Not heating up...not drying clothes

You will need to check all the duct work for lint buildup. This is the reason clothes won't dry or take a few cycles to dry.

Sure the outside vent is not clogged up? If so it will overheat and turn it self off and do a poor job of drying the clothes.

Also check and make sure that all of the heating elements are working properly.

2 things are needed to dry clothes. 1 is good air flow. Check to make sure that the dryer vent is not clogged or partially clogged with lint. Also make sure there are no kinks in the vent hose. With the dryer running you should feel good air flow blowing out of the outside house vent. The 2nd thing a dryer needs heat. Check to see that the dryer feels warm to hot when you reach in to tough the clothes. It is possible that the heat element has partially failed. Another thing to investigate is how well the laundry machine is spinning out the water in the spin cycle. This spin cycle is used to get as much water out as possible prior to placing the clothes in the dryer. The wetter the clothes when they come out of the laundry, the longer it takes to dry them.

The spark ignitor maybe at fault. Listen for the clicking noise upon starting it up the first 30 seconds it runs. If not heard it is in need of a replacement

I got cut short.. and disconnected...so if this is a repeat, please forgive me:
Dryers 101
1. Heat alone does not dry clothes
2. Air alone does not dry clothes.
3. Only dry, heated air passing over and through clothes will dry them...

I recommend the following:
Set the dryer for "Air Dry".
Go outside and check the dryer exhaust.
Confirm that the exhaust is spewing out lots of air.

If it is, then you have a need for a technician to inspect everything - in person.

If it is NOT, the you need to determine the clog - or reason that air is not moving through your dryer, clothes and exhaust system.

ONLY 2 possibilities exist:
1. Fan motor is frozen and needs replacement....or
2. Duct/exhaust is clogged with lint and will not allow air to pass through.

Please check for both, clean/clear/fix as needed.

I'd check first for clogged vent hose or clogged lint filter or clogged vent flap on wall (outside).

If that's not a problem, it may be a faulty thermostat. Heating element is probably okay if it heats some of the time.

More info, let me know.

Charlie

Check to see if vent hose is not restricted. If it goes up inside wall, it could have lint clogging it. Most dryers regulate heat with air flow. Wet clothes can restrict flow even more if vent is clogged or pinched. Air flow is crucial to heat cycle. If the vent is resrticted, heat will rise quickly, but not cool down fast enough to allow heat thermostat to cool down and turn on heating element again. It may seem hot inside dryer but if no air flow it will increase dry time or not dry them at all before timer shuts off. If vent goes up inside wall, buy a small chimney brush and try cleaning out vent from attic if you can.

Check your lint filter. Put it under running water to see if the water goes through it. Chances are it is clogged up. Wash it and put it back. Should do the trick.

SGt 48

A dryer needs only three things to dry clothes:
1. Tumble the clothes.
2. Blow the air.
3. Heat the air.

If your clothes aren't drying, you are missing one or more of these.

You've mentioned that the basket is tumbling. That's good. The blower is also running if the motor is turning. But that doesn't mean the air is blowing. It could be clogged up behind the lint screen, in the vent pipe behind the machine, or at the vent outside the house.

If it's blowing lots of cold air (go to the outside vent to find out) then your dryer isn't heating. This would mean some part inside the dryer has failed. If so, the first thing you want to determine is, does the ignitor glow? There's a hole at the very bottom front edge where you might see it glow. You may have to place a mirror in front of the hole to see it glow.

Write back with more symptoms, and I'll help you through the rest.

Check your dryer ducting.  If you have not cleaned your dryer ducting recently, it may be time to do so.  In order for a dryer to work correctly, it needs proper air flow.  A lot of people don't realize that just seeing the heating element glowing and the air blower fan running isn't enough to get your clothes dry.  If the dryer does not have a proper exhaust the air has no where to go.  All that air that is normally exhausted out of the dryer vent carries all the moisture from your clothes with it.  If the exhaust is clogged, all that moisture stays in the dryer and the dryer works harder to try to heat.  Your clothes stay wet and, eventually, your thermal cut-out and/or heating element will blow.  You could also have a clog somewhere inside the air baffle in the dryer.  This is where the exhaust fan is.  Lint can get trapped in this area clog up your dryer.  Here's a simple test you can perform:

1. Remove the exhaust ducting from the back of the dryer and dry one load in this manner, letting the dryer exhaust freely into your laundry room or garage.  Feel the air leaving the exhaust port on the back of the dryer.  The air should eventually heat up and be rather forceful.  If your clothes dry faster, then you know you have a clog somewhere in the ducting.  You will need to trace it all the way to where it leaves your home at the exhaust vent outside.  If it is run in a crawl space, make sure it is suspened from the rafters and not on the ground.  Leaving it on the ground makes it susceptable to rodents wanting to chew through to get inside your dryer.  Dryers provide a great source of warmth and bedding material (lint) and mice love them.  Also ensure thre are no sags in the line that will create areas for lint to collect.  If you find that your clothes are drying better, take care of the problem immediately.  Running a dryer for extended periods of time exhausting in your home can add unwanted humidity, dust and potential mildew.

2.  If your dryer still is not drying sufficiently, or you have very weak air flow coming out of the rear exhaust port.  You will need to remove the air baffle housing and check for clogs.  I experienced a home where a dryer would not heat, but the ducting was clear all the way to the exterior vent.  The heating element was also heating properly.  When I removed the ducting, however, there was barely any air coming out of the dryer.  When I inspected the air baffle housing I found a mouse nest as big as a shoe box and compacted to the point that I had to disassemble the unit to get it out.  You will find that MOST insufficient drying problems are directly related to the cleanliness of your dryer interior and your dryer ducting.  Not to mention, the potential for house fires if you do not maintain a dryer properly.  I have also found situations where lint became so backed up in a dryer that there was evidence of multiple fires inside the dryer.  Take the time to double check your dryer venting and replace those old plastic worn out vent hoses with new semi-rigid metal hoses.  They resist crimping and crushing and will not clog as easily.

NOTE: It is normal for the heating element to cycle on and off.  This is actually a symptom of a "healthy drying cycle".

I hope this information is helpful to you.  If you find no obvious signs of clogs or obstructions, let me know.  You may have something else causing your problem.