Gas Dryer with No Heat

[JoeyGee]

My gas dryer is running, but it gets no heat. I have no experience with appliances, so I don't even know where to look. The only thing I have done is to make sure there is no lint clogged up--which there was a little.

We had DirectTV installed yesterday, and the guy was working over it and around it, but everything is plugged in, including the gas line. The genius did run some cables directly UNDER the dryer exhaust on the outside of the house, which is where some lint collected, but I doubt that or anything else the guy could have done would have damaged the dryer.

What should I check?

[LCHIEN]

gas is off
pilot light is out
or thermal cutout is broken - keeps the gas flowing only if the flame is on and hot
or gas solenoid valve is broken.

or electrical igniter bad

or the timer is bad (has contacts for energizing the gas solenoid valve.)

There's some websites online that will walk you though appliance problems and even help you get the right replacement part numbers an take your order for said parts.

[DaveS]

When my gas dryer did not heat, it ended up being a part called a "glow plug" (the thing that ignites the gas).

$29 and a 5 minute installation later, we were back in business.

[billwmeyer]

You might double check the gas valvel He could have accidently shut if off while working around it. That would be a cheap fix.

Bill

[leehljp]

IF you do decide to check online and then decide to order the part online - do NOT order from Appliance Zone. Do a check on them. They are helpful for taking your order, charging immediately, sending only when you are ready to cancel the order, not allowing returns (by not answering email to that request), even when wrong parts are sent.

The first clue is the fact that you are charged immediately and not when shipped.

[Uncle Cracker]

Check and see if you paid your gas bill...

[tfischer]

Ours did the same thing a few years ago. I finally traced it to a centrifugal switch on the motor. I looked it up, and the motor and switch needed to be replaced together, for $$$'s. I got annoyed and went back and whacked it (the switch) with a Mag-Light. It's been working ever since

[pelligrini]

There's a bunch of appliance forums out there. It tried to ignite the gas, (clicking sound) I checked dust buildup and all. I went through several threads and found that mine was probably a pair of solinoids. A stop by http://www.repairclinic.com/ for some replacements and a couple days later it was working fine again.