Dryer Getting Too Hot? Here Are Some Likely Solutions
Breaking Down Common Reasons Dryers Overheat
Are the clothes coming out of your dryer feeling much hotter than normal? Is your dryer too hot to the touch? If you’re noticing any such sign that your dryer seems to be overheating, don’t ignore it—an overheating dryer could be a sign of a serious problem requiring prompt professional maintenance or deep cleaning.
An overheating dryer is also a major fire hazard, posing a substantial risk to you, your family, and your home. According to the National Fire Protection Association, dryers cause 4% of all home structure fires in the United States, leading to thousands of house fires and numerous deaths every year. When a dryer gets too hot, there’s a real likelihood that the clothes, lint, dust, or other material in or around your dryer could catch fire.
Beyond the fire risk, an overheating dryer could also indicate significant efficiency or performance issues you’ll want to address as soon as possible.
In this post, we’ll break down three of the most common reasons dryers overheat and then give you some straightforward solutions to help solve the problem.
Problem #1: You’re Overfilling Your Dryer
If you notice your dryer is overheating and it’s jammed to the brim with clothing, that could be the main issue you’re dealing with. An overfilled dryer can cause dangerous levels of heat to build up inside the machine. It also reduces your dryer’s efficiency.
Thankfully, this situation offers a simple fix. Whether or not your machine is overheating, make sure you always leave at least one-third of the drum empty when you’re loading the dryer. You should, at a minimum, be able to fit your fist with your thumb raised into the gap between the top of your clothes pile and the top of the drum. Make sure you’re also using the right setting for the clothing you’re trying to dry.
Important note: if your dryer is not overfilled and it’s still overheating, stop using your dryer until you’ve had it assessed and/or cleaned by a trustworthy professional.
Problem #2: Your Dryer Needs a Cleaning
Restricted airflow is the #1 cause of dryers overheating, and this issue is normally caused by some component of the dryer getting clogged with lint or other debris. Failing to keep your dryer clean is also the leading cause of dryer-related fires, leading to more than 32% of dryer fires in the United States.
As such, it’s crucial to keep your dryer and its vent clean and clear of debris. Here are the basic steps to take to keep your dryer in an adequately clean condition:
- Clean the lint screen by hand after every load
- If you see lint or other debris in the lint screen’s slot, use a hose attachment on a vacuum to extract that gunk out of the machine
- Wipe down the inside of your dryer’s drum at least once a year
- Hire a professional dryer vent cleaner like Fresh Sweeps to clean and inspect your dryer vent at least once a year (or as soon as possible if you’ve noticed overheating!)
Problem #3: Your Dryer Has a Mechanical or Electrical Problem
If problems #1 and #2 aren’t the cause, it’s likely your dryer has a mechanical or electrical issue, especially if the dryer is fairly old. For instance, it’s possible one of the thermostats or heating elements is damaged or dysfunctional, the timer is off-pace, the drum seals have worn out, or the motor has become faulty.
In this situation, it’s important to contact a dryer repair service as soon as possible to diagnose and, ideally, get the problem fixed. In the meantime, stop using your dryer entirely, as its continued use could be highly dangerous (27% of dryer fires are caused by mechanical failures or malfunctions, and 16% are caused by electrical issues).
Don’t Ignore Your Overheating Dryer!
If you think your dryer is overheating, get in touch with a trustworthy professional as soon as possible to identify and fix the root cause. Continuing to use your dryer in such a state could cause a fire in your home, which obviously poses a serious threat to you, your family, and your property.
Thankfully, we’ve outlined the three most common causes of overheating dryers in this article, while sharing straightforward solutions to help you fix the problem.
*Along with our in-house knowledge, we referenced resources from the National Fire Protection Association, National Park Service, Masterminds of Appliances, and Homes & Gardens to create this article.
