Kenmore dryer not heating. If you’re trying to dry clothes on a freezing day, you may have encountered the annoying problem of your Kenmore dryer, not heating.
Luckily, there are several steps to take which can help you identify and fix this issue with ease. This short blog post will outline the procedure for fixing most problems related to your Kenmore dryer, not heating.
Why Kenmore dryer not heating
Common reasons for an electric or gas dryer not drying clothes include tripping circuit breakers, blocked vents, and no flow of hot air.
Although these are the most common reasons, you should check that the heating element has not burned out.
Which would indicate that the motor is underperforming or there is a problem with the thermostat.
There are some more Possible causes why is your Kenmore dryer not heating?
Blown Thermal Fuse
If the Kenmore Dryer Not Heating issue persists, even after trying all of these troubleshooting tips, it may be that you need to replace the thermal fuse on your machine.
When the fuse has no continuity, it means your electrical path is completely broken and needs to be replaced. Using a multimeter on the fuse, check the test pins to ensure there is no continuity along those command lines.
Remember to always check the dryer venting when replacing a blown thermal fuse as blocked exhaust vents mean your clothes aren’t drying properly and will lead to more issues down the line (like no heat).
Faulty Main Control Board
The main control board of this device is not able to be easily tested, but there are several components of the device that you can test.
If all of the devices in this device are working properly, replace the main control board because it is not able to be easily tested.
One of the most common reasons why the main control board will stop working is because it has been burnt or shorted out, or at least that’s what I think or have read on some blogs online.
Defective Thermostat
Dryers use a metal coil, called the C-wire to help with their drying process. The heating element feeds off of this coil in order to create heat.
If your dryer’s thermostat is malfunctioning and shutting off the heat too soon, your dryer will be without heat and it will continue trying to dry a load of clothes even though it can’t.
Test if your dryer’s heating element is working by checking whether or not it is fully functioning after removing the “C-wire” from its position inside the unit.
If there isn’t any heat when you turn it on, you know that your thermostat is malfunctioning and needs to be replaced.
Uneven load distribution
If clothes are not evenly distributed in the dryer, they won’t dry. As close to each other as possible, rotate clothes 180 degrees halfway through the drying process so both sides are exposed to heat.
You should wash items of similar size together when loading your dryer. If you’re using an auto-dry cycle on a large piece of clothing like jeans or sweats.
Make sure you load the dryer with smaller items that will tumble freely instead of getting stuck in the larger ones.
It’s possible that some small items come out dry, while others are completely wet because you didn’t tumble them long enough.
Gas Valve Solenoid
Dryers with gas valves have two or more solenoid coils. The solenoids of the gas valves open the gas valve ports to allow gas to flow into the burner assembly.
If a single coil out of all of them fails, then your dryer won’t be able to heat which is why you must check the igniter.
If the igniter glows and goes out but does not ignite the gas, then it’s safe to say that it needs replacement.
However, if more than one of the coils on each solenoid fails. we recommend replacing them all as they typically go on bad streaks when combined with other defective parts until shorted out completely.
Faulty heating element
One of the most common issues with having to replace a dryer’s heating element is that it’s not producing enough heat.
By taking measurements at your home, you should be able to troubleshoot the issue and identify what needs replacing by using instruments like multimeters.
By checking for contact resistance at different spots on the heating element.
You will be able to know if it needs to be replaced by finding areas where there is no resistance or too little so as to indicate where the problem might be.
The important thing when using multimeter probes is to touch them together first to avoid damage.
Incoming Power issue
If your dryer is not heating, then there may be an electrical problem with the current. The dryer should pull about 2.4 amps at 240 volts.
If you have a multimeter, it’s best to check for proper voltage at the outlet to ensure that your dryer has two live legs.
Before you do this, be sure to turn off the breaker that services your dryer or cut power to it via the main breaker or fuse box so as not to shock yourself.
There are many ways in which one’s room can lose heat. One of them is restricted airflow happening usually because of lint build-up near any internal components’ elements or cracks surrounding outer walls which let cool air escape plus other things can cause this problem as well.
Timer Problem
If your clothes dryer won’t dry clothes, there’s a chance that the timer could be defective. However, this is not a common occurrence.
Before you replace the timer, check all of the parts that are more commonly defective first. If you test these components and they work properly, test the timer with a multimeter and consult the wiring diagram.
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