Dryers are a year-round quick solution for everything laundry related. But since winter is nowhere, the need for dryers is more emphasized. On the forefront of the best dryers out there would-be Samsung.
It has become a household name for many reasons but how do you troubleshoot a Samsung dryer when it no longer heats?
There are several reasons why a Samsung dryer is no longer heating and here is a comprehensive Q&A about all these so might as well read on. Some FAQs will also be addressed to guide you in other general dryer issues.
Why is the Samsung dryer not heating?
As have been mentioned, there are a lot of reasons as to why your Samsung dryer suddenly stops heating. The most probable ones would the following:
- There is an on-going blockage by the dryer’s vent line.
- The voltage or the thermostat is damaged.
- There is a problem with the thermal fuse (cut-off fuse).
- There is a problem with the heating elements.
- There have been undetected overheating problems.
- There are problems with the internal wiring.
Why is the Samsung dryer blowing cold air?
Ironically, a Samsung dryer starts blowing cold air when there is overheating happening inside. Of course, dryers are meant to release hot air to do their function. Some of the parts that might have experienced overheating causing cold air to be blown would be the following:
- Thermostat
- Thermal cut-off fuse
- Air vent line
- Coiled internal wiring
- Heating element
How do I troubleshoot my Samsung dryer?
You cannot troubleshoot a Samsung dryer if you do not know what you are trying to fix in the first place. As such, it is important that you know specific error codes to look out for:
- bE (something is stuck and it has to be pressed to eject any object stuck in the control panel)
- dF (the dryer’s door switch is malfunctioning)
- do (the dryer’s door is open)
- FE (frequency of power supply is uncontrolled)
- HE/hE (heating element is jeopardized)
- tS (the temperature sensor is damaged)
- tO (the temperature sensor in an electric model is open)
For better visuals on how to troubleshoot a Samsung dryer, here are tutorial clips from Bill Newberry and The Home Improvement Channel.
Samsung dryer thermal fuse
As the name suggests, a thermal fuse is a safety device that functions to prevent the Samsung dryer from overheating. Having a faulty one is one of the most common reasons as to why your dryer would not heat.
Where is the thermal fuse on the Samsung dryer?
The thermal fuse is usually located at the blower’s case or could be attached adjacent to the heating element. In Samsung gas models, the thermal fuse would be at the burner. Ideally, the thermal fused should be always closed to supply continuous electric supply to the dyer. When it is damaged, prepare for overheating.
How do I know if my thermal fuse is blown?
Like all else, you must use the multimeter test. You must press the right side of the multimeter to the right side of the thermal fuse. You also must do this with the left side of the multimeter. If the needle fails to move, the thermal fuse is busted.
How do I test a thermal fuse on a dryer?
You must also use the multimeter test here. To do this, you must attach the wire terminals of the multimeter to the thermal fuse. If the reading projects an infinity reading, the thermal fuse is working and all fine. Any figure less than that means that it is defective.
How do you fix a blown thermal fuse?
If you ever go down this fixing, here are the steps that you must master:
- Unplug the dryer and remove the thermal fuse case.
- Detach the screws and terminal wires of the blown thermal fuse to get it off the dryer.
- Put in the replacement and secure it by re-attaching the terminal wires and screwing the brackets and casing. For a quick visual of the entire process, check this tutorial from Eformance Engineering.
Burnt heating element
How does the heating element work?
The heating element automatically turns on when the motor of the dryer is turned on too. It will glow a faint red color and will distribute heat across the dryer. After the first cycle, the temperature will cool down. As soon as you spin for the next drying cycle, the heating element will automatically heat up again.
How long should the dryer heating element last?
If maintained well, a heating element could last for up to 12years. And since this one is the heart of the dryer, the more you use it, the more that the heating element will be vulnerable to wear and tear.
How to run diagnostics?
For this, you must do the vent blockage test, and here are the steps to follow:
- Close the dryer’s door and make sure that the drum is dried out.
- Turn the power on. When the controls are on, press and hold the ‘dry level’ and the ‘adjust the time up’ buttons and wait for the InS or In to appear.
- Push the Start/Pause button to start the test. This will go for at least a minute or two. If ‘HE’ or ‘hE’ appears, the heating element has a problem.
How to remove and replace the heating element
If you are going down the DIY route, here are the steps in removing and replacing your dryer’s heating element.
- Make sure that the dryer is unplugged. Unscrew the lid and the back of the dryer.
- You will find four screws securing the front panel connecting to the dryer’s control panel. The control panel will have to be disconnected by lifting it and then detaching it from its wire harness.
- There are locking tabs at the bottom part of the front panel. You must disconnect the wires of the door switch. After this, you must lift the panel, disconnect the moisture sensor from it along with the wire harness.
- Unscrew the heating element from the bracket. Pull it out and disconnect the wire harness attached to it but never from the high limit thermostat switch.
- Twist the whole thing upward to disconnect the housing of the heating element and from there unbend the wire terminals from the locks.
- Detach the wire terminals, replace the heating element, and screw everything back in.
How much does a heating element cost for a Samsung dryer?
The cost of the entire heating element set replacement is between $40-100. And since you cannot make the fix on your own, the entire fix process by a repair technician will be at around $200-350. This range can go up or less depending on the dryer model. Gas model dryers are more expensive to fix than the electric models.
Gas valve solenoid
A gas valve solenoid is found in gas model dryers. As a matter of fact, there are two of them. This piece functions to open the port of the gas valves. With this, gas will flow into the burner. As such, if the gas valve solenoid is faulty, the dryer will not heat up. If you are hinting a faulty gas valve solenoid, you must probably check the igniter.
A working igniter should glow for a while, goes off, and then ignites the gas assembly. If it does not ignite the gas, it is damaged or defective. You have to check in with a professional if you are to replace it because once one of the gas valve solenoids is defective, there is a major functioning problem for the dryer.
High limit thermostat
The high limit thermostat of your dryer functions by monitoring the temperature of your dryer. If the burner is at borderline overheating, it will automatically shut the dryer off.
You would know that the high limit thermostat is malfunctioning if it shuts off the dryer even if the dryer temperature is way below the overheating limit.
This device does not commonly fault out, so you have to check for the other adjacent pieces if they are working properly. To be sure, you can run diagnostics by running a multimeter test to check for high limit thermostat continuity. If it does not catch continuity, you have to replace it.
Control board
This one is the navigation board of the dryer and it cannot be easily tested when you suspect that it is malfunctioning. To do this, you must thoroughly inspect the pieces that could easily get damaged.
Look for signs of short-circuits, burnt wires, and other signs of burning. If there are malfunctioning parts, ask for help from a professional, or else you lose the functions of your control board.
Dry sensor
There are two dry sensors in Samsung dryers: sensor dry and eco dry. The function of the dry sensors is to monitor the humidity level inside the drum. As such, this feature automatically regulates and adjusts the drying time corresponding to the option that you selected through the control board.
One unique feature of sensor dry is that it stops drying when the lighter fabrics are all dried up. However, expect that the heavier fabrics will remain damp. On the other hand, eco dry works to reduce the heat level used in a longer drying time. This way, lesser energy consumption is attained.
The most common problem that dry sensors face would be lint or fabric residue buildup. When this occurs, the moisture sensor malfunctions leading to the wrong drying time. To avoid this from happening, you must clean it regularly.
Cycling thermostat
The function of the cycling thermostat is to regulate the dryer’s air temperature by controlling the heat cycle when the dryer is on and when it is off. While a malfunctioning cycling thermostat is a rare case, the dryer will not heat if it is defective.
Again, if you are suspecting a malfunction, you must run a multimeter test for continuity. Replace the piece if there is no continuity after running the diagnostics.
How to reset Samsung dryer
Resetting a Samsung dryer only takes about 10minutes. The first step is to unplug it and wait for at least 5minutes to let the electricity run off completely off the wires. After which plug it in and press the Start/Pause button. Try to hold the button up for at least 15seconds. If no error code blinks, you have successfully reset your Samsung dryer.
How much does it cost to fix a dryer that will not heat?
There are three most common pieces that will malfunction in any dryer: the vent, the thermostat, and the drum. Each of these has small pieces inside that are prone to short-circuit, overheating, and busting. When these small pieces malfunction, your dryer will not heat.
At best, fixing a dryer that will not heat will cost you between $100-500 depending on the model and brand of your dryer. Evaluate the busted pieces and see for yourself if a temporary fix will be worth the money. Apply the 50% rule on appliance maintenance. If it goes over $250, might as well buy a new one.
FAQs
Of course, there are other things that you must know when it comes to issues about your Samsung dryer. Here are some pointers that you must watch out for.
When do I replace the dryer’s igniter?
Igniters are small pieces and most of the time they are taken for granted. But in gas models, they are very important as their continuity makes sure that the dryer is heating up properly. If your Samsung dryer is not heating up, the igniter is one of the easiest to assess.
You just must run the multimeter to see if it is working properly. If it does not, note that there is no remedy to faulty igniters, so you have to replace them immediately.
What other faulty pieces could affect gas model Samsung dryers?
Another commonly unlisted piece would be the flame sensor. In gas dryers, this device measures the amount of heat emitted by the burner. Once it is damaged, your dryer will not heat up. Now, the flame sensor is dependent on the burner and the igniter. If one of them is damaged, expect that the flame sensor is damaged too.
In some circumstances where the igniter and the burner work but the dryer is still not heating up, run a multimeter test at room temperature. If the flame sensor does not work at room temperature, you must replace it immediately.
Does a faulty timer cause a Samsung dryer not to heat up?
As ordinary as it may seem to be, a faulty timer is a sign of overheating. When it malfunctions, there is no chance that you can even have one complete spin.
There are two ways to check for the extent of the damage. You can always run diagnostics with the multimeter test or you could check the wiring diagram to identify where the damage is.
Why is my Samsung dryer taking too long to dry my clothes?
When your dryer is taking too long to dry your fabrics despite the pressed drying time, the most common issue is a clogged vent. A clogged vent will restrict airflow.
To address this immediately, you must check for lint buildup and clean it off. This is a common issue for newly installed dryers, by the way so you do not need to worry when it happens to you. Just check for vent clogging.
If the vent is clean and still has this issue, you might call for a repair consult if you are not too confident to navigate your user’s manual or if you think you are not able to look for the cause on your own.
Why is my Samsung dryer stopping early?
When the spinning time stops earlier than what you keyed in, this might mean that the moisture sensor in your Samsung dryer is damaged. The sensor basically detects if all the fabrics are dried so when it stops early even if the entire batch is not yet done drying, there is a problem that mere resetting cannot remedy.
Conclusion
Dryers have become important home appliances, especially in a busy household. It does an exemplary job in making sure that our fabrics do not stink even if they were not dried naturally. When your Samsung dryer doesn’t heat, there are three major pieces to dig from: the vent, the thermostat, and the drum.
Within these three pieces are smaller devices that are crucial because they deliver specific functions that dry the fabrics we put in the dryer. When one of these pieces malfunctions, the go-to remedy is to run diagnostics by resetting the dryer (and wait for error codes to appear) or run the multimeter test and look for continuity paths.
If none of these works and you cannot remedy it by yourself or through thorough checking of the manual, professional consultation is always a good choice.
