Your dryer spins but won't heat. The fix is usually $15.

A dryer that tumbles but doesn't heat almost always has a simple electrical part failing. The most common culprit on electric dryers is a $15 thermal fuse — a safety component designed to fail when airflow gets restricted. Don't pay $300 for a service call before checking these.

Step 1 — Clean the vent

Before you replace anything, check the vent. A clogged vent is what causes the thermal fuse to blow, and if you don't fix the vent first, the new fuse will blow within days. Pull the dryer out, disconnect the vent hose, and check for lint clogs both in the hose and in the wall duct.

Step 2 — Test the thermal fuse

On most electric dryers, the thermal fuse is mounted on the blower housing inside the back panel. It's a small white plastic component with two wires. Remove the back panel (¼" nut driver, usually 4–6 screws), disconnect the two wires from the fuse, and test it for continuity with a multimeter.

Continuity = good. No continuity = the fuse is blown and needs replacing. A blown thermal fuse cannot be reset; it must be replaced.

Step 3 — Replace the thermal fuse

New fuse, two screws, reconnect the wires. The replacement should match the temperature rating of the original (usually labeled on the fuse — e.g., "Therm Fuse 250V 15A"). Plug the dryer in, run a test cycle.

Step 4 — If it's not the fuse

The next suspects, in order of likelihood:

• Heating element — also testable with a multimeter, typically $30–$50.
• High-limit thermostat — sits near the heating element, $15–$25.
• Cycling thermostat — controls regular heating, $15–$30.

Gas dryer? Read this first.

Most of the above applies to gas dryers too — except the heating element. Gas dryers have a gas valve, igniter, and flame sensor instead. The igniter ($25–$40) is the most common failure. If you're working with a gas dryer and don't have experience with gas appliances, this is one where calling a pro is reasonable, even though the part itself is cheap.