How to Repair a Non-Heating Maytag Dryer

Opening your dryer door at the end of a dry cycle and discovering your clothes are just as wet as they were when they went in, indicates your appliance is no longer producing heat. While a non-heating Maytag dryer model MEDC215EW is a nuisance, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to replace your appliance. To help you pinpoint the malfunction behind your non-heating dryer, we’ve created a list of faulty components that stop a dryer from generating heat.

Before inspecting or repairing your appliance, unplug it from the wall or turn it off at the circuit breaker. Protecting your eyes and hands by wearing safety equipment during a repair is always a good idea.

The Thermal Fuse

Your dryer is equipped with a safety device called a thermal fuse. In a situation where your dryer begins to overheat, the thermal fuse will cut off power to the drive motor, meaning the safety component should prevent your dryer from causing a fire. If the thermal fuse is faulty, it can stop your appliance from generating heat. To repair your dryer, you will need to replace the part.

How to Replace a Thermal Fuse in a Maytag Dryer

To access the dryer’s large, rear panel, slide your dryer away from the wall. Remove all the screws securing the panel to the dryer. Once the screws are out, carefully lift the panel off the dryer and set it down somewhere safe.
Locate the faulty thermal fuse, and disconnect the wires running to it. Unthread the mounting screw holding the fuse in place, and remove the component from your dryer.
Pick up the new thermal fuse and attach it to your dryer with the mounting screw you removed earlier.
Reconnect the wires, and reinstall the dryer’s large, rear panel. Plug your appliance into the wall or turn it on at the circuit breaker and push your appliance back so it is properly positioned near the wall.
Test your repair out by throwing a load of wet garments into your appliance, and running them through a dry cycle.

The Heating Element

The heating element in your electric dryer is made up of a metal chamber and coils. When you turn your appliance on, the electricity running to the dryer heats up the coils, and in turn, the air blowing through the component’s metal chamber is heated and sent into the appliance’s drum. If the heating element is faulty, the coils won’t get hot, meaning the air circulating through the drum won’t dry your clothes. When a heating element is defective, you can often see the problem by performing a visual inspection. If the coils are burnt out, you’ll need to replace the component.

How to Replace a Heating Element in a Maytag Dryer

Pull your dryer forward, and move to the back of the appliance. Remove the screws holding the large, rear panel onto the dryer frame and lift the panel up and off your appliance.
Before taking the heating element out of your dryer, disconnect the wires from the high limit thermostat, which is located on the side of the heating element. Once the wires are detached, remove the thermostat from the heating element. Then, disconnect the wire running to the heating element.
Take out the screws securing the heating element to the appliance, and pull the faulty component out of the dryer.
Grab the new heating element, and attach it to the dryer with mounting screws. Reinstall the high limit thermostat, and reconnect the thermostat and heating element wires.
Reattach the rear panel and plug your appliance back into the outlet. Run a dry cycle to ensure the new heating element resolved your appliance’s malfunction.

The Cycling Thermostat

Your dryer’s cycling thermostat measures the air temperature in your appliance. Once the temperature in the drum gets hot enough, the thermostat turns off the heating element, and when the drum begins to cool down, the thermostat turns the heating element back on. If the cycling thermostat is faulty, the dryer will not heat up. Replacing the thermostat is the only way to fix the problem.

How to Replace the Cycling Thermostat in Your Maytag Dryer

Begin your repair by pulling your appliance away from the wall and removing your dryer’s large, rear panel.
The cycling thermostat is attached to the dryer’s duct housing, which is located near the bottom of the appliance. Once you find the component, disconnect the wires running to the thermostat terminals. With the wires detached, unthread the mounting screw that secures the thermostat to the duct housing. Pull the faulty part out of the dryer.
To install the new cycling thermostat, insert the component into the opening in the duct housing, and reconnect the wires to the thermostat terminals.
Now that you’ve finished replacing the defective cycling thermostat, reattach the large, rear panel, and plug your dryer back in.
Grab a pile of wet clothes and toss them into your dryer to test out your newly repaired appliance.

Other Possible Dryer Malfunctions

The High Limit Thermostat is another safety component in your dryer. If the dryer begins to overheat, due to a restricted exhaust vent, the thermostat will turn off the heating element to stop your appliance from catching fire. A malfunctioning high limit thermostat can prematurely shut-off the heating element, meaning the air circulating through your appliance will be cool instead of hot. If you have inspected the other components in your appliance and have found they are functioning properly, the high limit thermostat may need replacing.

The Timer, which is found in the control board, is governed by a small motor that ultimately turns the electrical contacts inside the timer on and off. Those contacts tell the dryer motor and the dryer’s heating element when to start up. If the contacts in the timer are faulty, the heating element may stay dormant, meaning the clothes in your dryer will remain wet. Switching out the failing timer for a new one is a fairly easy repair job.

A malfunctioning appliance is an inconvenience most people dread dealing with. If your dryer stopped producing heat and the components mentioned above aren’t behind the issue, please contact us today, and we’ll be happy to help you diagnose and repair your non-heating dryer.

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