Amana Dryer Not Drying? – Learn How to Fix

Is your Amana dryer not drying? Then you must be careful about whether it is getting hot or not.

That will indicate the issue, but if it gets hot without drying the clothes, you must investigate quickly to prevent further damage.

An Amana dryer that doesn’t dry might have a clogged blower wheel or lint screen, which you will need to clean thoroughly. Other issues include the vent being dirty or damaged and the heating element being broken, thus preventing the dryer from producing any heat.

Cleaning the lint screen is the easiest procedure. However, other solutions will require some knowledge and carefulness, so we will help you with precise instructions.

In the worst case, you might have to replace some components to get your dryer back to work.

Amana Dryer Not Drying – Reasons

One thing that will slow your day down is noticing that your Amana dryer doesn’t dry.

Perhaps it was drying yesterday, but today it stopped working without apparent reason.

So let’s check what the most common causes are:

✅ Venting Is Not Working

Sometimes, you might notice that the dryer will heat up without drying the clothes. That is because the venting function has stopped working.

✅ Dirty Lint Screen

You can check that the lint screen will get dirty over time. When you don’t clean it, that filth will increase drying times drastically.

✅ Damaged Heating Element

All devices that produce heat have something called a “heating element,” and they stop working when that part gets damaged/broken.

✅ Thermal Fuse

The thermal fuse can blow if the energy in your house is unstable. Since it controls the machine’s temperature, it won’t be able to dry your clothes.

How To Fix The Amana Dryer Not Working

Now you know most of the reasons behind the Amana dryer being unable to dry your clothes.

Next, we will teach you all the steps you can take to ensure your dryer gets back to work quickly and safely. 

1. Check The Vent’s Condition

The first thing you must do when you see the Amana dryer getting hot but not drying clothes is check the vent. 

Amana says it is okay to use rigid or flexible metal vents but not foil vents. That is because they will get bent or crushed easily.

So take a good look and ensure that the vent is not in such a situation. If the vent is bad, replace it with a new one.

Check For Lint

Another thing to take care of when checking the vent is the presence of lint.

If you haven’t cleaned your dryer, especially the vent, in a long time, it is time you do this:

1. Disconnect the vent;
2. Take a good look;
3. Is there lint? Then grab a vacuum cleaner;
4. Use the vacuum cleaner on both ends of the vent.
5. Also, vacuum the dyer’s exhaust vent.

Once everything is clean and rid of lint, the hot air should be able to flow properly and dry your clothes.

Tip: The vent needs to be 4 inches in diameter. Being larger or smaller will make the dryer less efficient.

2. Change The Setting

Are you trying to dry your clothes for the first time and using the Timed Dry?

The issue with timed drying is that the dryer will not use its sensors to know when the drying session should stop. 

Amana recommends new users try and use Auto Dry because that way, it is easier to learn how much time your clothes take to dry.

Simply find that option in the dryer panel and choose it.

3. Inspect The Blower Wheel

As the name suggests, the blower wheel is responsible for drawing air into the dryer drum.

Sometimes it will get clogged, which will prevent air from flowing correctly. 

Is the Amana dryer not drying in one cycle? That’s because, without enough air, there is no hot air to dry your clothes.

Here is how you can check its condition:

1. Remove the dryer vent (as discussed in Solution #1);
2. Check how strong the airflow is;
3. If you find that the airflow is weak, check if there is a clog in the wheel;
4. You must also try rotating the blower wheel;
5. If it wobbles when no clog is present, it must be replaced.

Clean The Blower Wheel

Have you found out that the blower wheel is filled with clogs?

Then you will have to do this first:

1. Remove the most visible clog, such as lint, by hand or with a scrub/toothbrush;
2. Use a cloth or toothbrush to remove all the dust;
3. If available, use compressed air to ensure it gets clean.

You can only use water when the blower wheel is coated or made of non-rusting material. In other situations, it is better to stick with non-wet cleaning techniques.

Replace The Blower Wheel

Depending on the Amana dryer you have, the wheel might be easily removable from the back by just unplugging the vent and unscrewing its securing screws.

However, you might also need to disassemble the entire machine:

1. Unscrew the front panel and remove it;
2. Unscrew the cabinet in front of the drum;
3. Find the drum holders and remove their screws;
4. Remove the drum;
5. Find the blower wheel casing;
6. Unscrew all of it and disassemble it until the wheel is free.

If you haven’t been able to check the wheel properly by simply disconnecting the back vent, you must do that now.

Check it well and determine if a replacement is needed. If it is, simply put a new blower wheel in place and reassemble the machine.

4. Clean The Lint Filter

The lint filter might get super clogged when you forget to clean it regularly. The result is that it is so filled with lint that the hot air won’t get through it.

Eventually, your clothes will not dry and the machine will overheat, causing serious damage. So do this:

1. Find the exhaust hood;
2. Pull the lint screen free;
3. Roll the lint with your fingers;
4. Gently scrub with a toothbrush if necessary.

Some Amana dryers present different sorts of lint filters. Some lint screens cannot be washed with water because that will damage the screen.

You must check your user’s guide to learn whether you can wash it.

5. Check The Thermal Fuse

If the dryer is starting but can’t heat, the thermal fuse is the first potential culprit.

It is located near the blower wheel, so you will have to follow these steps to get to it:

1. Unscrew the front panel and remove it;
2. Unscrew the cabinet in front of the drum;
3. Find the drum holders and remove their screws;
4. Remove the drum;
5. Find the thermal fuse and detach it.

Test And Replace The Fuse

You must check if the thermal fuse has burnt signs.

Otherwise, you must check with a multimeter:

1. Touch the probes to the fuse’s ends;
2. Set to continuity;
3. If no continuity is shown, replace it.

You can find replacement thermal fuses on the Amana site. Once you have it, you only have to put it in place of the old piece.

6. Replace The Heating Element

If the thermal fuse is fine, the issue lies in the heating element. You must always test the fuse first because it is more likely to be damaged.

To find and test the heating element, you must do this:

1. Unscrew the front panel and remove it;
2. Unscrew the cabinet in front of the drum;
3. Find the drum holders and remove their screws;
4. Remove the drum;

Check And Replace

The heating element is a large piece with coils (perhaps they are not visible) and wires connected to the fuse or the blower casing.

You must:

1. Remove its screws;
2. Detach it from the machine;
3. Check for broken coils;

• If there are broken coils, you must buy a replacement from the Amana site.

Then:

1. Detach the wires from the damaged component;
2. Attach them to the new element;
3. Screw the heating element in the dryer;
4. Reassemble everything.

Conclusion

When you find your Amana dryer not drying, you must first assume that parts are heavily clogged with lint or dust.

If that is not the issue, you must test some electrical components and consider replacing them. Replacement parts are easily found on the Amana site.

Read Next: Amana Dryer Not Getting Hot?