Direct answer: If your LG dryer tumbles but does not heat, start with the vent path, lint buildup, and power supply before opening the dryer. On electric models, one lost leg of 240-volt power can let the drum run with no heat. If airflow and power check out, the usual internal failures are the dryer heating element, dryer thermal cutoff, or dryer high-limit thermostat.
Most likely: The most common real-world causes are a clogged vent that overheated the dryer, a partial power problem on an electric dryer, or a failed dryer heating component.
Separate the lookalikes first: runs but no heat, heats weakly, or shuts heat off mid-cycle. Reality check: a dryer with poor airflow can feel like a bad heater even when the heater is fine. Common wrong move: replacing the dryer heating element before checking the outside vent hood and the house power.
Don’t start with: Do not start by ordering a control board or guessing at gas valve parts. Those are less common and easier to misdiagnose from the same no-heat symptom.
The dryer starts normally and tumbles, but there is no warmth at the drum or exhaust.
Start here: Start with the vent path and power supply. On electric dryers, verify the dryer is getting full power, not just enough to run the motor.
The load gets slightly warm, but drying times stretch way out and towels stay damp.
Start here: Start with airflow. A crushed hose, packed lint, or a stuck outside hood is more likely than a failed heater.
The dryer begins warm, then the heat cuts out and the cycle finishes cool.
Start here: Look hard at vent restriction first. Overheating can trip the dryer thermal cutoff or make the high-limit thermostat open too often.
You may hear the dryer run normally with no heat and no steady burner sound.
Start here: Check airflow first, then move to the dryer igniter branch if the vent is clear and the gas supply is on.
This is the most common cause of weak heat, cycling heat, and thermal cutoff failures. The dryer overheats internally while clothes still dry poorly because moist air cannot leave.
Quick check: Run a short test with the vent disconnected from the dryer and the lint screen cleaned. If heat and airflow improve sharply, the vent path is the problem.
An electric dryer can tumble on 120 volts but needs full 240-volt supply to heat. A tripped breaker half, loose cord connection, or bad outlet can leave you with a running dryer and no heat.
Quick check: Check the double breaker fully off and back on once. If the dryer runs but still has no heat, stop short of live electrical testing unless you are comfortable and equipped.
After airflow problems or simple age-related failure, the heater circuit can open and give you a true no-heat condition even with good airflow and correct power.
Quick check: If the vent is clear and an electric dryer still blows room-temperature air every time, an open dryer heating element or dryer thermal cutoff moves to the top of the list.
On gas models, no glow and no flame after startup points more toward the dryer igniter or a related heat-sensing part than toward the vent alone.
Quick check: With the lower front access area visible on some models, look for an igniter glow during a heat call. No glow at all after airflow and gas-supply checks supports this branch.
A blocked vent is the most common cause, and it can also take out the safety cutoff parts. Fixing airflow first keeps you from replacing a good heater into the same overheating problem.
Next move: If airflow improves and the dryer heats normally again, the main problem was vent restriction. Keep using the dryer only after the full vent path is clear and reconnected properly. If the vent path is clear and the dryer still has no heat, move to the power or burner/heater checks.
What to conclude: You have ruled out the most common no-heat cause and reduced the chance of cooking a new part right away.
The next best move depends on the dryer type. Electric dryers often lose heat from a power-supply issue or open heater circuit. Gas dryers need ignition and flame checks instead.
Next move: If resetting the breaker restores heat on an electric dryer, watch closely. If it trips again, there is a supply or appliance fault that needs proper diagnosis. If the dryer type-specific basics check out and the symptom stays the same, move to the internal heating-part branch that matches your dryer.
What to conclude: You have narrowed the problem to either supply-side trouble or an internal dryer heating failure.
Once airflow is good and full power is no longer the obvious issue, the main electric no-heat parts are the dryer heating element, dryer thermal cutoff, and dryer high-limit thermostat.
Next move: If you find an open dryer heating element, open dryer thermal cutoff, or open dryer high-limit thermostat, you have a supported repair path. Correct the airflow issue too if you found one earlier. If those parts test good and wiring looks sound, the diagnosis is no longer a simple common-failure repair. At that point, professional diagnosis is the cleaner move.
Gas no-heat complaints often get misread. If the igniter never glows, that points one way. If it glows but you never get flame, that points another way, and some of those parts are not good affiliate recommendations without a clearer branch.
Next move: If the dryer igniter tests open, replacing the dryer igniter is a supported next move. If the dryer thermal cutoff is open, replace it and correct any airflow problem that caused overheating. If the igniter glows but flame behavior is inconsistent or absent, the fault may be deeper in the gas heat circuit and is easier to misdiagnose from symptoms alone.
Once you have a confirmed failed part, the job is to replace that part cleanly and make sure the dryer heats without overheating again.
A good result: If the dryer heats normally and airflow is strong, the repair is complete.
If not: If the same no-heat symptom remains, the problem is likely in wiring, supply, or a less common control issue that needs model-specific diagnosis.
What to conclude: You finished the supported repair path without turning a simple no-heat problem into a parts chase.
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Most of the time it is restricted airflow, a partial power problem on an electric dryer, or a failed heating part. If the drum turns normally, do not assume the dryer has full power or that the heater itself is bad until you check the vent and supply first.
Yes. A badly restricted vent can cause weak heat, heat that cuts out early, or repeated overheating that opens the dryer thermal cutoff. Clothes stay wet because the moisture cannot leave, even if the heater works part of the time.
A classic clue is a dryer that tumbles normally but never heats. The motor can run on one leg of power while the heater needs the full supply. A tripped half of a double breaker or a bad cord or outlet connection can cause that exact symptom.
On electric dryers, the dryer heating element and dryer thermal cutoff are common failures. On gas dryers, the dryer igniter is a common confirmed failure when it tests open or never glows. The right answer depends on airflow and testing, not just the symptom.
No. If the dryer thermal cutoff failed because the dryer overheated, the vent problem needs to be corrected too. Otherwise the new cutoff can fail again and you still will not have a reliable dryer.
Usually yes, if the problem is a vent restriction, heating element, thermal cutoff, high-limit thermostat, or igniter. Those are common repairs. It becomes less attractive when the diagnosis points to wiring damage, repeated breaker trips, or a less certain control issue.