Dryer No Heat

Scenario briefing

The call

A homeowner reports their electric dryer tumbles normally but the clothes come out cold and still damp. There is no error code on the display.

They mention loads have been taking two or three cycles to dry for a few weeks, and lately they get no heat at all. The drum turns, the timer advances, and the machine sounds normal.

Work the sequence: confirm the complaint and inspect the exhaust path, then split airflow from the heating circuit, then test the heat string with power isolated. Parts come after measurements, not before.

1. 1Heating elementThe heat source. It reads a low resistance when good and open when a coil has burned through — usually after months of running hot behind a restricted vent.Commonly fails: Coil burns open, sags, and sometimes shorts to the housing after repeated overheating.Symptoms on the call: Tumbles with no heat at all. A shorted element can also produce heat continuously, even with the drum stopped.Often misdiagnosed as: Replacing the element and leaving the restricted duct that killed it in place.Rule out first: Confirm both legs of supply voltage and prove exhaust airflow before you fit a new element.Expect to see: Good: continuity through the element and no continuity to the housing. Bad: open coil, or continuity to ground. Upstream: a missing leg of 240V gives you no heat with a perfectly good element.
2. 2Thermal fuseOne-shot safety device. It opens on overheat and never resets, so an open fuse is a report that the machine got too hot — find out why before you replace it.
3. 3Operating thermostat (cycling)Cycles the element to hold drum temperature. When it fails open you get tumble with no heat and no code at all.
4. 4High-limit thermostatBacks up the cycling stat on the element housing. It trips on restricted airflow and often fails in the same event that takes the thermal fuse.
5. 5Exhaust vent connectionThe root cause on most no-heat calls. A packed lint trap, crushed transition hose, or stuck exterior flap overheats the housing and kills the element and safety devices.