Skip to content 
Typically, a dryer would fail to remove moisture from your clothes if it can’t generate heat. But why would an Amana dryer produce that outcome despite heating up as it should?
When your Amana dryer fails to dry your clothes despite heating up correctly, the machine’s airflow is restricted. That airflow restriction is caused by a clogged internal vent, dirty lint trap, dryer duct issues, or problems with the dryer exhaust vent and its flap. Those problems will keep moisture trapped in your dryer, leaving your clothes wet despite the heat.
This guide will show you how to troubleshoot your Amana dryer and get it working correctly again.
Why Is My Amana Dryer Getting Hot But Not Drying Clothes?
When your Amana dryer fails to dry your clothes despite generating heat, the main problem is a lack of airflow.
Remember: there are two parts to the drying process. Firstly, there must be a steady supply of hot air, which your Amana dryer still has. The second is smooth airflow so that hot air can remove moisture from your clothes and carry it out of the dryer.
Here are the most likely reasons your Amana is failing to dry your clothes and what you can do to fix them:
Clogged Internal Vent
What it is: There’s a blower wheel inside your Amana dryer, and it’s one of the machine’s most important components. The blower wheel spins to drive air inside the dryer, between your wet laundry, and out through the machine’s vents.
However, the air from that blower must travel through an internal vent that directs it towards the drum. The vent minimizes the space and distance the air must travel between the blower and the drum.
How it affects drying: One likely reason your Amana dryer fails to dry your clothes despite being hot is that the internal vent is clogged.
After many months or years of use, the vent can get clogged with lint, dirt, debris, and foreign objects that fall from your clothes pockets.
As a result, there’s no airflow to carry moisture out from the dryer.
Connect with an Appliance Repair Tech
Click here to use the chatbox to speak with one of our technicians.
No in-home service calls. No appointments.
In other words, the heat will remove moisture from your laundry, but the lack of airflow keeps all of it trapped in the dryer drum. As a result, your clothes will just become wet again.
How to fix it: You can solve this problem by removing the internal vent and cleaning it thoroughly.
The vent is within your Amana dryer towards the back. So, you’ll have to remove the rear panel to access the vent and detach it.
Then, you can vacuum dust and lint out from the vent while removing any foreign objects you find.
Read: Why Does My Dryer Take Several Cycles To Dry Clothes? – Troubleshooting Guide
Dirty Lint Trap
What it is: Wherever there’s airflow, there will be lint and dust. That’s why all dryers have a lint trap, also called a lint filter.
As the name suggests, its purpose is to remove lint from the air and keep it trapped for easy cleaning.
Seeing as the lint trap sits directly in the airflow’s path, you must clean it regularly to maintain smooth airflow in your Amana dryer.
How it affects drying: The airflow through your dryer must go through the lint trap as there’s no other route for it to take. So, as the lint trap becomes increasingly dirty with lint, dirt, and dust, it will prevent air from flowing through smoothly.
That will also prevent moisture from escaping the dryer drum. Instead, the water will stay in the drum and keep your clothes wet.
How to fix it: Lint traps are the easiest component to clean. The traps are removable, so you can take them out and vacuum away any lint and dust stuck on them.
More importantly, cleaning the filter regularly can prevent this from happening again. You should clean your Amana dryer lint trap after every drying cycle.
Read: Why Dryer Smells Like Sewage?
Dryer Duct Issues
What it is: Once the moist and hot air exits your Amana dryer, it must travel outside your home or building. Otherwise, your laundry room will become hot and humid as a result.
So, the hot air travels through a dryer duct that leads it from the machine to the outside world, typically through the nearest wall.
A typical dryer duct is made from flexible materials that you can shift and shape to fit your laundry room neatly.
How it affects drying: Typically, there are two ways your ducts can prevent your clothes from drying.
Firstly, the duct can get clogged by lint, dirt, debris, and foreign objects. As you saw earlier, those clogs restrict airflow and make it impossible for humid air to escape your dryer.
Secondly, flexible dryer ducts easily bend, squeeze, and pinch accidentally.
For example, the dryer might be pushed too close to the wall behind it, squeezing the vent and preventing air from flowing through.
How to fix it: Firstly, check that your dryer duct is straight wherever possible. There must be no objects squeezing or pinching the vent.
Secondly, clean the vent thoroughly to remove anything clogging it on the inside.
Read: Gas Vs Electric Dryer | In-Depth Comparison
Exhaust Vent And Flap
What it is: The final point that your dryer’s hot air must pass through is the external vent and flap on the other side of the ducting described above.
Dryer vents typically have a flap that can open and close automatically. The flap will open to allow the dryer’s hot air to escape. But when there’s no airflow, the flap will close to prevent anything from coming in from the outside.
How it affects drying: The external vent and its flap is the final part that the dryer’s hot air must pass through. Unfortunately, the flap can become rusted and stuck in a closed position.
That will cause the air to get backed up into your dryer, where the machine fails to remove moisture from your clothes.
How to fix it: Firstly, try applying a lubricant or something similar to the vent flap. That might help it open and close normally.
However, if the vent and flap are severely rusted, you must invest in replacements. A brand new exhaust vent of decent quality is affordable and will last you for many years to come.
Read: Amana Washer Code F5 E3 – Troubleshooting Guide
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Need a bit more help? Here are some helpful questions and answers for troubleshooting your Amana dryer:
How Do You Fix The Heat On An Amana Dryer?
An Amana dryer that won’t heat up likely has a faulty heating element. For example, the heating element might have suffered a short circuit that prevents it from generating heat.
How Often Should You Clean Your Dryer Vent Duct?
You should clean your dryer vent duct twice a year (once every six months) if you live in an average home. However, you must clean it more frequently if you’re using the dryer more than the average user.
Can I Clean My Dryer Vent Myself?
Yes, you can purchase dryer vent cleaning kits to clean the vent yourself. Investing in such a kit can save you time and money in the long run, as you won’t have to hire someone to do it for you.
Read: Amana Washer Code Nd – Troubleshooting Guide
Do You Need A Flap On A Dryer Vent?
Yes, you must have a flap on your dryer’s exhaust vent. The flap stops outside dirt and debris from entering the duct. More importantly, it also prevents small animals from nesting inside the dryer vent.
What Is Dryer Lint Made Of?
Dryer lint consists of fabrics from your clothes. As your laundry tumbles around, some of its fibers come loose and get carried away by the dryer’s hot air.
