Dryer runs but no heat? Put it on a heated timed cycle, leave the drum empty, and run it for five minutes.
If the drum stays cold, identify whether the dryer is electric or gas before checking anything else.
A cold electric dryer can still tumble on partial household power, while a gas dryer can tumble with its gas supply closed. Weak outdoor airflow is a separate fire-safety problem, not proof that the heater itself has failed.
Why the drum can turn while the heat stays off
The motor and heat do not depend on exactly the same inputs. That is why a moving drum does not clear the breaker, gas supply, heating circuit, or burner system.
Whirlpool’s current product guidance says many electric dryers use a 30-amp circuit fused on both sides. One side can power the motor while loss of the other side leaves the heater without the 208- or 240-volt supply it needs.
That detail changes the first decision: do not buy a heating element just because the dryer still turns.
Gas models make the same symptom by a different route. The controls and motor can run even when the shutoff valve is closed, according to Whirlpool, so an electric-dryer parts list is useless until you read the dryer’s model label and fuel type.
The free failures come first. Air Only, Air Fluff, and some rack settings are meant to run without heat.
Dryer runs but no heat? Use this test before parts
Remove the load and clean the lint screen. Choose a heated timed cycle rather than a sensor cycle, then let the empty drum run for five minutes.
Open the door and check for warmth from outside the cabinet. Do not remove a panel, probe an outlet, or test a component with a multimeter.
- Warm drum: the heater works during this test. A wet load, poor washer spin, oversized load, moisture-sensor issue, or restricted exhaust is more likely than total heat loss.
- Cold electric dryer: check the labeled dryer breaker from the panel face. If it is tripped and there is no burning smell, buzzing, heat, or visible damage, follow the panel manufacturer’s reset direction once.
- Cold gas dryer: visually confirm that the appliance is connected and compare the shutoff-handle position with the owner’s manual. Do not loosen a connector or work on the burner.
- Any odor, smoke, sparking, or hot plug: stop the dryer. Leave a gas-odor area without operating switches, and call the gas utility or emergency service from outside.
If a breaker trips again, leave it off and call an electrician or appliance technician. Repeated resetting hides the evidence they need and can add heat at a bad connection.
“Dryer works but doesn’t heat.” — a homeowner’s symptom report in r/electrical
The useful part of that short report is the split between “works” and “heats.” Record what works instead of treating the whole machine as dead.
Split electric and gas before checking supply
For an electric model, find the circuit label and the dryer’s rating plate.
A full-size model commonly needs a double-pole supply, but the owner’s manual and rating plate outrank a generic rule.
If the panel is unlabeled, the breaker will not stay set, or the receptacle or cord looks discolored, stop.
Verifying voltage at a dryer outlet is live electrical work for a qualified electrician.
For a gas model, read the manual’s picture of the shutoff valve before changing its position.
If you smell gas, hear hissing, or cannot see the connection without moving the dryer, do not continue.
No odor and an open supply still do not make burner work a homeowner test. An igniter, valve coil, flame sensor, thermal fuse, thermostat, or control fault needs model-specific diagnosis inside the machine.
This is the handoff point. Put these facts on the service note:
- Model and serial numbers
- Electric or gas
- Five-minute heat result
- Breaker or valve observation
- Error code and outdoor airflow
That note is more useful than ordering the first part named in a search result.
The outside vent flap answers a different question
While the empty dryer runs, look at the outdoor vent from a safe location. The flap should open and exhaust air should escape, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
Little or no airflow points to a crushed, disconnected, or lint-blocked exhaust path. It does not prove which heating part is bad.
That distinction matters because replacing a thermal fuse or heating element without correcting restricted airflow can leave the original overheating condition in place.
Clean the lint screen now. Have a qualified service clean an inaccessible or blocked duct, and do not run another load while airflow is absent or the dryer smells hot.
If the drum warmed during the five-minute test but clothes still take two cycles, start with the exhaust path and washer spin rather than a heater purchase. Our home-upgrade guide keeps these installation checks separate from internal appliance repair.
Repair or replace without opening the cabinet
Do not decide from the age alone. Use the model number to check warranty coverage and recalls, then compare one written repair estimate with the delivered cost and installation needs of a replacement.
| What you found | Best next move | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong cycle or one reset breaker stays on | Run one normal load and watch it | The failure was outside the cabinet, but a second trip ends the test |
| Warm drum with weak outdoor airflow | Stop use and arrange vent service | Airflow is the immediate safety and drying problem |
| Cold drum with supply checks passed | Book model-specific diagnosis | The remaining tests involve internal electrical or gas parts |
| Warranty or recall applies | Use the authorized service path | Buying a part can waste coverage and complicate the claim |
| Repeated major failures or a high estimate | Price replacement before approving repair | The next failure matters more than a universal age rule |
If you replace the dryer, match fuel type, outlet or gas connection, vent route, door clearance, and delivered dimensions before ordering. A machine that fits the alcove but cannot connect safely is not a replacement.
For the electrical side, our smart-home troubleshooting hub uses the same boundary: settings and visible status are homeowner checks; exposed conductors and live voltage are not.
Do this now: run the empty five-minute heated cycle and write down five facts—heat, airflow, fuel type, model number, and age. When a dryer runs but no heat, those facts tell you whether the next dollar belongs in vent service, a repair visit, or a replacement quote.
Bolt & Bulb covers what goes wrong after the unboxing: devices that drop off Wi-Fi, dimmers that flicker with LED bulbs, locks that will not fit a rental door. The site draws on manufacturer documentation, platform support pages and release notes, and attributed owner reports in public forums.