With a gas dryer that won't heat, a technician usually watches the ignition sequence first and then tests the part where it stops: the gas supply, the safety limits, the igniter, the flame sensor or the gas valve. What you've noticed, especially whether you can see a glow through the burner window and how long it lasts, often tells the technician where to start.
Before the visit
- •Model and serial number. Photograph the label, usually found inside the door opening or on the back of the dryer.
- •What you see and hear. Note whether there's a glow behind the small burner window near the floor, a click when it goes out, or nothing at all.
- •When it started, and any recent move, gas work or propane conversion.
- •Error codes, written down exactly.
- •Access to pull the dryer forward and reach the gas shutoff.
Safe pre-checks:
- Run a heated, timed cycle empty for about five minutes and feel inside. Maytag's no-heat guide notes that an Air Only cycle adds no heat.
- Look at the shutoff valve on the gas line without changing anything. Maytag says the drum of a gas dryer will turn but won't heat if that valve is closed, and that the valve is open when the handle is parallel to the pipe. If it's closed and you don't know why, for example after a move or other gas work, leave it alone and tell the technician.
- Confirm the dryer is plugged in; a gas dryer still needs an outlet for its motor, controls and igniter.
If you smell gas at any point, don't touch switches or the dryer. Leave the house and call 911 or your gas utility from outside.
The checks, in the usual order
| Step | What's tested | What it rules in or out |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cycle setting, shutoff valve and the empty heat test | Rules out an air-only setting or a closed valve |
| 2 | Thermal fuse and operating and high-limit thermostats | An open safety device stops the call for heat before ignition starts |
| 3 | Igniter glow and its resistance | No glow with power present points to the igniter or its circuit |
| 4 | Flame sensor, watched through the ignition sequence | A glow that never stops, or stops with no flame, points to the sensor or valve |
| 5 | Gas valve coil resistance | An open coil keeps the valve shut even when the igniter is hot |
| 6 | Gas pressure at the valve with a manometer | Low or high pressure points to the supply, a regulator or an unconverted dryer |
| 7 | Exhaust airflow at the outside hood | A blocked vent can be why a fuse or limit opened |
| 8 | Leak check on any fitting that was opened | Confirms the connection is sealed before the dryer goes back in place |
Maytag's technical manual for its 7.4 cu. ft. Commercial Grade Residential dryer describes the sequence this way: when the control calls for heat, line voltage goes to the igniter, which glows and reaches ignition temperature in about 30 seconds, and gas contacting it ignites immediately. On that model, if the igniter stays on longer than about 40 seconds, the manual directs the technician to the flame (radiant) sensor. Valve coil and igniter readings vary by model, so the tech sheet is the reference.
Tools you may see
- •Multimeter. Checks the fuse, thermostats, igniter, sensor and valve coils, mostly with the dryer unplugged.
- •Manometer. A small gauge connected to the pressure tap on the gas valve. The Maytag manual gives about 3.5 inches of water column for natural gas and 11 inches for LP on that dryer, and warns that excess pressure can damage the burner's flame spreader.
- •Leak-detection solution. The manual says to check connections with soap or bubble solution, never an open flame.
- •Diagnostic test cycle, on electronic models, to call for heat on demand.
Questions you'll probably be asked
- •Do you see an orange glow, and how long does it stay on?
- •Did the dryer heat a little at the start of the cycle, or never?
- •Was the dryer recently moved, installed or hooked up again?
- •Is the house on natural gas or propane, and was the dryer ever converted?
- •When was the vent last cleaned?
What the findings usually mean
- •No glow and an open fuse or limit: the dryer overheated at some point. Maytag's manual links an open fuse to a failed thermostat, a shorted heater or blocked exhaust, so airflow gets checked too.
- •No glow, safety devices closed: the igniter itself or its supply from the control.
- •Glow, no flame, glow goes out: the valve coils aren't opening the valve, or gas isn't reaching it.
- •Glow that never shuts off: the flame sensor isn't switching.
- •Flame lights, then goes out early: a coil that weakens when warm, low supply pressure or an overheating limit.
- •Wrong pressure on the manometer: the issue may be upstream, at the regulator or supply, rather than in the dryer.
Electric models are covered in what a technician checks when an electric dryer won't heat.
Sources
- •Dryer is Not Heating, Maytag Product Help
- •Technical Manual, Maytag 7.4 cu. ft. Commercial Grade Residential Dryer (W11663478), Maytag
Good to know: The length of the igniter glow is one of the most useful things a homeowner can report.
To have a gas dryer checked, call TrueFix San Antonio at (210) 401-3007 or see our Maytag repair page for brand details.