In this guide, we will go through the common causes of a Maytag dryer not heating up and what you can do to fix your dryer. Dryers are one of the most used machinery in our homes. It is important to make sure that your dryer is running well, otherwise, you will waste a lot of money on gas or electricity.
When your Maytag dryer is not heating, you are faced with an urgent problem. Your dryer is no longer drying your clothes, which means you are spending more time doing laundry. That not only takes longer but also costs more over the long run. Fixing the problem is easy with the following troubleshooting guide.
How To Fix Maytag Dryer Not Heating Problem
Maytag is a household name. No matter where you live, it’s likely that you’ve heard of the brand. As one of the largest appliance manufacturers in the world, Maytag has a reputation for excellence — and rightly so.
It has a reputation for making durable and long-lasting products, but when you really need it, your product could break. Daily use can sometimes take its toll — especially when you use your dryer every day.
To diagnose if your drying machine is not heating up, you first need to pinpoint the malfunction behind your non-heating dryer. Faulty components include a faulty thermostat, a bad heating element, bad wiring, an obstructed exhaust vent, or some areas of the dryer are bent or warped.
To avoid injury or electrical shock, it’s important to turn off your dryer at the circuit breaker before doing any repairs.
Check Power and Settings
When was the last time you checked your breaker box? Remember to check not just the switch that powers your dryer, but any circuit that feeds into your home. Most homes require two legs of power, also known as 240 volts. If one leg is cut or completely shut off, then any plugged-in appliance will appear to be receiving power, but it won’t get enough to function fully.
Adjust the settings to fit the fabric. Just like with clothes, dryer settings should be adjusted to fit each item that you’re drying. If you’ve ever noticed that your clothes are taking too long to dry, it’s because you may not have selected the right setting.
Dryers require lots of airflow. If you try to stuff them too full with wet clothing, they’ll only work less effectively. Make sure your laundry is balanced — you want to avoid wet clothes and make sure the dryer has room for the hot air to circulate and heat up.
Blocked Exhaust Vent
The dryer vent is almost as important as the dryer itself — it’s what pushes heat and moisture out of your house or apartment with the use of a powerful exhaust fan. Make sure you clean out the lint trap and check your vent for blockages, cracks and other safety elements that need to be addressed.
A clogged dryer vent means added time in the laundry room, and possibly an uncomfortable electrical fire waiting to happen in your basement. To see if your dryer is not venting properly, simply go outside to where it vents and test the air. It should be hot and coming out at a fast pace.
If your dryer’s exhaust vent becomes clogged, the dryer can hamper your ability to dry clothes properly. Without a proper flow of hot air, it will have a harder time heating clothes and sending cold air into your home. It might even send a false reading to the high-limit thermostat, as it builds up temperatures in that area and prevents the dryer from reaching its full capacity.
Therefore, we recommend that you clean the exhaust vent at least once a year. The easier it can ventilate, the better efficiency it will perform.
Faulty thermal fuse
Fire prevention is a serious concern for traditional dryers, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, Maytag’s advanced technology has been specifically designed to prevent damage from fire and neutralize potential issues before they become a problem. The Dryer Thermal Fuse, or DTI as it’s commonly called, is a device that shuts down the heater circuit in case of an over-heating condition.
If your dryer is not heating up or the timer is not going off when you believe it should, it may be time to replace the thermal fuse (also known as the thermal cutoff). This component is responsible for monitoring the temperature of the dryer and will shut off its power if that temperature exceeds a specified level. If at any point you suspect the dryer heating elements are not working, or if you’re sure that they’re not working, it is possible that the Dryer Thermal Fuse is faulty, damaged, or blown.
Replacing the thermal fuse itself will fix the problem and get your dryer back to working perfectly.
How do you replace the thermal fuse?
- Ensure that Dryer is disconnected
- Remove the wires
- Unthread the mounting screw holding the thermal fuse in place.
- Replace it with a new one.
- Reconnect the wires to their proper spots on the newer, better thermal fuse.
- Thread the mounting screw back into place and tighten with a screwdriver.
- Connect the wires and re-install the rear panel.
Burnt Heating Element
It’s not always simple to diagnose why your clothes dryer isn’t heating up, but there are several common issues to look out for. One of the most common problems is a faulty or burnt-out heating element. It’s important to diagnose this problem quickly so you can contact a local appliance repair technician for a diagnosis and service.
When troubleshooting a Maytag dryer, don’t overlook the possible need to replace the heating element. If your dryer is not heating and you’ve gotten an error code for troubleshooting your common problems, don’t assume that the heating element is OK. Use a multimeter to test the coils for an open or shorted connection, and replace it if it’s faulty.
Appliance repair should be a quick and simple fix. You don’t need a degree in engineering to put your clothes dryer back in commission, but you’ll need to allow yourself about an hour of time. First, unplug the dryer from the power supply and disconnect the exhaust hose from the wall. Next, pull out the dryer so that you have plenty of room to work behind it.
To remove the screws to remove the two access covers, use a ¼” nut driver. Once the parts are removed, locate the heating element at the bottom of the dryer. Disconnect the wires with a flat head screwdriver before using a ¼” nut driver or socket wrench to remove the two screws that are holding down the heating element. Once these are out, simply pull down on the heating element and remove it from its location.
First, remove the old heating element: make sure you disconnect any wires and remove the thermostat. Next, swap the heating element with the new one: install it in the same way you removed the old one — make sure to reconnect any wiring and put back your thermostat.
Return the two access covers to their original positions, and tighten all of the screws that hold them in place. Plug the power cord back into the outlet, reconnect the exhaust hose to the outside vent, and push “Start.” If all goes well, you’ll soon hear a fan turn on, and you’ll see a heating light come on the inside of the dryer door.
Faulty Hi-Limit Thermostat
For household appliances, there’s nothing more important than to keep them safe. If your dryer isn’t heating up properly, it could be due to a faulty thermostat. This high limit thermostat is designed to cut off the heating element if the temperature gets too high. A broken thermostat will prevent your dryer from reaching temperature, so it’s important to replace this part when it stops working correctly.
Use a multimeter to test the thermostat on your dryer. This tests for continuity — meaning that the thermostat is still in working order. If you do find a faulty thermostat, there is no need to panic: replacing the component in question is an easy and affordable fix for even the most inexperienced of do-it-yourselfers.
Defective Cycling Thermostat
To reduce energy waste in the laundry room, the Maytag dryer cycling thermostat monitors air temperature. It cycles the exhaust function to keep rooms at comfortable levels for wash-and-dry cycles. Additionally, the Time Dry feature works in conjunction with the cycling thermostat, so you can choose how long it takes to complete a cycle.
How to check a dryer’s cycling thermostat:
- Switch off the dryer and unplug it from the wall outlet.
- Find the cycling thermostat on your dryer — consult your manual if necessary.
- Now, check if it has continuity using a multimeter.
- If it has continuity, you can move on to checking the timer. If it hasn’t, you need to replace it.
Hi there! I’m Sam Hendricks, and I’m a repair technician and expert. I created this website to help people like you save money and time by fixing your own appliances.
Over the years, I’ve seen people spend a lot of money on unnecessary repairs or replacements. That’s why I decided to share my expertise and create easy-to-follow guides for fixing appliances on your own.