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ErrBase

Dryer Heating Coil Repair: Diagnosis and Replacement

Quick Answer

The heating coil is the component responsible for generating the heat needed to dry your clothes. In most service calls I handle, the telltale sign of failure is a dryer that tumbles and runs normally but stays completely cold throughout the cycle.

Look, if you ignore a broken heating coil you're just paying electricity bills to tumble wet clothes. But here's the bigger problem: if the coil shorted against the housing before it fully snapped, you've got a real fire hazard sitting in your laundry room. I've seen it happen. The good news is this is honestly one of the most satisfying DIY repairs out there. Parts run under $60 and most folks finish it in 45 minutes.

GenericDryerSeverity: highDifficulty: intermediate92% DIY Success
Time to Fix
45–90 min
Difficulty
intermediate
Parts Cost
$8 – $65
Tools Needed
Phillips #2 screwdriver, 1/4 inch nut driver

What Does the HEATING-COIL Code Mean?

So here's the deal with heating coils: they die from old age, lint, and occasionally a power surge. The typical coil lasts 8 to 12 years, but I've seen them go at 4 if the vent was never cleaned. Replaced three of these last month alone. The repair itself is pretty straightforward and you don't need to be an electrician. You do need to respect that 240-volt circuit though, because it'll put you on the floor.

Most Likely Causes

Based on aggregated repair data, here is the probability breakdown for this error code:

Thermal fatigue and age65%
Airflow restriction (clogged vents)25%
Electrical surge or shorting10%

Symptoms You May Notice

  • Dryer runs a full cycle but clothes come out just as wet as they went in, and the drum itself is completely cold to the touch when you open the door.
  • Takes three or four full cycles to dry a single load of bath towels.
  • There's a faint burning smell, kind of like hot metal or singed wire, especially in the first few minutes after you start it.
  • The breaker for the dryer trips the second you press start.
  • You can literally see where the wire snapped inside the housing, or there's a dark charred mark where the coil melted against the metal casing wall.

Tools Required for Diagnosis

Phillips #2 screwdriver1/4 inch nut driver5/16 inch nut driverDigital multimeterFlashlight or headlampNeedle-nose pliersWire crimping toolHigh-temperature wire terminals (16-gauge)

Diagnostic Checklist

Follow these steps in order. We start with the easiest external fixes before opening up the machine.

ComponentComponent Under Test
Expected Range15–50 ohms
ConditionIf Open (OL) or infinite, replace component.

Replacement Parts

If your diagnostic testing proves the component has failed, you will need a replacement. We recommend OEM parts over aftermarket for water-handling components.

Part Name
Dryer Heating Element AssemblyGeneric-Multi-Fit · $25–$65
High-Limit Thermal FuseGeneric-Safety-Fuse · $8–$15

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I just buy the wire coil or do I need the whole assembly?
You can sometimes find just the restring wire, and technically you can weave new wire through the ceramic insulators yourself. But honestly, don't bother. The complete assembly with housing runs maybe $10 to $20 more and takes a third of the time to install. Plus the ceramic insulators in your old unit are probably cracked or brittle anyway after all those heat cycles. I always do the full assembly swap on a job. It's just not worth the headache trying to restring hardware that's already been cooked for a decade.
Why did my heating coil burn out so fast?
Lint. That's the answer 80% of the time. If your vent hose or wall duct is clogged, the heat can't escape and the element just keeps cooking itself way past its rated temperature. Most elements are designed to operate in a specific temp range, and restricted airflow blows right past that ceiling. When I replace a coil I always walk through cleaning the whole vent run from the back of the dryer all the way to the outside cap. Do that every single year. It'll make your next element last twice as long, no question.
Should I use OEM or aftermarket heating coils?
Either works fine if you buy from a reputable parts supplier. OEM is more consistent in wire gauge and will match the original specs exactly. But a lot of aftermarket pro kits are made to the same tolerances and cost half as much. What I'd avoid is the ultra-cheap stuff on marketplace sites with no brand name and zero reviews. That wire is sometimes thinner than spec and it'll burn out in a year. Stick with established parts distributors and you'll be fine either way. I use aftermarket on probably half my jobs.
My dryer is getting too hot, is the coil bad?
If it's running too hot or not shutting off the heat, it's probably not the coil itself. More likely it's the cycling thermostat or high-limit thermostat that failed. Those are the parts that tell the element when to cycle off. That said, a coil that's shorted to the metal housing can also cause runaway heat because it bypasses the thermostat circuit entirely. Run the short-to-ground test in step 4 above first. If that comes back clean, your thermostats are the next thing to check. They're cheap, usually $10 to $20 for a full kit.
How do I know if I need to replace the thermostats too?
When I'm replacing a heating coil on a dryer that's 8 years or older, I almost always throw in the thermostat kit at the same time. Here's why: if the coil burned out from overheating, there's a real chance the high-limit thermostat took some heat damage too. A full thermostat kit with all three usually runs $15 to $25, and the labor to install them is basically nothing since you're already in there with the housing pulled out. Spending an extra $20 now is way better than doing this whole job again in three months.

Models Known to Experience HEATING-COIL Errors

This repair applies to most Generic dryers with this error code. Common model numbers include:

Whirlpool WED5000DW, Whirlpool WED7500GC, Samsung DV45H7000EW, Maytag MEDB955FW, GE GTD65EBSJWS, Kenmore 11067132410, LG DLEX3570V

MS

Written by

Mike Sullivan

Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 20 years experience

Last verified for technical accuracy on March 17, 2026