Heat wont stay on.

SOURCE: whirlpool dryer LGR5636PQ0

I replaced the heating element and had the old one checked and had the thermastat's checked as well and it still does the same thing, will not blow hot air and will not cut off when cycle is supose to be finished, what should I do?

SOURCE: Maytag Gas Dryer MDG308DAWW doesn't blow hot air, no clicks heard

Look at the bottom of your front panel and see if you can see a screw on either side about 2-3 inches from the very bottom edge of the front panel. If so take them out and pull the bottom away far enough to disengage the top of the front panel from the top panel. If this works for ya. then now you have it openened, if not repost me.

SOURCE: dryer will not heat, checked and changed thermal fuse and no heat

The igniter is located on the burner assemly inside the dryer cabinet under the dryer drum. You can view it by removing the lower toe panel directly below the dryer door. This is accomplished by inserting a putty knife along the seam where the dryer front meets the toe panel. About two inches in from each side is a retaining clip that you must push down with the the putty knife, while pulling out on the toe panel. Repeat this on the opposite side and the pane will come free.

The way the ignition system on your dryer is supposed to work is like this:

1. Press the start button.
2. The igniter on the burner assembly begins to glow.
3. Once the igniter reaches the required current potential, the gas safety valve opens.
4. Gas is introduced into the manifold and you have ignition.

NOTE: It can take roughly 30 – 90 seconds from the time you press start to the time it takes for the gas to ignite.

This is a built in safety feature that prevents free flowing gas from entering the dryer cabinet without ignition. Such a situation could lead to an explosion.

There are two basic types of igniters:

Carborundum (Cylindrical in shape) – needs to produce 2.5 to 3.0 amps for the gas safety valve to work.
Norton (Rectangular in shape) – needs to produce 3.2 to 3.7 amps for the gas safety valve to work.

I believe your dryer takes the Norton type igniter. The part number is 279311 and can be purchased at pcappliancerepair.com for about $22. NOTE: Just because your current igniter may still glow, does not mean it is good. Igniters will wear out with age and the current potential will decrease to the point where it no longer will open the gas safety valve.

Now...another cause of poor heating quality and longer dry times is poorly istalled, kinked, or clogged dryer exhaust ventilation ducting. If you have not checked the dryer ducting from where it exits the dryer to the point where it leaves your home, now may be a good time to do so. A dryer needs proper ventilation in order to dry efficiently.

You can easily replace the igniter by performing the following steps:

1. UNPLUG the dryer and remove the lint screen from inside the dryer door.
2. Insert a putty knife along the front seaam where the top panel of the dryer meets the dryer front. Locate the retaining clips and push down while lifting on the top panel. The dryer top will lift up.
3. Unplug the door switch connector plug and any ground wire that may be installed on the casing and disconnect the door hinge springs.
4. Locate and remove the dryer chute that covers the blower fan assembly and disconnect the auto dry sensor plug.
5. Hold the door closed and locate the four screws that hold the front panel in place. There should be one screw on each side at the top and at the bottom.
6. With the door shut, lean against the front panel and remove the four screws. Once removed, hold the top of the drum as you pull the front panel away and remove.
You should now have complete access to the dryer interior. You do not have to remove the drum, but if you have to for better access, release the belt tension on the drum. While the tension is released, remove the belt from the drive motor pulley. Leave the belt wrapped around the drum and lift the entire drum with it to remove from the cabinet. You now have full access to the burner assembly to replace the igniter. All you should have to do is disconnect the connector plug and a couple of mounting screws.

Once you have the igniter installed, you need to re-install the drum and belt by following these steps:

1. With the belt still looped around the dryer drum (grooved side facing the drum - try to line the belt up with the wear marks already on the drum from the belt) lift the drum with the belt and insert the back rim of the drum onto the support rollers in the rear of the dryer first.

2. With the drum resting on the rollers, slowly turn the drum clockwise until the rollers seat into the rear drum groove. You should feel the drum drop into place once it seats correctly.

3. Hold the drum in place (you can do this by resting it against your shoulder so you have both hands free). Loop the belt over the drive motor shaft first.

4. Then, with the tensioner in your right hand, pull the wheel to the right and place the belt on the idler wheel with your left hand.

5. Release the tensioner and the idler wheel will tighten up the drive belt against the drum.

If this does not explain it well enough, you can also verify by going to repairclinic.com. Click on the Repair Help link and look for the "Dryer Belt Diagrams" link under the Special Features section on the next page. Look for Whirlpool and refer to diagram K.

Once you have the belt installed, re-install the dryer front panel by lifting the front of the drum slightly and placing the drum support wheels under the drum. Lift the entire front panel with drum in place and insert the front panel in the side panels. Hold the door shut so it doesn't fly open and line up the screw holes on the bottom edge of the front panel and then align the top. Reinstall the door springs, the auto dry sensor plug, the dryer chute that covers the blower fan housing, followed by the door switch connector plug and ground wire. Lower the top panel back in place.

I know this is rather lengthy, so take your time and read thoroughly. This is not a difficult repair at all. If you still have questions, please let me know. I hope you find this helpful.

Ned Halaweh

• 240 Answers
• Posted on Sep 15, 2009

SOURCE: Heat will not stay on

Hi, very common problem.

The problem is with the gas coils.
When they get weak, they only come on for about 10 minutes and then the machine will blow cold air. There are 2 of them with one being the booster coil. They come in a pair and run less than $20.

Best of luck. Please e-mail me if you have any other questions.

SOURCE: Whirlpool duet electric dryerGEW 9200 L --no heat

Symptom: Dryer turns on, drum spins, but you have no heat.

Any of the following components are more than likely suspect as being bad:

Heating Element
Thermal Cut-Out
Hi-Limit Thermostat

All these components COMBINED, should cost less than $100. If you fix it yourself, you will avoid the additional cost for labor.

If the dryer isn't blowing ANY air at all, but the drum still turns, you may have a bad blower fan assembly inside the dryer. Or, the blower fan assembly may be clogged.

If your dryer performance has been failing (i.e., clothes taking longer to dry), it may be for a reason. You need to ask yourself when the last time you cleaned the dryer ventilation. If you can't remember, or if it has never been done, this can contribute to the dryer failing. All dryers need proper air flow in order to dry properly. If the ducting becomes clogged, the heating circuits will actually overheat and eventually fail. This usually results in the Thermal Cut-Out (TCO) blowing or the Heating Element failing or BOTH. When these components fail, they must be replaced. Remove the dryer hose from the back of the dryer and inspect it thoroughly from where it leaves the dryer to where it exits your home. It should be clear with no kinks or clogs. If your vent line runs under a crawl space make sure it is suspended above the ground and has no sags where lint could collect. RULE OF THUMB: The SHORTER and STRAIGHTER the vent duct, the BETTER. After you inspect the vent ducting, turn the dryer on and make sure you have forceful air flow coming form the dryer. This will prove that your blower fan is working properly or not. Since you stated that your dryer is not currently heating, the air will be cold, but you should still have some force behind it. If the air flow is weak, you need to clean the duct work INSIDE the dryer. It is important to keep a dryer checked routinely. I recommend once per season (that's 4 times per year). Dryers are the cause of many house fires. These fires are due to lint accumulations inside the unit catching on fire. A little preventive maintenance can prevent significant problems in the future.

Getting to the heating circuit to determine if the components are good or bad is the next step. If your dryer has the lint screen on the top of the unit, you will need to remove the back panel of the dryer to expose the heating circuits. If the dryer has the lint screen in the door, you will need to remove the lower kick panel under the door by using a putty knife to release the retaining clips. They will be located along the seam in the front about 2 inches in from each side. If this is a Kenmore Elite or Whirlpool Duet, the lower lick panel comes off by removing the screws under the bottom edge of the panel. (HINT: placing a block of wood under the front feet of the dryer can make access much easier). If your dryer has no lower kick panel, you have to remove the entire front panel on these models. This is accomplished by lifting the dryer top and removing the screws that hold the front panel in place.

NOTE: The heating circuit should be troubleshot with the dryer UNPLUGGED. Dangerous voltages are still present with the dryer turned off. Resistance readings are as follows:

Heating Element (located inside heater box) - remove the two leads from the ceramic terminals on the heating element and take a reading across the terminal points. It should read 9 - 13 ohms.

Thermal Cut-Out (TCO) (mounted to the heater box.) - unplug wires and take reading across connector tabs. Reading should be 0 ohms.

Hi-Limit Thermostat (mounted to the heater box, closest to the heating element leads) - unplug wires and take reading across connector tabs. Reading should be 0 ohms.

If any of the above readings are abnormal, replace the component. NOTE: If the TCO or Hi-Limit Thermostat is defective it is highly recommended by most manufacturers to replace BOTH components at the same time. They are often sold as a set. Without doing so, these components can cause potentially fail again.

NOTE: One item I failed to mention - Double check the input power for your dryer FIRST. You should have 220VAC at the receptacle and terminal block. The dryer will STILL tumble and the timer will still function with a portion of the input power missing as these circuits only require 110VAC. The heating circuits, however, require 220VAC to function. If one leg of the receptacle voltage is missing the dryer may exhibit "No Heat" like symptoms. This could also be an indication of a burned or failed power cord. Continuity checks performed with the dryer UNPLUGGED should indicate a short between the prong end of the cord and the respective lugs at the terminal block.


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