Dryer Maintenance: Prevent Fires & The Top Reasons Dryers Stop Working
Dryers are simple machines — a motor, a belt, a heating element, and a fan — but they're also one of the leading causes of house fires in the U.S., almost always because of lint. Good maintenance keeps your clothes drying fast and your laundry room safe.
Maintenance recommendations
Every load: clean the lint screen
Pull the lint screen and clear it before every single load. A clogged screen forces the dryer to work harder, doubles dry times, and overheats the heating element.
Once a year: clean the vent duct
The flexible duct between your dryer and the wall — plus the rigid duct running to the exterior vent — collect lint that the screen misses. Disconnect the duct, vacuum both sides, and check that the exterior vent flap opens freely. If your clothes take more than one cycle to dry, this is almost always the cause.
Every few months: wipe down the moisture sensor
Inside the drum on most modern dryers are two metal strips (the moisture sensor). Fabric softener film coats them and tricks the dryer into thinking clothes are dry. Wipe them with a cotton ball and rubbing alcohol.
Don't dry rubber-backed mats or anything with foam
Rubber backing breaks down under heat and is a known ignition source. Hang-dry bath mats and oven mitts.
Check the exterior vent flap
If the flap outside your house doesn't open when the dryer is running, lint is blocking it. Birds also love to build nests right inside the vent — check it every spring.
Most common failures
Not heating or drying clothes
Electric dryers: blown thermal fuse (usually caused by a blocked vent), failed heating element, or bad high-limit thermostat. Gas dryers: failed igniter, gas valve coils, or flame sensor.
Takes two or three cycles to dry
Almost always a blocked vent duct. Sometimes a partially failed heating element (running at half power) or a worn moisture sensor.
Drum not spinning but motor runs
Broken drive belt — usually a one-visit repair. Sometimes a failed idler pulley or motor pulley.
Loud thumping or squeaking
Worn drum rollers, idler pulley, or drum glides. Easy to fix but it gets worse fast — call before it strands the drum.
Burning smell or overheating
Stop using the dryer immediately. Almost always a vent blockage causing the heating element to overheat. This is the precursor to a dryer fire.
Won't start
Door switch, thermal fuse, start switch, or main control board. On gas dryers, also check that the gas supply is on.
When to call a technician
Burning smells, scorch marks on clothes, or a dryer that gets the exterior hot to the touch are emergencies — unplug it and call us. Most dryer repairs are same-visit fixes once we have the model number.