How to Replace a Dryer Heating Element When Your Dryer Blows Cold Air

Your dryer is tumbling, the motor sounds fine, and the timer is counting down, but your clothes come out just as wet as when you put them in. You open the door and feel nothing but room-temperature air. That’s the classic sign of a dead heating element, and we see it all the time. The fix is straightforward; most people knock it out in about 45 minutes, and you do not need to call anyone to handle it.

What the Heating Element Does

The heating element is a coiled resistance wire housed inside a metal can or housing, usually mounted at the back or bottom of your dryer’s cabinet. When the dryer calls for heat, electricity flows through that coil, and the wire gets hot, really hot. A blower fan then pushes air across the element and into the drum, which is what actually dries your clothes.

Over time, that coil endures thousands of heating and cooling cycles. The wire stretches, sags, and eventually breaks. Once there’s a break anywhere in the coil, the circuit is open, and no heat gets produced. It’s one of the most common dryer failures out there, and luckily one of the simplest to fix.

Signs Your Heating Element Has Failed

Not every “no heat” problem is the element, but most of them are. Here’s what to watch for:

• Dryer runs and tumbles normally but produces no heat at all

• Clothes take two or three full cycles to dry

• The dryer starts warm but loses heat partway through

• You can hear the motor and blower running, but the exhaust air coming out the vent feels cool

• A visible break, burn mark, or sag in the coil when you inspect it

If your dryer is tripping the breaker or shutting off mid-cycle, that can also point to a shorted element, one where the coil has sagged and is touching the metal housing. That creates a short circuit and pulls too much current.

Tools You’ll Need

Gather these before you start. Nothing exotic here:

• Phillips-head screwdriver

• Quarter-inch nut driver or socket

• Multimeter

• Work gloves (the element housing can have sharp edges)

• Towel or small container for screws

A magnetic parts tray is handy if you have one; dryer screws are small and like to disappear into the carpet.

Before you touch anything inside the dryer, unplug it from the wall. If it’s a gas dryer, also shut off the gas supply valve behind the machine. Electric dryers run on 240 volts, which is no joke. Pull the plug. Every time.

Step-by-Step: Replacing the Heating Element

The exact layout varies by brand and model, but the process follows the same general pattern across most residential dryers. We’ve done hundreds of these across Whirlpool, Maytag, Samsung, GE, Kenmore, Frigidaire; the steps overlap more than you’d think. If you’re working on a Samsung specifically, our guide on replacing a Samsung dryer heating element covers some model-specific details worth checking.

1. Unplug the dryer and pull it away from the wall so you have room to work behind it. If your dryer is hardwired, switch off the dedicated breaker at the panel.

2. Remove the back panel. Most dryers use a series of Phillips or quarter-inch hex-head screws around the perimeter of the rear access panel. Set them aside in your parts tray. Lift the panel off and set it somewhere it won’t get stepped on.

3. Locate the heating element. On most Whirlpool, Maytag, and Kenmore dryers, it’s a metal can mounted on the lower right or lower back of the cabinet. Samsung and LG models often have the element housing mounted vertically on the back wall. GE dryers sometimes tuck it underneath the drum. Look for a cylindrical or rectangular metal housing with two wires connected to it, that’s your element.

4. Disconnect the wires. Before you pull any connectors, snap a quick photo with your phone. Seriously, do this every single time. You’ll thank yourself later. Then gently pull the spade connectors off the element terminals. Wiggle them; don’t yank the wires themselves.

5. Remove the element housing. Typically held in place by one or two screws or a mounting bracket. Remove the screws and carefully slide the housing out. On some models, you may need to angle it to clear the cabinet or ductwork.

6. Inspect the old element. Pull the coil assembly out of the housing if it’s a separate piece. Look for obvious breaks in the coil; you’ll usually find one. Sometimes the wire has sagged and touched the housing wall, leaving a scorch mark. If you want confirmation, set your multimeter to resistance (ohms) and touch the probes to the two terminals on the element. A good element on most residential dryers reads somewhere between 8 and 50 ohms, depending on the wattage. If you get OL (open line) or infinite resistance, the coil is broken.

7. Transfer any parts to the new element. Some replacement elements come as a complete assembly, housing and all. Others come as just the coil and insulators, and you reuse the existing housing. Check what you received. If you’re reusing the can, clean out any lint or debris before dropping the new coil in.

8. Install the new element. Slide the new assembly back into position in the cabinet. Line up the mounting holes, reinstall the screws, and reconnect the wires to the correct terminals. This is where that photo from step four saves the day.

9. Reinstall the back panel. Put all the screws back in and snug them down. Don’t overtighten; these are sheet metal screws going into a thin panel.

10. Plug the dryer back in (or flip the breaker), push it back into position, and run a test cycle.

Here’s what catches most people off guard: lint inside the element housing. If the old element failed because of restricted airflow, and you don’t clean out the housing and the exhaust path, the new element is going to live a shorter life. While you have the housing out, take two minutes to vacuum or brush out any lint buildup. Check the exhaust duct too. A clogged vent is the number one reason heating elements fail prematurely.

Testing the Repair

Run the dryer on a timed heat cycle for about ten minutes with a few damp towels inside. Open the door and feel the air; it should be noticeably hot. Check the exhaust vent outside your house and make sure you feel warm air flowing. If you want to be precise, aim a thermometer at the exhaust; you should see temperatures between 125°F and 135°F during a normal cycle.

If the dryer is heating but seems weak, double-check your vent run for kinks or blockages. A partially clogged vent mimics a bad element because the dryer can’t move enough hot air through the drum.

If you’re still getting zero heat after the replacement, the problem may be upstream: the thermal fuse, high-limit thermostat, or cycling thermostat could be open. A quick continuity test with your multimeter across each of those components will tell you. They’re all inexpensive parts and easy to access while the back panel is already off.

When you’re ready to find the right replacement element for your specific machine, grab your model number and find the exact part for your model. The model number is usually on a sticker inside the door frame or on the back of the cabinet.

Need More Help?

If you run into something unexpected, weird wiring, a mounting setup that doesn’t match what we described, or a dryer that still won’t heat after the swap, head over to our community repair forum. Post your model number, describe what you’re seeing, and our techs and experienced DIYers will help you sort it out.

Written by: AppliancePartsPros Team