A dryer that won’t dry turns every load into a second cycle, a rack of wet clothes or a laundromat trip, and it’s the home appliance most often involved in house fires. NFPA estimates U.S. fire departments respond to about 15,970 home fires a year involving dryers or washers, and 92% of them involve dryers. We repair dryers across Plano by finding the cause, not just swapping the first part: we test the heat circuit, check airflow from the drum to the outside vent flaps, and show you what failed before you pay for anything.
| Symptom | Most likely cause | Quick check before you call |
|---|---|---|
| Runs but no heat | Thermal fuse, heating element (electric), igniter or gas valve coils (gas), high-limit thermostat | Electric: both halves of the 240V breaker must be on |
| Takes two cycles to dry | Lint-packed vent duct, crushed hose, stuck outside vent flaps | Disconnect the duct and run a load. If it dries fast, the vent is blocked |
| Burning smell | Lint near the heater or in the cabinet | Stop using it until cleaned |
| Won’t start | Door switch, thermal fuse, belt switch, start switch | Make sure the door latches firmly |
| Drum won’t turn | Broken drive belt, failed idler pulley, motor | Unplug, then try turning the drum by hand |
| Shuts off early, clothes damp | Moisture sensor coated with fabric-softener residue | Wipe the sensor bars with rubbing alcohol |
| Runs too hot | Cycling thermostat, restricted airflow | Overly hot clothes? Stop and call |
| Won’t turn off | Stuck relay on the control board, timer | Unplug it and book a control check |
| Sound | Usual part | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| High-pitched squeal | Idler pulley | A worn pulley can seize and snap the belt |
| Rhythmic thump | Drum support rollers or a belt flat spot | Worn rollers let the drum drop and rub |
| Scraping | Drum glides or front felt seal | Metal-on-metal can mark clothes and the drum |
| Rumbling or roaring | Rollers, blower wheel, motor bearings | Gets louder over weeks; fix it before the motor goes |
| Clicking (gas) | Igniter cycling, gas valve coils | Ignition fails to finish, so there’s no heat |
Electric dryers heat air over a coiled heating element. Power passes through the thermal fuse (a one-time safety cut-out), the high-limit thermostat and the cycling thermostat first; when one opens, the drum still turns but there’s no heat. Overheating is usually the root cause: a blocked duct pushes the temperature up until the fuse blows. That’s why we never replace a thermal fuse without checking the vent, or the new one blows within weeks. Electric dryers run on a 240V circuit, so if only half the breaker trips, the motor runs but nothing heats.
Gas dryers use a glow-bar igniter to light the burner, gas valve coils to open the valve and a flame sensor to confirm ignition. The classic failure: the igniter glows, clicks off and no flame appears. That usually means weak valve coils, often an inexpensive fix. If the igniter never glows, it has usually cracked. We test all three before replacing anything and leak-check the gas pipe connection after any gas dryer installation or move. Smell gas? Leave first and call from outside.
Compact and ventless dryers (common in apartments, stacked laundry closets and newer condos) don’t push air outside. A condenser dryer cools hot, moist air so the moisture turns into water that collects in a tank or drains through a hose, sometimes with a small pump. A heat-pump dryer recycles heat for lower energy use at a lower drying temperature, so slightly longer drying time is normal.
| Ventless problem | Typical cause |
|---|---|
| Clothes still damp | Lint-clogged condenser, full water tank, blocked filters |
| “Empty tank” or drain error | Kinked drain hose, failed drain pump |
| Water on the floor | Overfull tank, loose drain line |
| Long cycles (heat pump) | Clogged secondary filters, heat-pump fault |
| Steam feature not working | Clogged water inlet, inlet valve |
Most “broken” ventless dryers are clogged ones. Rinse the lint and condenser filters as your manual directs.
Every visit starts with an $89 diagnostic, credited toward the repair. You get one written price for parts and labor before we start. Say yes, ask questions, or decline and pay only the diagnostic.
| Repair | Typical total in Plano |
|---|---|
| Thermal fuse (plus vent check) | $130–$200 |
| Heating element or gas igniter | $180–$300 |
| Idler pulley, drum rollers or belt | $150–$300 |
| Moisture sensor or door switch | $140–$240 |
Most dryer repairs cost far less than a new dryer plus delivery and haul-away. The exceptions are a failed motor or control board on an older machine. See our pricing page.
| Dryer age | Fuse, element, igniter, belt, rollers | Motor or control board |
|---|---|---|
| Under 8 years | Repair | Usually repair |
| 8–13 years | Repair (cheap, long-lasting fixes) | Compare the quote with a new dryer |
| 13+ years | Repair if the drum and cabinet are sound | Replacement often makes more sense |
A common rule of thumb: if the repair is more than about half the price of a comparable new dryer and the unit is near the end of its life, replace it. Dryers are mechanically simple, so most repairs make sense well past ten years. More in repair or replace.
| Electric | Gas | |
|---|---|---|
| Heat source | Heating element | Igniter, gas valve, burner |
| Most common no-heat fix | Thermal fuse or element | Gas valve coils or igniter |
| Power | 240V circuit | 120V outlet plus a gas line |
| Safety extra | Breaker check | Gas leak check after service |
| Shared parts | Belt, rollers, idler pulley, door switch, moisture sensor, thermal fuse | Same |
| Vented | Condenser or heat-pump | |
|---|---|---|
| Where moisture goes | Outside through the duct | Into a water tank or drain |
| Most common slow-dry cause | Blocked vent duct or flaps | Clogged condenser or filters |
| Maintenance | Lint screen every load, duct yearly | Lint and condenser filters, tank or drain |
NFPA data shows dryers account for most laundry fires, and failure to clean is the leading contributing factor. Lint is the fuel; a blocked vent supplies the heat.
We check the vent from the drum to the exterior flaps on every dryer call. Read our dryer vent fire safety guide.
North Texas summers are hot and often humid, and many Plano homes keep the laundry in a garage or small interior room, so the dryer starts with warm, moist air and a longer path outside. Long, kinked ducts through attics and second-floor laundry rooms restrict airflow further, which means longer drying times and more heat stress on fuses and thermostats. Keep the duct short, clean and straight, and leave room behind the machine.
Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, Maytag, GE and GE Profile, Kenmore, Electrolux, Frigidaire, Bosch, KitchenAid, Amana and Speed Queen: gas, electric, stacked laundry centers and ventless models. Find your model label inside the door frame, on the back panel or under the lint-screen lid; a photo helps us bring the right part.
We repair dryers in every Plano ZIP (75023, 75024, 75025, 75026, 75074, 75075, 75086, 75093 and 75094), including Legacy West, Willow Bend, Deerfield, Kings Ridge, Lakeside on Preston, Gleneagles, Whiffletree, Indian Creek and Downtown Plano. Homeowners, renters and property managers welcome. Washer acting up too? See washer repair.
A dryer that tumbles without heat usually has a blown thermal fuse, a failed heating element (electric), or a failed igniter or gas valve coils (gas). On electric dryers, check both halves of the 240V breaker. A blown fuse almost always means the vent is restricted, so the airflow needs fixing too.
Two-cycle drying is almost always restricted airflow: a lint-packed duct, a crushed hose behind the dryer, or exterior vent flaps that won’t open. Less often it’s a coated moisture sensor ending the cycle early. Disconnect the duct and run a load. If it dries fast, the vent is the problem.
Usually it’s worth repairing. Thermal fuses, elements, igniters, belts and rollers typically cost $130–$300 in Plano, far less than a new dryer. Replacement makes sense when a motor or control board fails on a dryer over about 13 years old, or the repair passes half the price of a new one.
A squeal usually comes from a worn idler pulley. A rhythmic thump usually comes from flat-spotted drum support rollers or a damaged belt, and scraping points to worn drum glides or the felt seal. Fix it early, because a seized pulley can snap the belt and stop the dryer.
Yes, treat it as dangerous. Stop the dryer, unplug it and don’t use it until it’s inspected. The usual cause is lint collecting near the heating element or burner, and lint is the main fuel in dryer fires. A brief smell on a brand-new dryer’s first run is normal; on an older dryer it isn’t.
Clean the lint screen after every load and have the vent duct cleaned at least once a year, or sooner if loads take longer, the dryer feels hot, or the outside flaps don’t open while it runs. Large households and long duct runs need cleaning more often.
Yes. The diagnostic is $89 and it’s credited in full toward the repair if you go ahead. You get one written price before any work, and if you decide not to repair, you pay only the diagnostic.
Some dryer repairs are DIY-friendly if you’re handy: cleaning the lint screen and duct, or replacing a thermal fuse or belt. Always unplug the dryer first, and turn off the gas on gas models. Gas valve, igniter and wiring faults, and anything after a burning smell, are best left to a technician.
A dryer that keeps running often has a stuck relay on the control board or a failed timer. Error codes point to a specific fault and vary by brand, such as Samsung, LG or Whirlpool. Note the code and your model number from the label inside the door, and we’ll diagnose it.
Yes. We repair Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, Maytag, GE, Kenmore, Electrolux, Frigidaire and Bosch dryers, using OEM parts where available or tested equivalents, and we tell you which before installing. We don’t use cheap no-name parts that tend to fail early.
Most dryer repairs take about 45 to 90 minutes on site when the part is on the truck: fuses, elements, igniters, belts, rollers and sensors. Brand-specific boards or motors may need a short return visit once the part arrives.
Tell us gas or electric and what it’s doing. $89 diagnostic credited toward your repair, written price before work, failed part shown to you.