A Maytag Bravos dryer only accomplishes its job when it’s hot – to dry clothes. Several issues, however, can contribute to a Maytag Bravos dryer not heating, and you don’t have to call a dryer expert if you can identify them.
Generally, a Maytag Bravos dryer won’t get hot due to inadequate power supply, low-heat or no-heat setting, soaking-wet laundry, drum overload, poor airflow, or part failure, especially the heating element or thermal fuse.
If you are looking to save on repair costs and have your Bravos dryer working as soon as possible, these issues are worth checking out, and this troubleshooting guide will help you do that.
We’ll look at the individual issues, their contributing factors, and what you can do to get the dryer heating up. Once you learn to recognize and fix these faults, avoiding them will become easy.
Without further ado, let’s discuss the six issues.
In a hurry? Consider the quick guide below to troubleshoot your non-heating Maytag Bravos dryer.
Quick Guide to Troubleshooting a Maytag Bravos Dryer Not Heating
| – | Likely Cause | Recommended Fix |
| 1. | Inadequate Power Supply | Firmly plug the dryer into the wall socket, reset a tripped breaker, and replace a faulty socket. |
| 2. | Low-Heat Or No-Heat Setting | Choose the correct setting and avoid Air-Fluff, Wrinkle Prevent, and any other low-heat or no-heat setting |
| 3. | Soaking-Wet Laundry | Remove the clothes from the dryer and wring the water out before reloading back to the dryer |
| 4. | Drum Overload | Reduce the drum’s laundry size to 3/4 |
| 5. | Poor Airflow | Unblock a clogged lint screen or blocked dryer vent |
| 6. | Part Failure | Replace a burnt heating element or blown-up thermal fuse |
Why Is My Maytag Bravos Dryer Not Getting Hot?
Several concerns are worth looking at when your Maytag Bravos dryer doesn’t get hot. Those issues include the following:
1. The Maytag Bravos Dryer Lacks an Adequate Power Supply
If your dryer doesn’t get ample power, it may turn on but fail to get hot. So, it’s not all about the appliance turned on, and that brings us to these issues:
- Extension cord – Your dryer won’t get maximum power if plugged into the extension cord. Connect it to the wall socket, where it can get ample power.
- Loose power plug – If the dryer’s power plug is not firmly plugged into the power outlet, t won’t get adequate power and will therefore fail to heat up.
- Tripped breaker – If the circuit breaker trips up, most likely due to a power surge, your dryer won’t get power and will, therefore, fail to start.
- Faulty socket – Ideally, the dryer requires a 240v power supply. So, the socket should provide that, and what’s more, it shouldn’t be defective as that will interfere with the dryer’s power supply.
Fix
Don’t use the extension cord to power the dryer. Plug it into the wall socket instead. And while at it, ensure you firmly fix the power plug into the socket.
Reset the circuit breaker if it’s off, and try plugging another appliance into your socket. If the appliance doesn’t work or the socket is not 240V-rated, replace it or call an expert electrician to help you do it.
2. You Might Be Using a Low-Heat or No-Heat Setting
If you are using a no-heat setting like Air Fluff, your Maytag Bravos dryer won’t heat. Instead, it’ll blow just cold air. And if you opt for a low-heat setting such as Wrinkle-Prevent, the dryer may heat slightly, but it won’t get hot to avoid wrinkling.
Fix
Don’t use a no-heat or low-heat setting unless intended for wrinkle-susceptible and delicate fabrics. Instead, consider medium and high heat cycles on your Maytag dryer.
3. The Laundry is Soaking Wet
Though the dryer’s job is to dry your wet clothes, the clothes shouldn’t be dripping wet. If they are so, the dryer may fail to get hot and therefore won’t dry the clothes. And if it were to get hot, it’d take much longer to dry.
That’s why it’s advisable to choose the Spin/Drain cycle while the clothes are in the washer – before transferring them to the dryer.
Fix
If the clothes are soaking wet, get them out of the dryer, wring out the excess water, and reloading them into the dryer. But as mentioned, this is avoidable by running the washer’s drain/spin cycle before transferring the clothes to the dryer.
4. The Drum is Overloaded with Clothes
The drum shouldn’t be more than ¾ full. The clothes may not spin if it is, but that’s not the only danger. The other risk is that there won’t be enough room for the hot air to circulate and dry the clothes. In the long run, your dryer will feel cold and not hot.
Fix
Stop your Bravos dryer from running and reduce the wet laundry size to ¾ full. Don’t go below ½ capacity, as that again may result in a non-spinning dryer.
5. The Maytag Bravos Dryer Has Poor Airflow
Without good airflow, your Bravos dryer will have difficulty getting hot. In particular, there shouldn’t be any air blockage, and that brings us to these two issues:
- A clogged lint screen – Over time, the lint screen accumulates dirt, lint, and other filth, restricting airflow. And if air doesn’t flow, the dryer won’t get hot.
- A blocked vent – Look for signs of clogging, kinking, narrowness (below 4 inches), crushing (in the case of plastic and metal foil vents), and many 90-degree elbows. All those restrict good airflow and prevent the dryer from getting hot.
Fix
Consider cleaning the lint screen with mild soap and water and use a nylon brush to scrub off the lint from the screen’s surface. Also, clean a clogged dryer vent, but if the vent is kinked, straighten out the bends to improve airflow.
Replace the dryer vent if it’s crushed or the wrong size (narrower than 4 inches) or has more than four 90-degree elbows. And while picking a replacement, go for rigid metal as the material is not susceptible to crushing like its plastic and metal foil counterparts.
6. Possible Component Failure
If you still can’t find the reason your Bravos dryer won’t get hot, it could be because of a failed component. Two components that are more likely to fail, especially when the dryer overheats or suffers a power surge, are:
- Maytag Bravos dryer heating element – The heating element may burn due to excess voltage. When it does, it cannot heat the inbound cold air, which prevents the dryer from getting hot.
- Maytag Bravos dryer thermal fuse – A power surge could blow up the thermal fuse, and once that happens, the dryer cannot get hot.
Other Components
Also, consider the possibility of a defective timer, hi-li thermostat, cycling thermostat, or control board if the issue is not a burnt heating element or blown-up fuse.
Fix
Check if the heating element and thermal fuse are working using the multimeter. If any of them has no continuity, that proves the case, and so you should replace it.
Meanwhile, ask for an expert’s help checking the other components once you rule out the heating element and thermal fuse.
Maytag Bravos Gas Dryer Not Heating
If your gas-powered Bravos dryer won’t heat, check its gas supply valve first. The valve could be off, thus preventing gas flow to the burner. In that case, the burner won’t burn to heat the dryer.
And if the issue is not the gas supply, it could be a failed dryer component such as the solenoid, flame sensor, or igniter.
If the solenoid valve is defective, it’ll inhibit gas flow to the dryer burner, and if the flame sensor fails, it’ll fail to sense the flame. And lastly, if the igniter fails, the gas won’t ignite.
Fix
Ensure you turn on the gas supply valve. Then test the flame sensor and igniter with a multimeter. If any of them lacks continuity, replace them. Meanwhile, if the flame burns briefly and turns off, the issue is likely the solenoid, so you should replace it.
People Also Ask
1. How Do You Fix a Maytag Dryer That’s Not Heating?
You can fix a Maytag dryer that’s not heating using these tips:
- Ensure the dryer has power and turns on
- Reduce the clothes if the drum is more than ¾ full
- Wring off the extra water if the clothes are soaking wet
- Clean the lint screen if it’s dirty
- Unblock a kinked or clogged dryer vent and replace an option with many elbows
- Replace a defective heating element and fuse
2. Why Does My Dryer Runs But Not Heating?
Your dryer runs but won’t heat because of a power disruption, whereby you should look for a tripped breaker, an overheated fuse, or a loose power cord. If that’s not it, it could be wet laundry, low-heat or no-heat setting, or a burnt heating element.
In that case, ensure the laundry isn’t dripping wet, pick a medium or high-heat cycle, and replace a defective heating element.
3. Why Is My Maytag Dryer Blowing Cold Air?
Your Maytag dryer is blowing cold because it has overheated and, therefore, can’t heat anymore. You should check the heating element and thermal fuse to see if they are blown up. If they are, then you should replace them.
Closing Remarks:
Shared are the typical explanations for a Maytag Bravos dryer not heating, and you can now troubleshoot it. Start by ensuring the dryer has an adequate power supply and using the correct heat cycle.
Additionally, avoid overloading or loading clothes that are sopping wet, unclog the lint screen and dryer vent, and replace the heating element, thermal fuse, or any other failed component.
Also Read: