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I’ve been using a dryer for the last 2 years. It’s been doing fine and making my daily life easier. However, one day while I was trying to dry my clothes, I noticed my tumble dryer blowing cold air. I did a little research and decided to take things into my hands. Later I tried different troubleshooting to fix the issue. Guess what? It worked.
Now you may ask, why is my dryer blowing cold air? A dryer blows cold air when it is overheated. If the temperature on your dryer gets too high, the thermostat and thermal overload cut-out (TOC) stop working. As a result, the dryer cannot produce heat and blow cold air.
I know it seems like everything, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. I have got a lot more things to share with you. Let’s dive in, shall we?
List of the Problems Why is My Dryer Blowing Cold Air
You’ll see the ‘blowing cold air’ problem in different dryer brands. I want to assure you that the brands might be different, but the responsible factors behind the problem remain the same. Let’s see what makes your dryer blow cold air-
- Tripped circuit breaker
- Burnt heating element
- Faulty thermostat and thermal overload cut-out fuse (TOC)
Step by Step Solution to Fix Dryer that Blowing Cold Air
Since you already know what causes your dryer to blow cold air, now it’s time to fix the issue. Here we’ll talk about each problem and how to fix dryer blowing cold air. So, let’s jump in.
1. Tripped Circuit Breaker
The simplest reason behind blowing cold air is a tripped circuit breaker. You can consider yourself lucky cause your dryer’s still doing fine. The job of a circuit breaker is to trip itself and cut off the power supply when the current overflows through the circuit. Usually, a dryer requires 2 circuit breakers (110V/120V each) to operate adequately.
One circuit breaker runs the motor, and another one operates the heating element of your dryer. If one circuit breaker blows off, your dryer will receive 110V/120V, which means it’ll run but blow cold air. So, you need to replace that circuit breaker.
Solution
Sometimes the circuit breaker gets turned off, so you may need to turn it on. However, you need to replace your circuit breaker if it blows or trips. Before replacing the circuit breaker, test the voltage with a multimeter. Here’s a piece of advice- dealing with electric wires can lead to death sometimes. I’d suggest you call an electrician to replace the circuit breaker cause he knows his job.
Having said that, if you want to take things into your hand, the ball is still in your court. Here’s a post that might help you.
- Single pole, 15 Amp, 120V type QP Circuit Breaker
- 10,000 AIC interrupting rating
- Siemens type QP circuit breakers provide easy plug-in connections in Siemens enclosures and the time saving insta-wire feature
2. Burnt Heating Element
The heating element is like a heart to your dryer. When your electric dryer blows cold air, the faulty heating element is probably the reason behind this. Let me tell you why. A heating element is a chamber of insulated metal conductor that contains the coils of wires. When the electricity goes through the chamber, it resists the current flow and heats the coil. That’s how hot air blows to the dryer’s drum and your clothes dry up.
The problem appears when the coil overheats and it burns out. When this happens, your dryer fails to generate heat. To resolve this issue, you need to replace the heating element. Here’s how to do it:
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Step by Step Solution to Replace a Heating Element
| Step No. | Instructions |
| Step 1 | Unplug the dryer and remove the vent |
| Step 2 | Move the dryer forward from the wall so that you can get access to the back panel |
| Step 3 | Remove the screws from the back panel using a nut driver |
| Step 4 | Now locate the heating element and look for the burnt wires. If you find any, move to the further steps |
| Step 5 | Disconnect the wires attaching to the heating element and remove the burnt heating element |
| Step 6 | Install the new heating element and reconnect the wires |
| Step 7 | Restore the back panel and reconnect the vent |
| Step 8 | Move the dryer back to its position and continue the power supply |
| Step 9 | Run the dryer and check whether it blows hot air or not |
3. Faulty Thermostat and Thermal Overload Cut-out (TOC)
Although the thermostat and TOC are different components, they work together to save your dryer from overheating. The thermostat is connected to your dryer’s heating element and monitors the temperature in your dryer. A thermostat does a specific job. It raises and cools down the temperature when required. Moreover, the thermostat closes the circuit and cools down the dryer when the heating element gets highly heated.
However, if the temperature gets too high, that’s when the TOC shows up. TOC is a safety device that prevents your dryer from catching fire. When the temperature in your dryer becomes excessively high, the TOC trips itself, and your dryer won’t produce adequate heat.
Either the thermostat or TOC (sometimes both) could be responsible if your dryer blows cold air. If the luck favors, pressing the reset button for a few seconds might help. Otherwise, you need to replace both components. Let me show you how.
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Step by Step Solution to Replace a Thermostat and TOC
I know you’ve already tried the resetting option. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. Anyway, it’s a good move to replace both components at the same time. No worries, I’m here to help you.
| Step No. | Instructions |
| Step 1 | Unplug the dryer and remove the vent |
| Step 2 | Move the dryer forward and remove the screws from the back panel |
| Step 3 | Once you open the back panel, you’ll find the thermostat and TOC (small and round, looks like a bottle top shape) |
| Step 4 | Before replacing them, run a continuity test with a multimeter to confirm the failure |
| Step 5 | After verifying the failure, disconnect the wires attaching to the thermostat and TOC |
| Step 6 | Remove the screws from the faulty components |
| Step 7 | Install the new TOC and thermostat |
| Step 8 | Reconnect the wires carefully |
| Step 9 | Reattach the back panel, move the dryer back to its position and reconnect the vent |
| Step 10 | Continue the power supply and run a test to see whether it’s working |
What Causes a Dryer to Overheat?
The dryer’s job is to heat up and dry the clothes. The problem appears when it overheats as it leads to dangerous fire hazards. Anyway, the most common and less troubling factors that cause your dryer to overheat are:
- Clogged lint screen
- Clogged vent
- Overloading the dryer
- Opening the dryer immediately after the spin or in the mid-cycle
However, defective components can be responsible too. Your dryer might have-
- Faulty cycling thermostat
- Burnt heating element
- Failed thermostat (both cycling and high limit)
- Defective thermistor
- Failed blower wheel
FAQs
1. How do you fix a dryer that won’t heat?
When it comes to fixing a dryer that won’t heat, I’ll try the following things:
1. Check for clogs in the lint screen and vent
2. Find out whether the thermostats are working or not
3. Look out for the tripped circuit breaker
2. Why would a dryer stop blow hot air?
Most of the time, a dryer would stop blowing hot air because of the faulty thermostat or heating element. However, there might be some underlying reasons too.
3. Why won’t my tumble dryer heat up?
Your tumble dryer won’t heat up for the following reasons:
1. The exhaust vent or is clogged
2. The thermostat or TOC isn’t working
3. The heating element has gone bad
However, dryers don’t heat up for some other reasons too.
4. Is it worth repairing a dryer?
Well, it depends. If the repair costs $400 to $500 and the dryer’s age is less than 4-5 years, I think it’s worth repairing.
5. How can you tell if a dryer heating element is bad?
Firstly check for the burnt coil in your dryer’s heating element. Then, to verify, run a continuity test with a multimeter.
6. Where is the reset button on a dryer?
Mostly you’ll find the reset button in the control panel of your dryer. However, it may vary from model to model.
7. How do I reset the thermostat on my tumble dryer?
When resetting the thermostat on the tumble dryer, pressing the reset button for a few seconds might help.
Conclusion
In this article, I’ve tried to let you know all the probable reasons why your dryer is blowing cold air and how to fix it. Hopefully, these little steps can help you resolve minor problems on your own and save a few bucks. To conclude, I’d say take necessary precautions and read the manual before attempting any troubleshooting. Also, buy the right parts for your dryer. If you feel confused about anything, don’t forget to call an expert. Happy Fixing!
