Direct answer: If an LG dryer is tumbling but not drying clothes, the most common cause is restricted airflow through the lint screen housing or vent path. After that, separate a no-heat dryer from a weak-heat dryer before you think about parts.
Most likely: Start with the lint screen, the vent outlet, and a short test load with the vent disconnected. If drying improves with the vent off, the problem is airflow, not the dryer's heating parts.
When a dryer still tumbles, homeowners usually assume the heat is gone. In the field, bad airflow is more common. Reality check: one clogged vent can turn a normal 45-minute load into two or three cycles. Common wrong move: stuffing the dryer with wet towels and then chasing parts when the machine is really choking on lint and backpressure.
Don’t start with: Don't start by ordering a dryer heating element or gas ignition part just because the clothes are damp. A half-blocked vent can make a good heater look bad.
The drum turns and air moves, but the air never feels warm and clothes come out as wet as they went in.
Start here: Run the dryer on a timed high-heat cycle for five minutes and check for any warmth at the drum outlet before moving to internal heat parts.
Clothes eventually dry, but only after extra cycles, and the cabinet may feel hotter than usual.
Start here: Suspect restricted airflow first, especially if the lint screen loads up fast or the outside vent flap barely opens.
A few shirts dry fine, but towels, bedding, or jeans stay damp.
Start here: Look for vent restriction, crushed flex duct, or overloading before assuming a failed heater.
The cycle ends before the load is dry, especially on sensor dry settings.
Start here: Try a timed dry cycle and clean the moisture sensor area and lint path before chasing heat parts.
This is the most common reason a dryer tumbles but does not dry well. Heat gets trapped, moisture cannot leave, and dry times stretch out fast.
Quick check: Pull the dryer forward, inspect for a crushed vent hose, clean the lint screen, and see whether the outside vent flap opens strongly during a cycle.
Sensor cycles can stop early on mixed loads, and packed towels can keep air from moving through the drum.
Quick check: Run a medium-size load on timed dry with high heat. If that works much better, the issue may be settings or load size rather than a failed part.
If airflow is decent but there is little or no heat, the heating element, thermal cutoff, or dryer high-limit thermostat becomes more likely on electric models.
Quick check: After a few minutes on high heat, check whether the air is truly hot or still room temperature. No real heat after airflow checks points toward the dryer heating circuit.
On gas models, the drum can tumble normally while the igniter or flame circuit fails, leaving you with cool air and wet clothes.
Quick check: Listen for the burner trying to light after startup. If you hear normal tumbling and airflow but never get heat, the dryer igniter or related gas heat components may be at fault.
A dryer cannot dry clothes if moist air cannot get out. This is the safest and most common fix path.
Next move: If airflow outside is strong again and dry times improve, you likely had a vent restriction and do not need dryer parts. If the outside airflow is still weak or the flap barely moves, keep going and isolate the dryer from the house vent.
What to conclude: Weak exhaust almost always means the dryer is fighting a blockage somewhere in the vent path or lint housing.
This separates a house vent problem from a dryer problem fast without taking the machine apart.
Next move: If the dryer suddenly dries better or blows much stronger with the vent disconnected, the house vent path is restricted and that is the main problem to fix. If performance is still poor with the vent off, the problem is likely inside the dryer or with settings and sensing.
What to conclude: A good vent-off result points away from heater parts. A poor vent-off result makes internal heat or sensor issues more likely.
You need to know whether the dryer has lost heat completely or is heating but not moving enough air or running long enough.
Next move: If you confirm strong heat, focus on vent restriction, load size, and cycle choice rather than internal heating parts. If there is no real heat, move to the likely internal heat-failure path for your dryer type.
A lot of 'not drying' calls turn out to be sensor-cycle behavior, overloaded drums, or a lint screen that looks clean but is coated with residue.
Next move: If timed dry and a smaller load solve it, the dryer may be fine and the issue was cycle choice, sensor reading, or overloading. If timed dry still leaves clothes wet and you already ruled out the vent, internal heat parts are the next likely path.
Once airflow and settings are ruled out, the remaining likely fixes are inside the dryer and should be chosen based on the heat behavior you confirmed.
A good result: If the dryer now heats normally and the outside vent flow is strong, run a full load to confirm normal dry time before calling it done.
If not: If a confirmed part replacement does not restore drying, stop guessing and have the dryer professionally diagnosed for wiring, power-supply, or less common control issues.
What to conclude: At this point you have narrowed the problem enough to avoid random part swapping. The right next move is a confirmed internal repair or a clean service call.
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Weak drying with some heat usually points to restricted airflow, not a dead heater. A partially blocked vent, lint-packed outlet housing, or crushed hose can leave you with warm air that cannot carry moisture out of the drum.
Yes. That happens all the time. Poor airflow traps heat inside the dryer, stretches dry times, and can even trip safety parts, so the machine acts like it has a heater problem when the vent is the real issue.
Do a short vent-off test and run the dryer on timed high heat. If airflow and drying improve with the vent disconnected, the vent path is restricted. If the air stays cool even with the vent off, start looking at the dryer's heating parts.
Heavy loads expose airflow problems fast. Towels and jeans hold more moisture and pack tighter, so a weak vent or overloaded drum shows up there first. Small loads can sometimes dry even when the vent is partly blocked.
Not unless you have already ruled out the vent and confirmed a no-heat condition. On electric dryers, the heating element is a common failure, but it is still not the first thing to buy when the main complaint is long dry times.
Sensor cycles can end early if the load is too small, too mixed, or the moisture sensor area is dirty. Try timed dry with a normal-size load. If timed dry works better, the dryer may not have a heating failure at all.