One thing is for sure when dealing with a Frigidaire affinity dryer not heating: your clothes won’t dry. But what’s the essence of a dryer that won’t dry clothes? You surely wouldn’t want that, and that’s why you should troubleshoot it.
A Frigidaire affinity dryer won’t heat up due to a power issue, non-heat setting, laundry overload, clogged lint filter or vent, blown thermal fuse, or failed heating element. If it’s a gas option, it could be due to gas failure or a failed component such as the gas coil, igniter, or flame sensor.
Once you go through those nine issues closely, you should be able to get your Frigidaire affinity dryer back to heat up and dry your clothes. Interestingly, you don’t have to call Frigidaire or pay a dryer expert each time your dryer won’t get hot. Some issues are easy-peasy, as you’ll realize, and thus DIY.
So, let’s dive in!
In a rush? Below is a troubleshooting guide for a non-heating Frigidaire affinity dryer:
Quick Troubleshooting Guide for a Frigidaire Affinity Dryer Not Getting Hot
| – | Likely Reason | Quick Fix |
| 1. | Power Issue | Plug the dryer firmly into a wall socket (not an extension cord), replace a blown-up house fuse, and reset a tripped breaker. |
| 2. | Non-Heat Setting | Cancel Air-Fluff, No-Heat, or any other non-heat setting and choose a heat option. |
| 3. | Laundry Overload | Reduce the items in the dryer to ¾ the dryer’s capacity. |
| 4. | Clogged Lint Filter | Wash a clogged lint filter. |
| 5. | Clogged Vent | Clean the clogged dryer vent. |
| 6. | Blown Thermal Fuse | Replace the thermal fuse if it fails the multimeter continuity test. |
| 7. | Failed Heating Element | Replace a fried or defective heating element (one that fails the multimeter continuity test) |
| For Gas-Only Dryer | ||
| 8. | Gas Failure | Turn on the gas supply valve if it’s off. |
| 9. | Failed Component (gas coil/solenoid, igniter, or flame sensor) | Replace the igniter or flame sensor if they fail the multimeter test and the solenoid if the igniter only glows briefly and goes out. |
Why Is My Frigidaire Affinity Dryer Not Heating?
Generally, your Frigidaire affinity dryer is likely not to heat up due to one of the nine reasons below:
1. Power Issue
If there’s an issue with your dryer’s power supply, you can expect the dryer not to heat up. Yes, the dryer may turn on, but it won’t get hot if there’s a power disruption or the power it receives is insufficient.
Here are the specific power-related issues to check:
- Use of extension cord – An extension cord isn’t the best choice for heavy appliances such as dryers as it doesn’t allow adequate power flow. So, the dryer might turn on, but it won’t heat up.
- Loose power cord – If the power cord is wobbly, the dryer may turn on, but it won’t heat up. Perhaps you unintentionally knocked off the power cord from the wall socket. So, check that.
- Blown-up house fuse – Inside your house, perhaps around the hallway, basement, mudroom, closet, or laundry room, is a fuse box that controls the power supply across the house. If this fuse blows up, which may happen due to a power surge, the dryer will stop running.
- Tripped breaker – If it’s not the house fuse that blows up due to a power surge, it’s likely to be the circuit breaker tripping up. You can also locate it in the same places as the house fuse.
Fix
Start by firmly plugging the dryer into a wall socket (not an extension cord). Then, check the house fuse box and test the house fuse with a multimeter. If the fuse lacks continuity, replace it. Also, check the breaker and reset it if it’s tripped OFF.
2. Non-Heat Setting
Not all dryer settings allow the dryer to heat up. An option like Air-Fluff enables the dryer to tumble without heat, which goes for the No-Heat setting. Others like Wrinkle Prevent and Less Dry allow the dryer to run under very low heat to prevent wrinkling, making you less likely to notice the dryer getting hot.
Fix
Cancel any unintended non-heat setting, such as Air-Fluff, No-Heat, Less-Dry, or any other, and select a heat option.
3. Laundry Overload
Don’t fall into the temptation of overloading the dryer to dry more items in one go. The problem with that is that the excessive clothes take up the space that hot air should use to circle the clothes, and as a result, the dryer may take forever to get hot.
Fix
Ensure the dryer is not more than ¾ full. If it is, reduce the extra items before rerunning the dryer.
4. Clogged Lint Filter
Over time, the lint filter clogs up with the same lint material it’s supposed to stop from getting into the dryer vent. Once that happens, the blockage restricts hot airflow, which means your dryer is likely to overheat or fail to heat at all, and you don’t want either case.
Fix
Consider removing and cleaning a lint-clogged lint filter. You can do this with soap and water and use a soft-bristled dryer cleaning brush to scrub off lint from the lint filter. Once you do that, you can reinstall the lint filter and rerun the dryer.
5. Clogged Vent
If the excess lint escapes the lint filter and ends up in the dryer vent, it may block the vent. The danger is similar to lint blockage – the dryer may overheat or fail to heat. In the latter case, the lint blockage stops the generated heat from vaporizing moisture from the wet clothes you are trying to dry.
Fix
A clogged vent needs a thorough cleaning, and you can do this with a vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment. If you can’t access one, use the plumber’s snake and scrub the inside of the vent with a vent-cleaning soft-bristled brush.
6. Blown Thermal Fuse
Apart from the house fuse, which could blow up and stop the dryer from heating, inside the dryer is a thermal fuse, which could also suffer the same fate during a power surge. This fuse safeguards the dryer from overheating, and it blows up in its place during a power surge.
You can find the thermal fuse at the bottom or the back of the dryer, especially around the exhaust duct, heating element (for electric option), or burner (for gas options).
Fix
Consider testing the thermal fuse with a multimeter to see if it’s working. The lack of continuity means it’s not, and in such a case, replace it.
7. Failed Heating Element
If you have an electric-only Frigidaire affinity dryer that won’t heat up, the chances are that the heating element has burnt out. Over 50% of non-heating dryer incidences point to a fried or defective heating element.
Essentially, the heating element heats the incoming cold air, enabling the dryer to get hot and dry the clothes. Once it fails, the dryer remains cold and doesn’t dry your clothes.
Fix
Also, use a multimeter to check if the heating element is working. Like in the case of a fuse, the absence of continuity means the heating element isn’t working. In such a case, consider Frigidaire Affinity Dryer Heating Element Replacement.
Frigidaire Affinity Gas Dryer Not Heating
In addition to the above seven issues (except for the heating element), consider these issues if you have a Frigidaire affinity gas dryer that won’t heat up:
8. Gas Failure
Is the gas supply valve turned on? It could be off; if that’s the case, the dryer won’t start or heat up.
Fix
Turn on the gas supply valve if it’s off. It should be perpendicular to the gas supply line and not parallel.
9. Failed Component
If the reason your affinity gas dryer won’t turn isn’t the lack of gas, it’s likely to be a failed component. The components to check in the case include these three:
- Gas coil – The gas coil or solenoid opens the gas valve to allow gas flow to the burner assembly. The burner has to burn for the dryer to heat up, which can only happen if the burner receives gas. Sadly, a faulty gas coil won’t allow that.
- Igniter – The igniter kindles the burner. So if it’s faulty, the burner won’t burn up, and the dryer won’t get hot.
- Flame Sensor – The flame sensor’s job is to detect the heat that the flame emits. If it’s faulty, the dryer will fail to get hot.
Fix
If any of the above components is faulty, you must replace them. You can test the igniter and flame sensor with a multimeter to see if they work. The absence of continuity proves they aren’t.
As for the solenoid, you can tell if it’s faulty if the igniter only glows momentarily and goes out.
Other Frigidaire Affinity Dryer Problems
My Frigidaire Affinity Dryer Not Heating and Shutting Off
Does your Frigidaire affinity dryer fail to heat up but only shut off when you press ‘start’? If yes, the issue will likely be a clogged dryer vent, a fried heating element, a defective thermostat, or a control board fault. However, if it’s a gas-only dryer, you may also have to consider a faulty solenoid, flame sensor, burner, or igniter.
Frigidaire Affinity Dryer Not Drying Clothes
More often than not, a Frigidaire affinity dryer will take a longer time to dry clothes or may fail to do it entirely due to one of these reasons:
- Dryer overload (when the clothes exceed more than 75% of the dryer’s capacity)
- Excessively wet clothes
- Wrong settings such as less dry, air-fluff, and no-heat
- Burnt heating element
- Clogged moisture sensor, lint filter, or dryer vent
- Failed solenoid, igniter, flame sensor, or burner in the case of gas-only dryers
Frigidaire Affinity Dryer Not Turning On
The issue will likely be power-related if your Frigidaire affinity dryer won’t turn on. If so, that could include a loose power cord, power outage, tripped breaker, or blown-up house fuse. But if the dryer has power, the issue could be an unlatched door, a delayed start setting, a nonresponsive start button, or a shorted electronic board.
Concluding Though on Your Frigidaire Affinity Dryer Not Heating:
Consider the above nine issues if your Frigidaire affinity dryer won’t heat up. The first 7 (power issue, non-heat setting, laundry overload, clogged lint filter or vent, blown thermal fuse, and a failed heating element only apply to electric dryers, while the last two (gas failure and component failure) apply only to gas-only dryers.
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