LG is a well-known and trusted household brand; from televisions to kitchen appliances, they are masters of engineering and manufacturing.
Yet despite this stellar reputation, their appliances sometimes run into some issues.
One problem we see being reported by users consistently is that their LG dryers will suddenly stop heating.
Needless to say, this is a pretty big problem as dryers use heat as their primary method of extracting moisture from clothes.
If this problem is happening with your dryer, don’t worry! We’ll explain exactly why this problem occurs and how to fix it as easily as possible.
We’ll be covering both gas and electric dryers, so no matter what you have, you’re sure to find the solution here.
Why is your LG Dryer Not Heating?
For a dryer to heat properly, several components must work together to manage the temperature, generate heat, and extract the hot air from the dryer.
If any components in this heating chain stop functioning due to a blockage or failure, the dryer won’t heat. So let’s first take a look at which of these components fail and why.
1. The Vent is Clogged
The fundamental principle of how dryers remove moisture is they heat up the air which causes the water in the clothes to evaporate, this moist air is then ejected through the vent.
However, over time these vents can become clogged up with dust, debris, and lint picked up from the clothing. If they become severely blocked it can prevent the damp air from being expelled from the dryer.
This means when you check your clothes after the wash they will still be wet, giving the impression that the dryer didn’t heat at all.
So we need to unblock the vent to allow the LG electric dryer to correctly expel the hot air.
2. The Lint Filter is Clogged
Another key component in this process is the lint filter. The lint filter is designed to catch all the lint that will naturally be pulled out of your clothes during the wash cycle and prevent them from gathering up in other, more important places.
The lint filter needs to be cleaned out intermittently to ensure it’s able to catch all the fabric debris.
Don’t worry, this process is quick and easy and LG has made the lint filter easily accessible as they understand you will need to do this quite frequently.
3. The Dryer is Overloaded
While we’re sure you’re keen to just get as much drying done as you can in a single go, when you load too many clothes into the dryer at once it can actually cause problems with the drying process.
This is because there is no room for the air to circulate around the clothes, so most of them will just remain cold and wet by the end of the cycle.
To avoid this you may need to remove some clothes from the LG electric dryer and run a second cycle. Remember, it’s always better to run two drying cycles rather than one large one.
4. The Thermal Fuse has Blown
The thermal fuse is a security component that monitors the internal temperature of the dryer while it’s operating.
If the temperature exceeds a certain limit then it will blow and immediately prevent the dryer from heating.
This is to protect your home from fire, and from the components from damaging themselves due to overheating.
Once the thermal fuse has blown it will need to be replaced as these are one time use components.
5. The Heating Element has Burnt Out
The heating element is the part of the clothes dryer that physically produces the heat that dries the clothes. It’s essentially a coil of metal that has an electrical current pass through it, which in turn makes it very hot.
Needless to say, something like this can be prone to burning out and short-circuiting. Once this happens it will no longer be able to produce heat and will need to be replaced.
6. A Cycling Thermostat Failure
Not to be confused with a thermal fuse, a cycling thermostat instructs the heating element to turn on or off depending on the current temperature level demanded by the type of cycle you have chosen.
So while it doesn’t produce heat itself, if this component fails the components which do produce heat will not function properly.
This means we need to ensure the cycling thermostat is operational for the clothes dryer to heat properly.
7. The Igniter isn’t Working
Applicable to gas dryers only.
The igniter creates a small electrical spark which, as the name might suggest, ignites the gas line which in turn produces heat.
So when the igniter doesn’t work the gas dryer won’t be able to heat.
We will need to test the igniter with a multimeter to see if it’s working, and if it’s non-functional then it will need to be replaced.
8. The Gas Valve Solenoid has Failed
There is a small valve that turns the flow of gas on or off by opening and closing when instructed by the LG gas dryer.
When this component fails there will be no supply of gas to the dryer, meaning even if the igniter is working just fine, no heat will be produced.
This component will also need to be tested with a multimeter and replaced as needed.
How to Fix an LG Dryer Not Heating
Depending on what has caused the dryer to stop heating, sometimes the solution is a simple case of cleaning some clogged-up components. Other times it may require a technician to swap out a faulty component.
Let’s take a look at how to fix these issues based on which component is causing the problem.
1. Unclog the Vent
If the dryer vent has become clogged up with dust and lint it will need to be unclogged before the dryer can heat properly.
The easiest way to do this is by using a vacuum that has a hose attachment. Use this to hoover up as much of the dust inside the vent as possible.
If you don’t have a vacuum to hand, you can use something like a long broom handle to knock the dust loose and shake it out by hand, but this method is certainly messier.
2. Unclog the Lint Filter
The lint filter needs to be cleaned intermittently to ensure it’s able to catch lint before it can clog up the dryer.
- Start by removing the lint filter from the dryer. If you are not sure where it’s located you can refer to your user manual for a precise location on your given model.
- Let it sit in a sink of warm water and dish soap for a few minutes to loosen everything up.
- Scrub it clean with a soft brush, old toothbrushes work great for this.
- Rinse it under clean water and let it dry before re-installing it.
3. Remove Excess Clothes
When your dryer is overloaded the air won’t be able to circulate around the clothes properly, resulting in wet clothes even after the cycle has finished.
If your dryer is more than 3/4 full, then we recommend removing some of the clothes to allow the dryer to operate better.
4. Replace the Thermal Fuse
If the thermal fuse has been tested with a multimeter and found to be broken it will need to be replaced as these are single-use components.
Fortunately, you can source replacements from LG very easily and install them yourself by following these steps:
- Make sure the machine is turned off and removed from the power supply before starting.
- Remove the screws that are securing the top cabinet to the dryer and then it should slide right off.
- Refer to your user manual to locate the thermal fuse based on your specific model.
- Remove the mounting screws and wires holding it in place.
- You can easily remove the old thermal fuse by hand and discard it.
- Install the new thermal fuse in its place and re-attach the screws and wires.
- Re-install the dryer panels.
5. Replace the Burnt-Out Heating Element
If the heating element has short-circuited or is found to be defective it will need to be replaced as there is no easy way to repair it.
We recommend contacting LG customer support who will assist you with this process as this can be challenging to replace by yourself.
6. Replace the Cycling Thermostat
Similarly, the cycling thermostat should be tested for continuity using an ohm meter, specifically the wiring harness that powers the cycling thermostat.
If it’s broken then this too will need to be replaced as it’s not possible to repair. Once again getting help from a trained LG technician will be beneficial here.
7. Replace the Faulty Igniter
If the igniter isn’t working not only will it prevent the LG gas dryer from heating, but it can actually present a safety hazard as gas is being fed into the dryer and not being lit.
You should immediately seek to replace this component if it’s not working.
8. Replace the Gas Valve Solenoid
The gas valve solenoid opens and closes to control the flow of gas into the LG gas dryer, so once this component fails even if the igniter is working just fine, there won’t be any gas present to ignite, which will result in the dryer not heating.
While sometimes the contacts can be cleaned and serviced, once again the recommendation is to have this component replaced by a trained technician.
Adrian is an ISCET licensed professional that has completed the National Appliance Service Technician Certification Exam and has the expertise to diagnose and repair any appliance. He is well-versed in the latest technologies and techniques and is always up-to-date on the latest industry standards.
