My dryer runs but does not heat. What should I check first?

The breaker, since an electric dryer uses a double breaker and one side can trip alone. If power is fine, a thermal fuse blown by a blocked vent is a common cause, and the vent must be cleared before the fuse is replaced.

Is it safe to keep using a dryer that shuts off mid-cycle?

Stop using it until it is checked. A safety thermostat reacting to overheating, usually from a clogged vent, is a common cause, and running it that way repeatedly is a bad idea.

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Home/Hillsborough County/Brandon & Valrico/Dryer Repair

Dryer repair across Brandon and Valrico

A dryer that needs two cycles in a Brandon or Valrico garage is usually fighting its vent, not failing outright. We check the airflow along with the parts. We cover 6 ZIP codes in Brandon & Valrico.

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Lint, Long Runs and Blown Fuses

Older Brandon ranch homes often vent through a garage wall or straight up through the roof, and two-story Valrico houses can route the duct across the attic. Long runs and roof caps collect lint fast, and humid exhaust condenses in cool stretches of duct. The dryer overheats, the thermal fuse blows, and the drum turns without heat. A new fuse without a clear vent buys a few weeks at most.

Clean the lint screen every load, then run the dryer and feel the air at the outside hood. A weak puff means the vent needs cleaning before any part is replaced. Do not climb onto the roof to clear a cap yourself.

Electric, Gas and Worn Drums

Most homes here are all-electric, so the element, thermal fuse and cycling thermostat are the usual suspects, and one tripped half of a two-pole breaker gives the same cold result. Gas dryers get the igniter and valve coils tested. Squeaks and thumps point to drum rollers, an idler pulley or glides. You hear the diagnosis and price before any work.

Before You Book: Dryer Checks

Safe first steps for the most urgent dryer problems, and when to leave it to a technician.

Dryer OverheatingSafety: Stop using the dryer and pull the plug, then clear lint from the screen and from the slot it sits in. Run no more loads until the dryer has been inspected.
Dryer Venting ImproperlySafety: Check behind the machine, and in the attic or any crawl space near the laundry area, for lint buildup or a duct that has come loose. A gas dryer must never exhaust indoors, so do not use it again until the venting is fixed.
Tripping Circuit BreakerSafety: If the breaker trips a second time, leave it off and keep the dryer unplugged. Resetting it over and over can harm the wiring, and a line-voltage fault like this is not for owners to troubleshoot.
Burning SmellSafety: Shut the dryer off at once, unplug it or switch off its breaker, and do not start it again. If you see smoke or flames, get out of the house and call 911.

Symptoms, causes and repair-or-replace advice for every type of dryer are in our complete dryer repair guide.