Fair enough:

Nobody wants to discover that their Whirlpool dryer isn’t heating up. But, if you’re unlucky and your dryer won’t heat, know that it is not the end of the world.

Fortunately:

Having encountered this issue several times during appliance repairs, I’m here to help!  

I’ve also sought assistance from an industry specialist, Jeff Parker, who has over 20 years of experience fixing household appliances.

With his input:

I will direct your troubleshooting process. So, let’s begin.

Why Your Whirlpool Dryer Won’t Heat

COMMONLY AFFECTED PARTS	ESTIMATED COST
Heating element	$20 – $60
Thermal fuse	$5 – $15
Thermostat	$7 – $12
Gas valve solenoid	$30 – $120
Lint Screen	$12 – $40

If your Whirlpool dryer won’t heat and you’re concerned about the parts directly involved, look no further. A heating defect in your Whirlpool dryer will often be caused by a damaged heating element, tripped thermal fuse, faulty thermostat, or failed gas valve solenoid. Furthermore, it is also likely that a clogged lint screen or vent is culpable.

Next up:

I will explain these possible causes in-depth and provide clear troubleshooting steps to resolve them. 

Don’t forget to unplug your dryer from the power outlet before you get started. If you use a gas dryer, switch off the gas.

6 Common Reasons and Troubleshooting Steps for a Whirlpool Dryer That Is Not Heating

1. Defective Heating Element

Part	Heating element
Location	It is located within the heater housing at the back of the drum.
Ease of troubleshooting	Moderate
Cost	$20 – $60
Repairable	No – if it is damaged or brokenYes – if the wiring connection is loose or burnt

Get this:

Electric dryers are designed with a heating element to heat the air in the drum that dries your damp laundry. This heating element is a series of wire coils inside a metal housing.

Intuitively:

If any of the coils in the heating element are damaged, your Whirlpool dryer won’t get hot. At this point, it would have to be replaced.

For example:

This Reddit user posted about his Whirlpool LEV4634PQ0S electric dryer that wouldn’t heat. 

According to him, the drum produced cool air, and when he checked, he noticed a broken coil on the heating element. 

Well:

That’s all I needed to hear to confirm that the heating element was the culprit. To this end, you need to know how to replace a damaged heating element.

Here’s what to do:

First, detach the access panel, locate the heating element, and examine it for signs of burning, breakage, or wiring connection mishaps. 

Then, test its terminals with a multimeter for electrical continuity and replace the element if it fails the test.

Jeff interjects:

“Determining whether it is worth replacing your heating element instead of replacing the entire washer is important.”

You see:

This Reddit user was plagued with this exact dilemma. 

He noticed the heating element in his Whirlpool AWZ 650 electric dryer had loose and burnt wiring connections and considered replacing the dryer.

However: 

Other users encouraged him to replace the heating element wiring because it was a relatively easier and more cost-effective option.

2. Blown Thermal Fuse

Part	Thermal fuse
Location	It is situated on the blower housing, close to the heating element.
Ease of troubleshooting	Moderate
Cost	$5 – $15
Repairable	No

Look:

If you’ve confirmed that your heating element is not the cause of the problem, the next part to inspect is the thermal fuse. 

The thermal fuse is responsible for the safety of your Whirlpool dryer. It is designed to trip or blow when the dryer temperature rises beyond a critical level. 

You see:

When it trips, the dryer will either completely shut off or continue to run but won’t produce any heat. 

Something similar happened to this Reddit user whose Whirlpool WED49STBW1 dryer had no heat but was still running. 

And, not to my surprise, when he checked, he discovered that the thermal fuse had blown. 

In any case:

If you’re in a similar bind, you must replace the thermal fuse immediately. 

Detach the relevant access panel, locate the thermal fuse, test it for continuity with a multimeter, and replace it if negative.

In addition:

Jeff points out that a blown thermal fuse indicates an underlying issue that must be investigated thoroughly to resolve the problem.

3. Faulty Thermostat

Part	Cycling Thermostat/ High-limit Thermostat
Location	It is typically located on the blower housing near the heating element.
Ease of troubleshooting	Moderate
Cost	$7 – $12
Repairable	No

Here’s the thing:

Like this Reddit user, many users don’t know that your Whirlpool dryer has two thermostats. 

That’s why he was perplexed after replacing just one thermostat in his Whirlpool LET7646EQ0 dryer, which still wasn’t heating. 

Jeff states:

“When your dryer won’t get hot, the thermostat at fault could be the cycling/operating thermostat.”

This part regulates air temperature by turning the heat off at intervals and back on again when the dryer is within its temperature limit.

On the other hand:

The high-limit thermostat is responsible for shutting off the burner when the dryer starts to overheat. And sometimes, when this thermostat is faulty, your dryer will not heat up.

As such:

You must test both thermostats for continuity with a multimeter. If they fail this test, replace them. 

4. Failed Gas Valve Solenoid

Part	Gas valve solenoid
Location	It is situated close to the gas valve assembly
Ease of troubleshooting	Difficult
Cost	$30 – $120
Repairable	No

Get this:

Every Whirlpool gas dryer is manufactured with two or more gas valve solenoid coils. 

So, if you own a Whirlpool gas dryer that won’t heat, you should consider examining these solenoid coils for faults. 

The thing is:

They are designed to allow gas to enter the burner assembly so the igniter can set it ablaze. If the solenoid fails, the dryer won’t heat because the gas flow has been hindered.

As such:

Pay attention to the igniter to determine if any solenoid coils are faulty.

If it glows and fades out without igniting the gas, then there is certainly an issue with the gas valve solenoids.

To confirm:

Access the affected parts and test them for continuity with a multimeter. If any is faulty, I recommend replacing the set as a preventive measure.

Now:

This happened to a Reddit user whose Whirlpool Cabrio WGD8800YC2 was not heating properly. He said, “The gas comes on every minute or so for a couple of seconds.”

In response:

Other users suggested correctly that the gas valve solenoid coils are defective and should be replaced. When he took that advice, his issue was resolved.

Ultimately: 

Jeff suggests you seek professional help to replace a failed gas valve solenoid. 

And if you have technical experience, he recommends exercising reasonable caution to avoid hazards.

Also:

Whirlpool’s online parts store is ideal for authentic replacement gas valve solenoids.

5. Blocked Lint Screen 

Part	Lint screen
Location	It can be found inside the dryer door or on top of the dryer.
Ease of troubleshooting	Easy
Cost	$12 – $40
Repairable	Yes – if it is blockedNo – if it is damaged

Now:

Is your Whirlpool dryer heating but not as quickly as it should? Are your clothes not drying properly?

Then:

This means your lint trap is full, and the lint screen is obstructed with debris. 

When this happens, moisture is trapped in the dryer drum, which causes the dryer to take much longer to dry your clothes. 

Jeff asserts:

“A dirty lint screen or filter will lead to other complications. Accumulated lint will begin to escape and clog other dryer parts.”

As such:

Cleaning out the accumulated lint would be the best bet for your dryer. I’ll tell you what to do.

Listen:

Detach the lint screen and wash it thoroughly with soap and warm water. Then, clean the bracket the screen fits into before reattaching the clean, dry screen. 

Jeff advises:

“Be sure to clear it out regularly to avoid dealing with the repercussions of harboring built-up lint.”

Finally, take care to reattach the screen properly into the bracket.

Why?

You don’t want to be like this Reddit user. 

His Whirlpool WED8500BC Dryer was not heating well enough to dry clothes because the lint screen was not attached properly to the bracket.  

6. Clogged Dryer Vent

Part	Dryer vent
Location	It is situated behind the dryer and extends outside the house.
Ease of troubleshooting	Easy
Cost	$100 – $200 for professional cleaning
Repairable	Yes – if it is clogged

Similarly:

If your dryer vent is clogged, your dryer will heat poorly. 

You see:

A member of our Facebook community complained that his Whirlpool GEW9250PW1 Gold Duet dryer was not heating. 

He had tested all the commonly affected parts and cleared out the lint screen, but the dryer still wasn’t getting hot. 

In light of this:

I figured the dryer vent could be obstructed by debris. 

Jeff adds, “A clogged dryer vent often leads to overheating, which could ricochet, causing other problems, including a blown thermal fuse.”

To identify the problem:

I advised him to check for warm, steady airflow passing through the vent outside. If there is no airflow, the solution is simple—clean out the vent.

Now:

I recommend employing a professional vent cleaning service for better results. 

Otherwise, disconnect the vent tubing and clean it with a vent brush, leaf blower, or vacuum attachment. 

Models Most Affected 

Generally:

There are certain Whirlpool dryer models that have been popularly reported to have issues with heating. 

I have collated these models and attached the most likely model-specific reason for the fault.

Here you go!

Model Number	Model Name	Reason
GEW9250PW0	Whirlpool Duet	Defective heating element
GEW9250PW1	Whirlpool Gold Duet	Clogged dryer vent
TGDS780JQ0	Whirlpool Estate Gas Dryer	Failed gas valve solenoid
WED4815EW1	Whirlpool Electric Front-load Dryer	Blocked lint screen
LER4634JQ0	Whirlpool Electric Front-load Dryer	Blown thermal fuse
GGW9200LW1	Whirlpool Duet Gas Dryer	Failed gas valve solenoid
WED5300SQ0	Whirlpool Electric Dryer	Blown thermal fuse
LET7646EQ0	Whirlpool Electric Dryer	Faulty thermostat
WGD8800YC2	Whirlpool Cabrio Gas Dryer	Failed gas valve solenoid

Conclusion

When it’s all said and done:

Repairing your Whirlpool dryer that won’t heat isn’t a herculean task. All you need to do is identify the defective parts and make the necessary repairs or replacements. 

Luckily:

I have highlighted the most important dryer parts to pay attention to. These include:

• Defective heating element
• Blown thermal fuse
• Faulty thermostat
• Failed gas valve solenoid
• Blocked lint screen
• Clogged dryer vent

Note:

If these repairs get too complicated for you to handle alone, don’t hesitate to use our “Ask the Expert“ feature. You can also call an appliance technician to help with the repairs.

Further:

Jeff emphasizes the importance of regularly maintaining your dryer.

He asserts: 

“Nothing beats avoiding household appliance issues. And the best way to do that is by consistently cleaning and servicing your machine.”

Finally:

I’d love to know if these suggestions worked for you. Please share your experience, questions, and additions in the comment section below. 

Frequently Asked Questions