Electric Dryer Not Heating? Here’s What Usually Causes It
There’s nothing more annoying than pulling out a load of laundry and realizing it’s still cold and completely wet. When the dryer runs but doesn’t heat - your plans change quickly and now you are about to head out wearing a shirt you didn’t plan on wearing.
Let's walk you through some common issues we come across everywhere in the city of Toronto.
Why Dryers Stop Heating
Electric dryers all follow a similar work pattern:
power comes in → element heats up → Humid air blows through and goes out → Dry Clothes.
If anything in that chain fails, you’re basically just tumbling wet clothes in a box.
From what we see every day in Toronto homes, the usual causes are:
A faulty or burned heating element
A blown thermal fuse (usually from overheating or airflow issues)
A bad cycling thermostat
Issues with the timer or main control board
A burnt motor terminal
A loose contact
Let’s go through these causes individually to get a better understanding
1. The Heating Element Burned Out
This is probably the most common reason for “dryer runs but no heat.”
The heating element is a metal coil that glows red-hot when it gets 240v. Over time it wears out, snaps, or burns in one spot - and once there’s a break, it can’t heat at all due to lack of continuity.
How this usually shows up:
Dryer tumbles normally but never gets warm
This is usually the first thing we check before resorting to the next tests.
2. A Blown Fuse
Electric dryers have a thermal fuse that acts like a safety switch.
If the dryer overheats - the fuse blows to prevent a fire. Once it blows, the dryer will run but won’t heat.
Why dryers overheat:
Airflow is blocked inside the dryer
The duct behind the dryer is clogged
Lint build-up in the vent
A crushed or overly long dryer vent line
In Toronto condos, this is extremely common because the vents run through the ceiling and get clogged without the owner noticing. Plus in most cases there is a filter that users are not even aware off that we recommend to be cleaned bi-weekly in order to allow proper airflow.
3. Cycling Thermostat Failure
The thermostat controls how hot the dryer gets.
When it fails, the element either won’t turn on or it stays off too much, leaving you with lukewarm or cold air.
Signs:
Dryer heats only at the very start
Dryer feels “hot-cold-hot-cold”
Clothes take 3–4 cycles to dry
Dryers gets unreasonably hot but the air ways are ok.
4. Faulty Timer or Control Board
Some dryers use old-school timers, others use electronic boards.
Both can fail. When they do, the dryer might move through the cycle but skip the part where it’s supposed to heat.
What people usually notice:
The heat works sometimes, but not always
Dryer gets stuck on one part of the cycle
“Sensor dry” never heats, but “timed dry” might (or the opposite)
A burnt smell coming from the board area (Usually located behind the top cover panel)
Board/timer issues are less common but definitely not rare.
5. Burnt Motor Terminal
The motor has small electrical terminals that connect to the rest of the machine.
If one of them burns or melts, the connection becomes weak — and that can kill the heat even though the motor still spins the drum.
This one is sneaky because the dryer “sounds fine,” but the heat is dead.
6. Loose Contact on the Heater, Thermostat, or Fuse
This is the kind of issue that makes you go crazy:
Sometimes the dryer heats, sometimes it doesn’t, sometimes it heats halfway through, sometimes not at all.
Loose or half-burned connectors are extremely common in dryers but can become a major issue since a loose connector on an element can burn the element even if it is original and brand new.
Fixing it usually means replacing the connector and cleaning up the terminals.
When Should You Call Us?
If the dryer is tumbling but the clothes come out just as wet as they went in, it’s time to have it looked at. Heating issues get worse fast - and running a dryer with a bad fuse, bad wiring, or overheating can be risky.
Call us if:
The dryer stopped heating suddenly
It takes multiple cycles to dry anything
You smell something electrical
The dryer only heats sometimes
You haven’t cleaned the dryer in years
We fix electric dryers every day across Toronto, Vaughan, and the surrounding areas. This is day-to-day stuff for us.
Why Toronto Homeowners Trust Us
We’re a family-run company and we keep things simple.
No made-up issues, no upselling, no pressure.
We show up, diagnose the dryer, and get it heating again.
Why people call us:
350+ 5-star reviews across all platforms
Every service call is waived with a repair
Same-day or next-day service
Warranty with every part replacement.
Fair pricing with no surprises
You’ll know exactly what’s wrong and what it’ll cost before we touch anything.
Book Your Dryer Repair in Toronto
If your electric dryer isn’t heating, let’s take care of it so you’re not stuck waiting all day for clothes to dry.
Toronto, Vaughan, and nearby areas.