Why doesn't my gas dryer heat up? Yes, the gas is on...?
Question:It worked yesterday, now all I get is cold air. What are the possible problems?
Answers:
I agree with the "ceramic ignitor guy"! Dryers are kinda wierd to get into... It may be as simple as removing a panel below the door, or may be accesible from the back, but sometimes you have to take out a couple screws from the top, lift that slightly, pull the front panel off... (the drum sometimes relies on the front panel for support so be carefull when you pull it off)... anyway, follow the gas pipe into the unit visually... your gonna see an "aluminum looking" box that the gas pipe goes into, thats the gas valve...keep following the pipe out of that box and you will eventually see the ignitor, (ceramic ones are usually about the same shape as a hairpin, only thicker). It should be at the end of an aluminum tube about 4" in diameter. If you can get a good view of the ignitor, use a flashlight and look for any spots or cracks on the gray/black part... they will be visible because they should be kind of highlighted in white... as mentioned in the other answer, those aren't very difficult to replace, but it is "very important" not to touch the thing with your fingers! The oil from your skin gets on the ignitor and creates a "hotspot" and you will be replacing it again very soon! It's easiest to use one of those throw-away clear plastic gloves. If the ignitor looks okay to you, there is another thing usually located on the side of that aluminum fire tube... it looks like a block of plastic with a couple wires, and its screwed onto the outside of the tube... it's a heat sensor and when those fail it is sometimes telling the unit that there is already plenty of heat, so it never calls for any? Those are probably in the $30 to $40 range... Whatever you end up doing, the thorough vacuuming of the inside is kind of a no-brainer... you'll probably find a bunch of change in there too which can be applied directly to your parts bill! (j/k)... (Before removing any panels / parts at all, make sure the gas is shut off and the units unplugged)!Good luck!
It might need a heating element
Pilot/ignition out?
Is the pilot light lit? It won't heat up if it isn't lit.
There is a ceramic glow igniter inside, on the left (in the round pipe that the gas blows into.) It periodically fails.
It's a 15$ ish part, but hard to find (use the web to find)
Gas driers do NOT have a pilot. They never did.
The hot surface ignitor is easy to change, if you get the front panel off.
Just make sure when you handle the new one, you DO NOT let your fingers touch the black glow area (handle at the white ceramic base)
Shop vac out the whole thing as long as you have it apart also, that dude is probably chock full of lint. (not good)
http://appliancequickfix.com/
The ignotor workings are defective. There will be a little motorized unit to open the gas valve, and an actual ignitor to light the gas. Either the little motor is bad or the ignitor is bad.
the thermocouple could be faulty or the gas solenoid
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