No click, no glow, no heat
The drum turns and air moves, but you do not hear the burner try to start and clothes stay cold.
Start here: Start with vent restriction, gas supply, and an open dryer thermal cutoff or failed dryer igniter.
Dryer Not Heating
Gas Dryer Not Igniting
Direct answer: If your gas dryer runs but never ignites, start with airflow, gas supply, and the sound pattern at startup. A dryer that glows but never lights usually points to the flame sensor or gas valve coil area. A dryer with no glow at all more often points to the dryer igniter, thermal cutoff, or another open safety part.
Most likely: The most common real-world causes are a restricted vent overheating the burner area, a failed dryer igniter, a bad dryer flame sensor, or an open dryer thermal cutoff.
Listen to what the dryer does in the first minute. If you hear the normal click and see or suspect a glow but never get flame, that is a different path than a dryer with no click, no glow, and no heat at all. Reality check: many gas dryers stop lighting because the vent is choked up, not because the first part you think of is bad. Common wrong move: replacing ignition parts before checking the vent and outside hood.
Don’t start with: Do not start by ordering gas valve coils or a dryer control board just because the drum turns and there is no heat.
Runs but no heat at all?Check airflow and the burner startup pattern before buying parts.
Smell gas, hear a boom, or see scorching?Stop using the dryer and move to pro service.
Last reviewed: 2026-04-05
What the dryer is doing when it will not ignite
Click or faint buzz, then nothing
You hear the dryer trying to start the burner, but there is no flame and no heat.
Start here: Check airflow first, then suspect the dryer igniter or flame sensor path.
Igniter glows but burner never lights
You can see an orange glow through the lower access area on some models, but it shuts off without flame.
Start here: That pattern strongly points to the dryer flame sensor or gas valve coil area, after confirming gas supply and venting.
Heats once, then stops reigniting
The first burner cycle works, then later in the load the dryer tumbles with no more heat.
Start here: Look hard at restricted airflow first. If airflow is good, the gas valve coil set becomes much more likely.
Most likely causes
1. Restricted dryer vent or stuck outside hood
Poor airflow overheats the burner area and trips safety parts or causes short, weak burner cycles that look like ignition failure.
Quick check: Run a short test with the vent disconnected from the dryer and compare exhaust force at the outlet. If heat returns normally, the vent path is the problem.
2. Failed dryer igniter
If the igniter never glows, the burner cannot light. Igniters can crack, weaken, or open electrically even when the dryer still runs.
Quick check: Watch through the burner inspection area during startup. No glow after the usual delay points toward the dryer igniter or an open safety part feeding it.
3. Bad dryer flame sensor
A flame sensor that does not read correctly can keep the gas valve from opening even when the igniter is hot.
Quick check: If the igniter glows and then shuts off without flame, the flame sensor is one of the strongest dryer-side suspects.
4. Open dryer thermal cutoff
Many gas dryers will still tumble with an open thermal cutoff but will not heat. This often happens after chronic vent restriction.
Quick check: If there is no glow and the vent has been running hot or slow for a while, an open dryer thermal cutoff moves up the list fast.
Step-by-step fix
Step 1: Check the easy outside-airflow and gas-supply clues first
A blocked vent or interrupted gas supply can mimic bad ignition parts, and these are the safest checks to start with.
- Clean the lint screen fully and make sure it is seated correctly.
- Go outside while the dryer is running and check that the exhaust hood opens freely and blows a strong, steady stream of warm air once the burner should be on.
- If the hood barely opens, flaps stick shut, or airflow is weak, stop and treat the vent as the first problem.
- Confirm the dryer gas shutoff valve is fully open and that other gas appliances in the home are operating normally if you can verify that safely.
- If you recently moved the dryer, check that the vent hose is not crushed and the gas connector was not kinked or disturbed.
Next move: If correcting the vent path or opening the hood restores normal heat, you found the cause without replacing dryer parts. If airflow outside looks normal and gas supply seems available, move to the burner startup pattern.
What to conclude: Most no-heat gas dryer calls still come back to airflow. If airflow is clearly poor, fix that before chasing ignition parts.
Stop if:
- You smell raw gas near the dryer.
- The vent hose is torn, badly crushed, or packed with lint you cannot safely clear.
- The dryer has a burning smell or visible scorching.
Step 2: Separate no-glow from glow-no-flame
This is the fastest way to avoid guessing. A gas dryer with no igniter glow follows a different repair path than one that glows but never lights.
- Unplug the dryer before opening any lower front or burner inspection panel.
- Restore power only after the panel is positioned so you can observe safely without reaching inside.
- Start a heat cycle and watch the burner area for the first 30 to 90 seconds.
- Listen for a click, look for an orange glow from the dryer igniter, and note whether you ever get actual flame.
- Shut the dryer back off after the observation.
Next move: If you clearly identify the pattern, the next step gets much narrower and you can stop guessing. If you cannot safely observe the burner area or the access is not obvious, skip internal diagnosis and schedule service.
What to conclude: No glow usually points to the dryer igniter circuit or an open safety device. Glow with no flame points more toward the dryer flame sensor or gas valve coil side.
Step 3: If there is no igniter glow, check for an overheated safety failure before blaming electronics
On gas dryers, an open dryer thermal cutoff is common after long-term vent restriction, and it is more believable than a control failure when the drum still runs.
- Unplug the dryer and inspect the vent connection, blower housing area, and burner compartment for heavy lint buildup.
- If the dryer has been taking too long to dry, running very hot, or shutting heat off early, treat vent restriction as part of the repair even if you also find a failed part.
- Use a multimeter only if you are comfortable checking continuity on the dryer thermal cutoff and dryer igniter with power disconnected.
- If the dryer thermal cutoff tests open, replace it and correct the airflow problem that caused it.
- If the dryer thermal cutoff tests good and the dryer igniter tests open or visibly cracked, the dryer igniter is the likely fix.
Next move: If you find an open dryer thermal cutoff or failed dryer igniter, you have a supported repair path. If both test good and you still have no glow, the diagnosis is no longer a simple homeowner parts swap.
Step 4: If the igniter glows but there is no flame, focus on the burner sensing side
A glowing igniter proves part of the ignition circuit is alive. At that point, the strongest dryer-side suspects are the flame sensor and, in some patterns, the gas valve coils.
- Watch whether the dryer igniter glows bright, then shuts off with no flame at all.
- If that happens on the first heat attempt and gas supply is confirmed, the dryer flame sensor becomes a strong suspect.
- If the dryer lights once early in the cycle but later only glows and never relights, the gas valve coil set becomes more likely than the flame sensor.
- Do not buy both parts just to cover the odds. Match the part to the pattern you saw.
- If you cannot confirm the pattern clearly, stop at diagnosis instead of shotgun-replacing burner parts.
Next move: If the pattern is glow-no-flame on every attempt, the dryer flame sensor is a supported next part. If it heats once then quits relighting, the gas valve coil set is the better fit. If the burner behavior is inconsistent, weak, or accompanied by gas odor, move to professional service.
Step 5: Finish with the repair that matches the pattern, then verify a full cycle
The right repair is the one that matches what the dryer actually did, not the most talked-about part online.
- If airflow was poor, clean or repair the full vent path and outside hood before running more loads.
- If testing supported an open dryer thermal cutoff, replace the dryer thermal cutoff and correct the vent issue that caused overheating.
- If testing supported a failed dryer igniter, replace the dryer igniter.
- If the dryer igniter glowed but the burner never lit on repeated first attempts, replace the dryer flame sensor.
- If the dryer heated once and then stopped reigniting later in the cycle with good airflow, replace the gas valve coil set or have a technician confirm that burner-valve branch if you are not comfortable opening the burner assembly.
- Run the dryer on a heated cycle long enough to confirm repeated burner cycling, not just one brief warm period.
A good result: If the dryer now lights, cycles heat normally, and dries a normal load in normal time, the repair is complete.
If not: If the dryer still will not ignite after the matched repair, stop replacing parts and schedule service for deeper electrical or gas-valve diagnosis.
What to conclude: A good repair restores repeated ignition and normal drying time. One warm burst is not enough proof.
Replacement Parts
Repair Riot may earn a commission from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
FAQ
Why does my gas dryer run but not ignite?
Most often it is poor airflow, a failed dryer igniter, a bad dryer flame sensor, or an open dryer thermal cutoff. The drum motor can run normally even when the burner circuit cannot light.
Can a clogged vent keep a gas dryer from igniting?
Yes. A restricted vent can overheat the dryer, shorten burner cycles, and open a thermal cutoff. It can also make the dryer seem like it has a bad ignition part when the real problem is airflow.
If the igniter glows, is the igniter still bad?
Usually no. A glowing igniter means that part of the circuit is working. If it glows but there is no flame, the stronger suspects are the dryer flame sensor or, in some repeat-failure patterns, the gas valve coil set.
Why does my gas dryer heat once and then stop heating?
That pattern often points to weak gas valve coils, especially if the first burner cycle works and later cycles do not relight. Check airflow first, because an overheated dryer can create similar symptoms.
Should I replace the gas valve coils first?
Not as a first guess. Coils are common on the heat-once-then-no-relight pattern, but they are not the best first buy for every no-heat dryer. Match the part to what the burner actually does.
Can I keep using the dryer if it is not igniting?
Not if you smell gas, hear delayed ignition, or notice scorching or a burning smell. If it simply tumbles with no heat and no unsafe signs, you can diagnose it, but stop using it until the cause is fixed.