Top Reasons Why Frigidaire Dryer Is Not Heating

Sometimes, an appliance fails completely. Still, it’s also normal for only one function to stop working. A good example is when a Frigidaire dryer works even though it doesn’t heat up.

Common reasons for a Frigidaire dryer not heating up include a burnt heating element, failed heater relay, broken motor centrifugal switch, or faulty thermistor sensor.

In this article, we’re going to explore each of those possibilities and how they get fixed.

What it is: Dryers require heat to remove moisture from the clothes that you load inside. That’s why all dryers have a dryer heating element of some kind.

Depending on the model and design, the heating element could be in a separate compartment from the drum. 

However, on a Frigidaire dryer, you’ll probably discover it as a round-shaped component with metal coils on it, typically towards the back of the dryer.

How these heating elements work is pretty straightforward. When you start a drying cycle, power is supplied to the heating element.

Its coils will generate heat which another component, the blower, will blow through the drum and then through the vent that leads out of the machine.

Why it fails: There are several reasons why a dryer heating element might fail. Firstly, it could be that the electrical connections to the heating element are loose or have come undone.

If that’s the case, then there is no power supplied to the heating element, and no heat is generated.

Besides that, it’s also possible that the dryer heating element may have overheated at some point.

Overheating can cause a heating element to stop working and require a replacement.

That overheating may not be a problem with the heating element itself.

Instead, it could be that the dryer’s vent is blocked, so hot air cannot flow out of the machine efficiently.

How to fix: Replacing a dryer heating element can be pretty tricky, so it’s not a DIY job unless you’re absolutely sure of what you’re doing. In any case, the fix begins by disconnecting the power supply to the dryer.

To locate the heating element, it’s best to refer to the user manual or any technical sheet that Frigidaire may have included with the appliance.

Don’t worry if you’ve lost those documents. These days, you can find the manual for your unit online, either on the Frigidaire website or on a third-party appliance repair website.

Sometimes, an appliance fails completely. Still, it’s also normal for only one function to stop working. A good example is when a Frigidaire dryer works even though it doesn’t heat up.

Common reasons for a Frigidaire dryer not heating up include a burnt heating element, failed heater relay, broken motor centrifugal switch, or faulty thermistor sensor.

In this article, we’re going to explore each of those possibilities and how they get fixed.

What it is: Dryers require heat to remove moisture from the clothes that you load inside. That’s why all dryers have a dryer heating element of some kind.

Depending on the model and design, the heating element could be in a separate compartment from the drum. 

However, on a Frigidaire dryer, you’ll probably discover it as a round-shaped component with metal coils on it, typically towards the back of the dryer.

How these heating elements work is pretty straightforward. When you start a drying cycle, power is supplied to the heating element.

Its coils will generate heat which another component, the blower, will blow through the drum and then through the vent that leads out of the machine.

Why it fails: There are several reasons why a dryer heating element might fail. Firstly, it could be that the electrical connections to the heating element are loose or have come undone.

If that’s the case, then there is no power supplied to the heating element, and no heat is generated.

Besides that, it’s also possible that the dryer heating element may have overheated at some point.

Overheating can cause a heating element to stop working and require a replacement.

That overheating may not be a problem with the heating element itself.

Instead, it could be that the dryer’s vent is blocked, so hot air cannot flow out of the machine efficiently.

How to fix: Replacing a dryer heating element can be pretty tricky, so it’s not a DIY job unless you’re absolutely sure of what you’re doing. In any case, the fix begins by disconnecting the power supply to the dryer.

To locate the heating element, it’s best to refer to the user manual or any technical sheet that Frigidaire may have included with the appliance.

Don’t worry if you’ve lost those documents. These days, you can find the manual for your unit online, either on the Frigidaire website or on a third-party appliance repair website.