Kenmore Dryer Not Heating Up? Top 8 Causes and How to Fix Them

Are you trying to dry clothes on a cold winter day? You may have come across the problem of a Kenmore Dryer that is not heating. This can be an annoying issue, but luckily it isn’t too hard to fix! With this blog post, you will learn how to identify and fix your Kenmore Dryer Not Heating problem.

Appliances are essential to getting the jobs done in our day-to-day lives. However, it can be difficult to figure out what the causes are without troubleshooting when something breaks. If your Kenmore dryer is not drying, check out these potential fixes to get it working again.

How To Fix Kenmore Dryer Not Heating Up Problem

If your Kenmore dryer is not heating up, here are some things you can do to fix the problem.

Clogged Vent

One of the most common causes for a Kenmore dryer that is not heating up problem could be a clogged vent. Take off the back cover and check to see if there are any objects in it, such as lint or cloths. Be sure to also look at your exhaust pipe too! Venting problems can cause many issues with Kenmore Dryers and may even lead to fire hazards, so be diligent here when looking through these areas. If you do find an object obstructing airflow, remove it carefully by hand as soon as possible.

In order to avoid a vent clogged with old lint, the air from your dryer should be able to escape through vents and blow outside. If not, a long venting run can significantly slow down drying times by requiring several cycles of on-off time before clothes are fully dried.

To check for clogs, start a timed drying cycle on high heat. Go to the exhaust vent outside and use your hand to verify that the air is warm and flowing at an acceptable rate. If there’s little airflow, it may need some cleaning or replacement.

When you set up the dryer, initially make sure all vents are clear of debris, too; if not, then slow down while trying new strategies like using less time than recommended by manufacturers as well as running cycles without clothes inside (with towels).

If none of these things work out, find someone qualified in repairing machinery who can come over for diagnosis/repair service!

Clogged Lint Screen

If the lint screen is clogged, follow the manufacturer’s directions on how to remove it. If the screen is clogged, your clothes won’t dry properly and will take longer to dry than normal.

If the lint screen is obstructed or dirty, clothes won’t dry. To clean it out, remove excess lint and soak it in hot water and dish soap- a toothbrush can be helpful if necessary.

Uneven Loads

Clothes won’t dry if they are not evenly distributed in the dryer. Load them as close to each other as possible, and try rotating clothes 180 degrees halfway through the drying time, so both sides get exposed to heat from the moving air.

When you load your dryer, it’s best to wash items of similar size together for better performance. For instance, if you’re using an auto dry cycle on a large clothes item like jeans or sweats, try to load the dryer with smaller pieces that will tumble freely instead of getting caught up in the large ones. You may find that some small items come out dried, while others are fully wet because they didn’t tumble long enough.

Blown Thermal Fuse

If you are still experiencing the Kenmore Dryer Not Heating problem, even after trying all of these troubleshooting tips, it is possible that the thermal fuse was blown.

The fuse is a safety device designed to protect the dryer from overheating, and it’s located on either the blower housing or at one of its heat sources. The thermal fuse should be closed for continuity, meaning that there’s always an uninterrupted electric current running through it when in good condition.

If the fuse has no continuity, it means that the electrical path is broken and needs to be replaced. A multimeter can test for continuity. You should always check your dryer venting when replacing a blown thermal fuse, as blocked exhaust vents mean your clothes aren’t drying properly and will lead to more problems down the line.

Kenmore Electric Dryer Not Heating

A Kenmore electric dryer is a great appliance to have in your home, but there may be times when it does not heat. If this happens, here are some reasons why that could happen and how you can fix it.

Bad Heating Element

One of the most common issues with a Kenmore dryer that is not heating, is that the heater element has gone bad. The heating element in a dryer is supposed to warm the air before it enters the dryer. You may need to replace the heating element if your dryer isn’t producing enough heat or if the drying time has been increased significantly.

To figure out if your dryer’s heating element is working, you need to test it. To do this, you can use a multimeter and measure the resistance of the heating element. If it doesn’t provide at least 15 ohms of resistance, then your heating coil needs to be replaced.

You can continue troubleshooting if the dryer is not heating after replacing a faulty heating element.

Faulty Thermostat

A dryer uses heat to help with its drying process. However, if the thermostat malfunctions and shuts off the heat too soon, a dryer can overheat without actually overheating. There are a few tests that you can try at home before calling a repair person to troubleshoot your problem.

First of all, be sure to check the thermostat as per its manual. You will want continuity, and if not, then you should replace it with the correct part number from your user’s manual.

Yet another way to test your dryer’s heating element is by unplugging the device and disconnecting the two wires of your thermostat. To provide heat for the dryer, you’ll need to join these wires using electrical tape. Now that the thermostat has been bypassed turn the dryer back on. If it heats, you know for sure the thermostat is telling it not to heat up, and you need to replace it.

Kenmore Gas Dryer Not Heating

If you have a Kenmore Gas Dryer that’s not heating, this article will help you diagnose and fix the problem. It can be intimidating to troubleshoot your dryer when it is not heating up properly. There are many components in a dryer that can cause the machine to stop working correctly, so we’ll go through each one carefully before diagnosing what might be wrong with your Kenmore gas dryer.

Faulty Igniter

The igniter is a necessary component of the gas dryer. If it does not work, then there will be no heat, and you’ll have to spend your time on laundry hanging out in wet clothes instead of drying them off good! Luckily for us all, testing for continuity with an old-fashioned multimeter can tell if this important part needs replacing or just some new spark plugging up its works.

Flame Sensor is Not Working

On gas dryers, a flame sensor detects the heat from the flame. If the sensor goes out, the dryer won’t work. If your Kenmore dryer isn’t heating, don’t assume the flame sensor is defective. First, check to see if the igniter and thermal fuse are bad. If you’ve ruled out those causes, test the flame sensor for continuity at room temperature with a multimeter. If there’s no continuity present, replace it.

Faulty Gas Valve Solenoid

A gas valve solenoid controls the flow of natural gas to the burner. If it shorts out, your Kenmore dryer won’t heat up and will need replacing. With this part in good working condition, you’ll get a nice hot flame. Continuity can be tested by placing one lead on each terminal while pressing down firmly with a screwdriver or other probe until resistance is felt – then release pressure. The reading should show an open circuit; if not, replace it!

If you are experiencing this problem, please comment below and let me know what the issue is. I will do my best to diagnose your Kenmore dryer problems based on the comments I receive from readers of this blog post. Thank you for reading!