Kenmore Elite Dryer Not Heating

Sometimes, your Kenmore elite dryer may work but not heat. In that case, you may see your dryer’s power light is on but not producing any heat. To solve this not heating problem of your Kenmore Elite Dryer, you may call a professional repairer. But if you follow the below-mentioned full troubleshooting guidelines, you may save some costs.

Kenmore elite dryer may not be heated due to the below-listed component’s malfunction. To fix not heating issue, you need to check all the seven (7) steps. These are:

  • Faulty heating elements
  • Problematic high limit thermostat
  • Defective thermal cut off
  • Blown thermal fuse
  • Bad timing motor
  • Clogged vent, filter, or lint trap
  • Defective main control switch

The defectiveness of these above-mentioned Kenmore elite dryer components, the dryer may have heating problems. To fix this heating problem of your dryer, check these seven points in the below-mentioned way.

Before starting the troubleshooting steps, check your dryer’s power line is plugged in. Sometimes you may make this silly mistake. Also, check the electric circuit breaker. It may have tripped due to some external reason.

Troubleshooting Guide: Kenmore Elite Dryer Not Heating

Kenmore Elite Dryer Not Heating

Start your troubleshooting in the following way:

Step-01: Check the vent, lint trap, and filter of your dryer

Due to the blockage of your dryer vent, it will not flow hot air. If it cannot flow the hot air, your dryer will not dry clothes inside the bucket. To solve this trouble, clean the dryer vent if it is clogged.

Moreover, for the clogged air filter and lint trap, your Kenmore elite dryer may not be heating. List trap is an exhaust line filter. It is a safety component of the dryer’s booster fan. Check the filter and lint trap and clean both these two components to solve the heating problem.

Step-02: Inspect the thermal fuse

Your dryer’s thermal fuse is a kind of protecting device. This device helps your dryer from overheating damage.

To check this thermal fuse, use a multimeter. Check the continuity mainly. If the fuse is defective, replace it with a new Thermal Fuse.

One thing that needs to keep in mind is that a blown thermal fuse is an indicator of a clogged vent hose. When you need to replace this fuse do not forget the check the vent hose. Clean the vent hose if it is clogged.

Step-03: Adjust the high limit thermostat

Same as the thermal fuse, the high limit thermostat is also a safety device for your Kenmore Elite dryer.

If this device is faulty, your dryer will not produce heat. Firstly, you need to check the continuity of this high-limit thermostat with a multimeter. If the multimeter does not show any continuity, replace it with a new one.

Be sure that the dryer is unplugged before operating this testing procedure.

Step-04: Check the timing motor

Timing motor is one of the important elements for not heating your Kenmore elite dryer. Although, a bad timing motor is a very rare case as it is a long-lasting element of your dryer. Simply check the continuity of the timing motor with a multimeter. Moreover, when you test the timing motor, check the electrical wire related to this motor. Replace the electrical wire or the motor if any one of them is faulty.

Step-05: Check the heating elements of your dryer

Heating elements are the main components that are responsible for heating your dryer. The heating unit of your Kenmore Elite dryer is a long heater coil. Due to the bad condition of this heater coil, the dryer may not be producing heat.

Check the heating elements’ continuity with a multimeter. Replace it if it has no continuity. Before checking the heating elements, do not forget to unplug the power line from the power socket.

Step-06: Inspect the dryer belt switch

A problematic dryer belt switch can create heating-related trouble. To fix this dryer belt switch problem, firstly need to find out the location of the dryer belt switch.

This dryer belt switch is adjacent to the dryer belt tension pulley. To inspect the dryer belt switch, you need to open the dryer’s front cover. Under the front cover, you will find the dryer belt switch and electrical cables related to this dryer belt switch.

Use a multimeter to check the continuity of this dryer belt switch and the wire related to this switch. Replace the wire or even the dryer belt switch if found faulty or damaged.

Step-07: Check the main control board

The main control board of your dryer is the brain and follows all the commands given by you. A faulty control board is a very rare case always. So, follow all other six mentioned steps thoroughly before starting the main control board troubleshooting.

Troubleshooting the main control board is always tough for a non-professional repairer. So, if you are not confident enough to go through this step, just hold on.  Call a professional repairer or an authorized service provider to fix your Kenmore Elite dryer heating issue.

Open the cover of the main control board. Inspect the whole area of the control board whether is there any burning signs or not. Clean all the components with a brush of the main control board circuit.

Run the dryer after fixing the front cover of the dryer. If the problem is not solved, call a professional repairer or an authorized service provider.

Additional Troubleshooting If Kenmore Elite Dryer Not Heating

Kenmore Elite Dryer Not Heating-Additional Troubleshooting

If your Kenmore Elite dryer is gas type dryer then you need to follow 2 more additional steps to solve the heating-related problem.

Additional Step – 01: Inspect the Ignitor and the Gas Valve Solenoid

In Kenmore elite dryer, there are one or more than one gas valve solenoids. Due to the problematic gas valve solenoid, the dryer will not produce heat. To solve the issue related to this gas valve solenoid, you need to check the ignitor.

If the ignitor is ignited then the ignitor is ok. But after the ignition, if the ignitor is blown away then the dryer has a gas valve solenoid problem.

Replace the single gas solenoid valve or the whole set if it has a problem.

Additional Step – 02: Check the Flame Sensor

A flame sensor detects flame produced by the dryer’s ignitor. Due to the faulty flame sensor, the heating elements will not get signals and will not produce heat.

Check continuity of the flame sensor with a multimeter. If it has no continuity, replace the faulty flame sensor with a new one.

Additionally, be sure that the dryer’s ignitor and the thermal fuse are operational.

Test the flame sensor at ambient or room temperature.

Reset Procedure of Kenmore Elite Dryer

Reset Procedure of Kenmore 80 Series Dryer

If you want to conduct a simple reset for your Elite dryer, you need to keep your dryer disconnected for at least five minutes. In this way, you can reset your Kenmore Elite dryer.

Moreover, for conducting a factory reset to your Kenmore Elite dryer follow the above-mentioned simple reset procedure first. After that, you need to keep opening and closing the dryer door six times within twelve seconds.

Furthermore, if you want to reset the timer of your Kenmore Elite dryer, you need to keep unplugging the dryer for a minimum of 30 minutes.

In sum, we can say that troubleshooting the Kenmore elite dryer heating-related problem is not a tough one. Just follow the above-mentioned steps when your Kenmore Elite dryer is not heating.

Abdulla Zatar
About Abdulla Zatar

Hi, I’m Abdulla! Your go-to tech troubleshooter! Sharing my knowledge so that you can fix your tech issues with ease. Let’s make fixing things easy and fun!

Leave a Comment