You have put your wet laundry load and left it in the Whirlpool dryer to dry off. An hour later, you realize all the laundry is still wet. Such a situation is frustrating and you have to diagnose what is wrong with the dryer.
There are several reasons why your dryer is not heating, among them being a defective thermostat, heating element, or there is no gas supply. Here are some of the possible reasons why your Whirlpool dryer is not heating and how to troubleshoot each of them.
Reasons why your Whirlpool dryer is not working
These are the most common reasons why your Whirlpool dryer is not working and how to troubleshoot your dryer in any of these instances. These fixes are also effective when you are using the Whirlpool duet dryer.
1. Burnt heating element
A burnt heating element is the main reason why your Whirlpool dryer is not working. Its purpose in electric dryers is to heat the air inside the drum. The position of the Whirlpool dryer’s heating element depends on your model.
Some of them are inside a housing that heats the air that passes through the blower. Others are located directly in the drum and warm the air inside the drum. If you suspect that your heating element is burnt out, you should test it for continuity.
When you notice broken wires or the element emits a burning smell, you should conduct the heating element replacement procedure if you know your way through electrical parts. If not, get a certified professional for appliance repairs.
2. Low power supply
Your Whirlpool dryer is running but not heating because it may be experiencing power issues. An electric dryer requires input power of 240V to operate. The circuit breaker or fuse may break and cause the dryer to tumble but not heat.
In this case, you should check the circuit breaker or fuse box using a multi-meter for potential problems. If you don’t have the expertise of doing it yourself, consult a professional technician to look into it.
3. Blown thermal fuse
A thermal cut-off fuse is important to a dryer since it prevents it from overheating and causing a house fire. It also controls the dryer’s heating element and therefore, when it blows up, the dryer stops heating.
Follow these steps to replace a blown thermal fuse:
- Unplug the dryer from the power supply.
- Detach the power vent.
- Push the dryer away from the wall to access its back panel.
- Unscrew all the screws attaching the back panel.
- Check for the fuse in the blower housing.
- Separate the two wire terminals and remove the screws holding the fuse.
- Take out the burnt fuse and replace it with a new one.
- Reconnect all the components and restart the dryer.
4. Faulty thermostat
Your dryer’s thermostat monitors and regulates the temperature inside the blower housing and heating element. If it is defective, it may not control the dryer’s temperature and result in overheating. To determine if it is defective, you should perform a continuity test.
Note that the cycling thermostat has closed contacts that only open until the temperature rises. Therefore, it is a challenge to perform the test, but you can do it using the following steps:
- Unplug the dryer from the power supply.
- Open the dryer’s cabinet to reveal the cycling thermostat at the bottom attached to the blower housing.
- Gently remove it from your dryer.
- Use a multi-meter to measure its continuity by placing the prongs on the end terminals of the thermostat. The reading should display infinity or zero. If it gives any other reading, it is defective and needs replacement.
Follow these steps to replace the cycling thermostat:
- Unplug the dryer from power and take off the dryer vent.
- Pull it away from the wall to access the back panel.
- Unscrew the screws attached to the back panel.
- The cycling thermostat is at the bottom of the unit, surrounded by wires. You should remove the wires to get access to the thermostat.
- Remove the screws holding the thermostat.
- Remove the old thermostat and replace it with a new one.
- Reassemble the wires and internal components in the dryer and reboot it.
5. Blocked ventilation
A blocked vent may prevent your Whirlpool dryer from heating or drying your clothes for longer hours. Lint from clothes blocks the vent or even other parts of the dryer. Cleaning the vent improves airflow and heating performance. In fact, it is identified as the most common reason for failure to heat in Samsung dryers. Therefore, it might as well be the cause here.
Below is a procedure on how to clean the dryer’s ventilation:
- Unplug the dryer from the power source and if there is a gas supply, turn it off.
- Remove the ventilation hose by taking off the metal tape by either unscrewing or unclipping it from the back of the dryer. You can also remove the panel to get better access to this area.
- Clean the ventilation area and area using a soft brush or cloth.
- Clean the ventilation duct with a ventilation cleaning kit, vacuum attachment, or leaf blower.
- Reassemble the ventilation hose back to the dryer, ensuring that it is not squeezed so that air freely flows through the hose.
6. Faulty gas valve solenoid
Another reason your Whirlpool dryer is not getting hot and taking longer to dry clothes is defective coils. The solenoid coils allow gas to flow into the burner assembly and a defective one does not allow the dryer to heat. You can test it using a multi-meter, and if defective, replace it with the following steps:
- Unplug it from the power source and turn off the gas supply.
- Use the Whirlpool dryer’s manual to locate the gas valve solenoid and remove the panels to access it.
- Detach the coils from the gas valve solenoid.
- Use a multi-meter to test the coils’ continuity and replace the defective ones.
Whirlpool dryer heats again
We have highlighted the main reasons why your Whirlpool dryer may fail to heat. It can be frustrating to find your clothes wet in the dryer and not know where the problem is. For example, the dryer may have a defective thermal fuse, gas valve solenoid, low power supply, or burnt heating element.