GE Electric/Gas Dryer Not Heating?

GE gas and electric dryers are renowned for their ability to produce fresh and dry clothes. However, they can’t get the job done if they fail to generate any heat. So, why would a GE dryer not heat up?

If your GE dryer isn’t heating, it’s likely because the thermal fuse has blown or the dryer vent is clogged. Electric dryers typically fail to heat because of a burnt heating element, a blown fuse, or tripped power breaker. Gas dryers, however, typically face the same issue when their gas valve solenoids or igniters have become faulty or worn out.

Let’s take a closer look at the reasons why GE gas dryers, both electric and gas units, fail to generate heat and what you can do to fix it.

Related: Why Your Gas Dryer Is Not Heating Up

Caution!

Before performing any kind of repairs on your GE dryer, be sure to disconnect the appliance from its power supply. That will prevent electrocution and reduce the risk of injury.

On gas dryers, you must also shut off the gas supply to avoid any risk of fires.

It would be beneficial to keep your user manual and any technical sheets you have nearby to use as a quick reference when needed.

For Both GE Electric And Gas Dryers

Here are two common reasons why your GE electric or gas dryer isn’t heating.

Thermal Fuse

The thermal fuse is a safety device that you’ll find on both electric and gas GE dryers. This fuse is designed to prevent dryers from overheating. So, when the temperature gets too high, the fuse will blow.

When that happens, the fuse will break the dryer’s electrical circuit and prevent it from operating. Not only will this prevent the dryer from damaging itself further, but it will also help to prevent fires as well.

The thermal fuse is located near the heating element or the blower housing on an electric GE dryer. However, gas dryers will have a thermal fuse located at the burner instead.

How it fails:

Thermal fuses will blow when the temperature inside the dryer approaches unsafe levels. Seeing as how thermal fuses are sacrificial devices, they cannot be used any more once they’ve blown.

A blown thermal fuse on a GE dryer is a symptom rather than the root cause. Overheating in a dryer is usually caused by a clogged vent, which we will explore in the next section.

How to fix:

Once the thermal fuse is blown, you’ll need to replace it with a brand new one. You can access the thermal fuse from the back of the dryer by removing the rear panel.

• Next, locate and identify the thermal fuse and disconnect it from its electrical connector.
• Then, unthread the screw that holds the fuse in place.
• Mount the new thermal fuse and attach the electrical connectors the same way as before.

Clogged Vent

Whether you have an electric or gas GE dryer, the appliance will have a vent leading to the outside of your home or building. The vent allows the dryer to safely dump all of its hot air outside, as well as any lint, dirt, or carbon monoxide (from gas dryers).

How it fails:

After being in use for a long time, dryer vents tend to get blocked by buildups of lint, dust, and dirt. If your vents aren’t cleaned at least once a year, the blockage could become severe enough to block airflow entirely.

When that happens, the heat from your dryer cannot escape. So, the appliance will overheat and cause other problems, such as the blown thermal fuse mentioned earlier. Once that happens, the dryer will not be able to heat up at all. 

How to fix:

To fix this, you’ll need to clean your dryer vents at least once a year.

• Then, you can reach into the vent and remove any lint, dust, or dirt buildup using an extendable duct-cleaning brush. 
• Don’t forget to clean your dryer’s lint filter before and after each cycle, too.
• A dirty lint filter contributes to the lint buildup in your dryer vent.

For GE Electric Dryers

If you have an electric GE dryer, here are some reasons why the appliance isn’t heating as it should.

Power Supply Issues

Electric dryers rely on two electrical connections instead of just one, like other appliances. That means your GE electric dryer is connected to two 120-volt AC power supplies at all times.

Both of these power supplies must be working for the dryer to complete a drying cycle successfully.

How it fails:

Seeing as how your dryer is connected to two power supplies simultaneously, one of them can fail while the other one continues working as usual. That’s why your dryer will still tumble, even if it does not generate any heat.

If that’s the case, what’s happening is that your dryer’s heating element is not receiving any power.

How to fix:

To resolve this issue, you’ll need to troubleshoot your electric dryer’s incoming power supply.

• First, inspect the breakers. Your dryer uses two power supplies so that it will be connected to two breakers. Unfortunately, one of them may have tripped, so you’ll need to switch it back on again.
• Besides that, you can also troubleshoot the power socket that’s connected to the dryer. A multimeter will be able to help you see if the socket needs to be repaired. 
• If you’re not sure about any of this, it’s always safer to refer to a qualified electrician to help you.

Heating Element

GE electric dryers produce heat using a heating element. When electricity passes through the heating element, it will heat all of the air around it.

As that happens, the blower wheel or fan will force that hot air through the drum to dry the clothes tumbling inside.

Related: Do Dryer Booster Fans Really Work?

How it fails:

The heating element continually heats up and cools down throughout its entire useful life. Unfortunately, all of that repeated expanding and contracting of the metal heating element will cause it to wear out and break after being in use for a long time. When that happens, the heating element will not generate any heat.

Related: How Much Does it Cost To Replace Heating Element in The Clothes Dryer

So, even though the dryer might turn on and tumble as expected, the appliance will not heat up and therefore can’t dry the clothes inside.

How to fix:

A dryer heating element cannot be repaired, so you’ll need to replace it entirely. You can access the heating element by removing the dryer’s rear panel and looking near where the blower wheel is located.

• There, you’ll be able to disconnect the power supply to the heating element and replace the element with a new one.
• Once you’ve reconnected the power supply and put the rear panel back in place, you’ll be able to use the dryer again.

For GE Gas Dryers

If your GE gas dryer isn’t heating, here are two of the most likely reasons.

Gas Valve Solenoid

Depending on the GE gas dryer model that you have, the appliance will have two or more gas valve solenoids. These gas valve solenoids are designed to control the flow of gas into the dryer, which is then burned to generate heat.

How it fails:

A failed gas valve solenoid will be stuck in the closed position. In this state, the solenoid will not allow any gas to flow into the dryer, even though it should.

When that happens, the dryer will not have any gas to burn, and therefore cannot generate any heat to dry the clothes inside.

How to fix:

Gas valve solenoids are pretty straightforward to replace. You’ll need to remove the front panel to access the solenoids.

• Once you have access to it, disconnect the power supply to the solenoid and remove the mounting bracket keeping it in place.
• Next, take the old solenoid off the gas valve and replace it with a new one.
• Secure the new solenoid and reconnect the power connector.
• Then, replace the panels that you removed earlier.

Igniter

As the name suggests, this component is responsible for igniting the gas that flows into the dryer. The igniter does this by using heat, which will cause the gas to burn and heat the dryer. 

When the igniter works correctly, the dryer will have no problem generating heat to dry the clothes tumbling inside.

Related: Why Gas Oven Igniter Glows But No Flame?

How it fails:

If the igniter doesn’t generate enough heat to ignite the gas, the burner will not generate any heat for the dryer to work correctly. So even though the dryer will switch on and tumble as usual, there will be no heat available to remove any moisture from the clothes inside.

How to fix:

A faulty igniter must be replaced. The igniter is located near the gas valve solenoid described above, so you’ll need to remove the front panel to gain access to it.

• Once there, you’ll need to remove the burner assembly from the dryer.
• Next, unthread any screws holding it in place and disconnect any power connector attached to it.
• Unscrew the old igniter and replace it with the new one.
• Then, reinstall the burner assembly with its electrical connector.
• Lastly, replace all the panels that you removed earlier.