = blown thermal fuse every time.
Electric dryers use a double 240V breaker. If only one half tripped, the drum still turns but there is no heat. Switch it fully off, then back on, before opening anything.
On a gas dryer, watch the igniter through the burner window on a heat cycle. A glow with no flame points to the gas valve coils; no glow points to the igniter. Both are technician repairs.
Move the dryer out, remove the rear panel (usually 6–8 screws). On most models the thermal fuse is mounted on the blower housing — a small white rectangle with two wires.
Set the meter to continuity (the beep setting). Touch the probes to the two terminals on the fuse. Beep = good. Silence = blown — replace it ($8 part). IMPORTANT: a blown fuse means the vent was restricted; if you don't fix the vent, the new fuse blows in days.
The element is a coiled wire inside a metal cage at the back. Disconnect both wires, set the meter to continuity, and probe the two terminals. You want a low reading (5–50 ohms). Open / OL = burned out, replace the element ($45–$90 part).
Mounted near the heating element. Same continuity test — beep = good, silence = bad. If it's tripped, that's another vent clog symptom.
Put the back panel on, hook the vent up, plug in (gas: open the valve), and run a 10-minute timed-dry cycle on high. Touch the dryer cabinet — it should be warm but not hot. The exhaust at the wall should feel like a hair dryer on low.
Stop and call
Safety + model triggers
Gas dryer with no heat, OR you smell gas at any point.
Igniter, gas valve, and flame sensor work involves the gas line — leave, ventilate, and call your gas utility first if you smell gas.
Burning smell, scorched lint, or visible flame inside the drum.
Lint fires kill people every year — STOP using the dryer, unplug it, and call now.
You replaced the thermal fuse and it blew again within a week.
Vent restriction you can't find — running the dryer in this state risks a cabinet fire.
Stacked unit, closet install, or compact 24" Bosch / LG WashTower.
Back panel access requires unstacking and re-leveling — not safely DIY.
Other reasons to call
FAQs
The heating circuit failed open somewhere — almost always a thermal fuse that blew because the vent is clogged. Fix the vent first, then test the fuse, element, and thermostat with a multimeter (under $15 at any hardware store).
Once a year for a household of 2–3, twice a year for 4+. Clean the lint screen every load. A clogged vent doubles dry times, blows fuses, and is a leading cause of dryer fires.
Thermal fuse: $189–$240 all-in. Heating element: $250–$380. Gas igniter: $260–$340. Our flat $149 trip fee is credited toward the repair when you approve it.
Yes — the high-limit thermostat trips and/or the thermal fuse blows when the cabinet overheats from restricted airflow. The dryer is protecting itself (and your house) from a fire.
Yes. Most no-heat conditions are caused by overheating from a clogged vent — the same condition behind many dryer fires (see the U.S. Fire Administration's dryer fire statistics). Don't ignore it and don't keep running the dryer.
Related service
A broken dryer can quickly become more than just an inconvenience — wet laundry piles up fast, drying times increase energy bills, and overheating dryers can even create fire hazards. At Central Minnesota Appliance Repair, we provide fast, professional dryer repair Minneapolis services for homeowners, landlords, property managers, and businesses across Minneapolis, St. Paul and the Twin Cities.
See dryer repair detailsLocal service area
More guides
A dryer that tumbles without heat has lost its heating circuit. On an electric dryer that is usually a blown thermal fuse, a burned-out heating element or a tripped breaker leg. On a gas dryer it is usually the igniter, a gas valve coil or a closed gas valve. A clogged vent is often the reason a safety part opened.
Central Minnesota Appliance Repair handles both electric and gas dryers across Minneapolis, St. Paul and the metro. Many of our no-heat calls start in the vent, so the first question is always how long the dryer takes to dry a normal load and how hot the air at the outside flap feels.
| What you notice | Likely cause | Safe check you can do | When to call |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tumbles, no heat, electric dryer | Thermal fuse or heating element | Unplug and clean the lint screen and vent | Heat does not return after the vent is clear |
| Tumbles but no heat, electric dryer | One pole of the 240V breaker tripped | Check that both halves of the double breaker are fully on | Breaker trips again or will not reset |
| Gas dryer: burner never lights | Igniter, coils or gas supply | Confirm the gas valve behind the dryer is open | Any gas smell, or no flame after the valve is open |
| Heat, then shuts off, then no heat | High-limit thermostat tripping from restriction | Clean the vent run from dryer to outside | Repeats after cleaning |
| Hot at the front, clothes still damp | Airflow restriction, not a heat fault | Check the outside vent flap opens fully | Vent runs a long way or has many bends |
The $149 trip fee is credited toward the repair when you approve it.
Leave the house, do not use light switches or phones inside, and call your gas utility or 911 from outside. A gas smell is not a dryer-repair question until the utility has cleared the home. Never try to relight, bypass or adjust gas parts yourself.
If there is no gas smell and the burner simply does not light, unplug the dryer and check that the shutoff valve behind it is open. Everything else on a gas line is work for a technician. In older St. Paul and Minneapolis homes, the dryer sometimes sits in the basement on a flexible connector that is decades old, which is another reason to let us look rather than adjust it.
Basement and interior-wall dryers often have long runs to the outside. Cold ducts let lint and moisture stick, narrowing the passage.
Snow, ice or a nest can hold the outside flap shut. If the flap does not open when the dryer runs, air has nowhere to go.
Pushing the dryer tight against the wall can pinch the transition duct. Pull it forward and check.
Thin, ribbed ducts collect lint more easily than smooth metal. Replacing them improves airflow and drying times.
Usually yes, because the common parts are modest and the labor is routine. If the dryer is older and the drum, belt or motor are also worn, a replacement may make more sense. Read our dryer repair cost page and the repair-or-replace guide before deciding.
If you would rather have a technician look, we can usually come the same day, and the repair carries a 1-year written warranty on parts and labor. See the gas dryer and electric dryer pages, or the local Minneapolis and St. Paul pages.
Only if the cause is found. A fuse opens because something overheated, usually a restricted vent. Replacing it without fixing the airflow means the new fuse can blow too.
Restricted airflow, a weak heating element or a failing thermostat. Clean the lint screen and vent first, then call if it persists.
A breaking element or a loose connection can make heat intermittent. Intermittent heat is still a repair issue.
No. A restricted vent traps heat and lint. Stop using it and clear the vent run.
Need dryer repair? Call 7am–9pm, every day.
