Why is my dryer getting hot but not drying?

Do your clothes take forever to dry? Does your dryer feel really hot? Are you having to run it three or four times to get a load dry? These are consistent with your dryer having a clogged vent which is blocking adequate airflow through the dryer.

These sort of blockages may take place in the lint filter, so you should make sure it is clear and that it is being cleaned before each use.

I’ve seen this problem quite over this years while running my appliance service in Mt Pleasant South Carolina, I’ll share a few stories from the last couple weeks to illustrate some issues you will often find when your dryer heats but doesn’t dry the clothes.

I’ve been to see two clients with this same issue today. Both had their dryers completely stopped up by having their ductwork become filled with lint and dust due to poor practices in installation.

The first step in diagnosing this issue is to turn your dryer on, then go outside and find out where your dryer vents. Most modern installations will have a vent cover on the duct which is blown open when the dryer is used, and then falls shut when it is not, to prevent any pests from making nests there.

First check to see that there is sufficient airflow to blow the plastic slats open. Then check to see if you have an accumulation of lint in this area.

However, in both of the cases I looked at today, both of the dryers had been vented to the exterior through a high second story, like the one above or through a roof top vent. Both were completely clogged up.

Also both, because the architect had put the laundry equipment in the center of the house, had extremely long distances to go before they vented, which makes your dryer work that much harder to move sufficient air through it to dry clothes.

Most appliance repair techs carry the standard tool you find for cleaning vents at your local hardware store, however when vents start going up high and at longer distances, you’ll probably need to call in a professional duct cleaner, which is what I recommended for both clients.

Another issue I see, most often after some client has had their house painted in the last few years, is that the painters painted right over the vent cover slats. The paint then dried and is acting as a glue and the slats won’t open.

The cover below I found when a client was complaining that her dryer was taking forever to get clothes dry.

It had been painted over when the house was painted the year before. While I was able to break it loose with a screwdriver without damaging the cover, the issue was worse than expected and the entire line was clogged and we had to refer it to a ductwork cleaning specialist.

I once had a client who had hired another company to replace all kinds of parts on their dryer and it hadn’t solved the problem. They had never checked the vent outside and it was a nightmare! However, a new exterior vent had them going again the same day!

So I recommend you check your exterior dryer vent at least once a year and have it cleaned if needed. It will go a long way towards lowering your energy bills as well since you won’t need to run loads multiple times to dry your laundry.