Laundry
Gas and Electric Dryer Repair in Pittsburgh
A dryer that takes two cycles is usually a vent problem before it's a dryer problem. We check the airflow along with the heat source and drive, then give you a price to approve.
Prefer to type? Put the dryer's model number in the form, and we can look up parts ahead of time.
Two quick steps: what's wrong and where you are. We'll be in touch to set a time.
How a dryer dries, and the ways it fails
A dryer is a heater, a fan and a tumbling drum. The blower pulls room air across a gas burner or electric element, through the drum and the lint screen, then pushes it out the vent. Thermostats watch the exhaust temperature and cycle the heat; a thermal fuse or high-limit switch cuts the heat, or on some models the whole dryer, if things get too hot. Many dryers also use moisture sensors in the drum to end the cycle when clothes are dry.
Almost every heat fault connects back to airflow. A restricted vent holds heat in the drum, the cycling thermostat keeps shutting the burner or element off, clothes stay damp, and eventually the thermal fuse blows. Replace the fuse without clearing the vent and it'll blow again.
On the gas side you'll find a glow-bar igniter, a flame sensor (sometimes called a radiant sensor) and two solenoid coils on the gas valve. Electric dryers use a heating element on a 240-volt circuit. The drum turns on a belt, rollers or glides, and an idler pulley, all of which wear, and most of the noises people call about come from those parts.
- Natural gas dryers
- Electric dryers
- Stacked washer-dryer pairs
- Compact dryers
- Ventless and heat pump dryers
- Commercial-grade dryers
Dryer symptoms and their usual causes
What the dryer is doing and where a technician looks. Check the vent before assuming the heater is at fault.
- Runs and tumbles but no heat
- Blown thermal fuse, failed element or igniter, gas valve coils, cycling or high-limit thermostat; on electric models, one leg of the 240V circuit tripped
- Heats but takes two or three cycles
- Restricted vent run, crushed or long foil duct, blocked or frozen outside flap, clogged lint screen housing, faulty moisture sensor
- Drum won't turn, motor hums
- Broken belt, seized idler pulley or roller, drive motor
- Squealing, thumping or grinding
- Worn idler pulley, drum rollers or glides, drum bearing, something caught in the blower
- Shuts off after a few minutes
- Overheating from a clogged vent, failing motor, door switch
- Gas dryer: igniter glows but no flame
- Gas valve coils, gas supply valve partly closed, low supply pressure
- Burning or scorched smell
- Lint around the burner or element, lint packed in the duct, a belt slipping. Stop using it.
What you can check safely
- Clean the lint screen, then run the dryer and go outside to feel the vent hood. You should feel strong, warm airflow and see the flap open. If it's weak, the vent needs cleaning before anything else.
- In winter, check that the outside flap isn't frozen shut or blocked by snow, and look for bird or rodent nests in warmer months.
- Look behind the dryer. The duct shouldn't be crushed, kinked or made of thin plastic or vinyl, and the fewer bends and feet of length, the better.
- For an electric dryer that tumbles but won't heat, check the breaker. A 240V dryer uses a double breaker, and if one side trips the drum can still turn without heat.
- For a gas dryer, make sure the gas valve on the supply line is fully open, with the handle parallel to the pipe.
Before you touch anything: If you smell gas, don't work the dryer's controls or any switches: leave and call 911 or your gas utility from outside. Unplug the dryer before moving it, and don't pull a gas dryer out far enough to strain the flexible gas connector. Dryer vent fires start from packed lint, so a scorching smell means stop using the dryer until it's been checked.
When to call about a dryer
- The vent is clear and airflow is strong, but the dryer still won't heat or takes too long.
- The drum won't turn, or the dryer squeals, thumps or grinds.
- It stops partway through cycles or feels much hotter than usual on the outside.
- A gas dryer's igniter glows but the burner doesn't light.
- You smell burning, or gas. Stop using it.
What happens during a dryer repair
We check airflow and the vent run first, because a heater replaced on a clogged vent fails again. Then the technician tests the heat circuit: thermal fuse, thermostats, element or igniter, and gas valve coils. The drive parts get inspected with the dryer open. Most dryer repairs happen right where it stands in the basement or laundry closet.
If the vent needs work beyond the dryer, such as a long foil run or a duct through the foundation that's packed with lint, we'll show you and tell you what's needed. You get a price before any repair starts.
Should you fix your dryer?
Dryers are simple machines, and most of their parts are affordable: thermal fuses, thermostats, igniters, elements, belts, rollers and idler pulleys. That's why repair usually makes sense even on an older dryer. The exceptions are motor or control board failures on budget models.
A new dryer won't fix a bad vent. If the old one is being replaced because it dried slowly, sort out the duct first, or the new one will act the same way.
Why Book Us for Dryer Repair
We look at the vent, not just the dryer
Long runs through foundation walls and crushed foil ducts cause many no-heat and slow-dry calls. We check airflow so a new element doesn't fail the same way.
Gas and electric handled differently
Gas dryers get igniter, valve coil and flame checks, with disturbed connections leak-tested; electric models get element, thermal fuse and cord checks.
We mention what could start a fire
Lint packed in the cabinet or a blocked exhaust hood is a fire risk. If we see it, we tell you, even when it isn't the problem you called about.
Check the neighborhoods and boroughs we cover, or request a dryer repair.
Dryer Repair in Houses, Apartments and Rentals
Natural gas dryers are common here, and in older brick houses the vent often has a long way to go: across a basement ceiling and out through a thick foundation wall, sometimes with flexible foil duct doing more of the work than it should. In winter the outside flap can freeze or stick shut, and lint builds up faster where warm, moist air hits a cold duct. Apartment stacked units and high-rise laundry closets bring their own shared or long vent runs.
How a Dryer Repair Visit Works
Describe the Problem
The brand, the model number if it's handy, and what the appliance is doing. A photo of the rating label is a bonus.
Diagnosis On Site
The technician tests the appliance and its power, water, drain, gas or vent until the failed part is found.
Explanation and Quote
You hear what failed and what the repair costs, then decide. Nothing starts without your OK.
Repair and Test
The part goes in, the appliance runs a cycle, and you see that it works before we leave.
Related Services
Other appliances, brands and places we cover.
Dryer problems we repair
Every dryer fault we diagnose, from no-heat and vent problems to drive and control failures.
- Not Heating
- Drum Not Tumbling
- Takes Too Long to Dry
- Making Loud Noise
- Won't Start
- Dryer Overheating
- Not Drying Clothes
- Shutting Off Early
- Not Getting Hot Enough
- Taking Too Long to Dry
- Thermal Fuse Blown
- Heating Element Burned Out
- Gas Igniter Not Working
- Gas Valve Solenoid Failure
- Flame Sensor / Radiant Sensor Failure
- Blower Wheel Clogged with Lint
- Exhaust Duct Clogged
- Restricted Exhaust Airflow
- Dryer Venting Improperly
- Drive Belt Broken
- Drum Rollers Worn Out
- Drum Glide / Bearing Worn
- Idler Pulley Seized
- Drive Motor Failure
- Making Loud Noise During Operation
- Squealing Noise During Tumble
- Thumping or Banging Noise
- Rattling Noise
- Control Board Failure
- Cycling Thermostat Failure
- High-Limit Thermostat Failure
- Moisture Sensor Failure
- Dryer Door Not Closing Properly
- Door Switch Failure
- Lint Trap / Screen Damaged
- Start Button Not Working
- Dryer Won't Turn On
- Tripping Circuit Breaker
- Burning Smell
- Clothes Shrinking
- Clothes Still Wet After Full Cycle
- Clothes Damp but Warm After Cycle
- Auto-Dry Sensor Not Working
- Timer Not Advancing
- Electric Dryer No Heat — Partial Power
- Gas Smell from Gas Dryer
- Display Panel Not Working
- Buttons Not Responding
- Won't Spin at All
- Stops Mid-Cycle
- Heat Setting Not Changing
- Excessive Energy Use
- Excessive Static on Clothes
- Clothes Heavily Wrinkled
- Steam Function Not Working
- Moisture Sensor Needs Cleaning
- Exhaust Hose Kinked
- Exterior Too Hot to Touch
- Wrinkle-Prevent Tumble Not Working
- Requires Two or More Cycles to Dry
- Error Code on Display
- Low Gas Pressure to Dryer
- Drum Interior Light Not Working
- Door Handle Broken
- Auto-Dry Cycle Runs All Night
- Gas Burner Orifice Clogged
- Lint Fire Hazard in Ductwork
- Timer Advancing Too Slowly
- Three-Prong Outlet / Four-Prong Cord Mismatch
- Knocking at Startup
- Intermittent Squeaking
- Bird or Pest Nest in Dryer Duct
- Cycling Thermostat Stuck Closed
- Gas Valve Solenoid Kit Needed
- Thermal Cutout Needs Resetting
Dryer brands we service
Notes on the dryer brands we see most often, followed by the complete list.
- Whirlpool dryer repair
- Samsung dryer repair
- LG dryer repair
- Maytag dryer repair
- GE Appliances dryer repair
- Speed Queen dryer repair
- Electrolux dryer repair
- Bosch dryer repair
More reading on dryers
Dryer Repair: Questions We Hear
Quick answers to what people ask most. If yours isn't here, bring it up on the phone or type it into the notes box when you book.
Something else on your mind?
Reach out with the brand, the symptom and a model number if you have one. Some questions we can answer on the spot; the rest a technician can check in person.
Usually it's airflow, not the heater. A clogged lint screen housing, a crushed duct behind the dryer, a long vent run or an outside flap that's stuck or frozen shut all hold moisture in the drum. Clean the screen, check the flap outside while it runs, and if airflow is still weak, get the vent cleaned before replacing parts.
Check the breaker first: an electric dryer needs both halves of a double breaker, and the drum can run on one. After that, the usual causes are a blown thermal fuse, a burned-out element or a failed thermostat. A fuse doesn't blow for no reason; restricted exhaust is the usual trigger, and it has to be cleared along with the new fuse.
Yes. Gas dryers are common in Pittsburgh-area homes. The typical no-heat faults are the igniter, the flame sensor and the gas valve coils, all of which we test and replace. If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas utility or 911 from outside first.
Older homes often have three-prong dryer outlets, while newer installations use four. The cord on the dryer has to match the outlet, and the dryer has to be wired to suit that cord, including the bonding strap. Don't force a plug or use an adapter; ask us or an electrician to set it up correctly.
Dryer makers generally specify metal duct, rigid or semi-rigid, with the fewest elbows and the shortest run you can manage, and the dryer's manual lists the limits for your model. Thin plastic or vinyl duct shouldn't be used. Long foil runs sag, crush and trap lint, which slows drying and raises the fire risk.