The short answer
On an AEG dryer, no heat most often comes back to a heat-pump circuit that is not making heat, with a restricted duct close behind. The maintenance items these machines actually have — the pump filter, the drain path, the sensors and the condenser on a heat-pump dryer — outrank component failure on a machine of this generation. The first checks below are owner work, but the ranking here points at a repair that ends in a service call, so do them to confirm rather than to fix.
What you are seeing
- What this fault looks like, and which observations point somewhere else.
- the load is unchanged at the end of a full cycle
- the machine heats briefly and then goes cold for the rest of the cycle
- a burning smell rather than heat
- the machine has run hot for weeks and has now stopped heating entirely
- Not this fault: if there is heat but the load is still damp, read the drying page
- Not this fault: if the machine stops rather than running cold, read the cycle page
Ranked causes on this platform
- Ranked for an AEG dryer, which runs a sensor-driven controller that reports a fault code on the display. No measured frequency exists for this address, so the order is platform judgement rather than a share.
- A heat-pump circuit that is not making heat — Why: On a heat-pump machine there is no element at all, and a blocked exchanger or a compressor fault presents as gentle warmth and no drying.
- A restricted duct — Why: It is upstream of everything: it raises temperatures, opens protective devices and shortens component life.
- A high-limit thermostat that has opened — Why: It opens because of airflow, so it points at the duct even though the part itself has failed.
- A thermal fuse opened by a restricted vent — Why: This is the most common no-heat fault on a vented machine, and the restriction that opened it is the real fault.
- Half of a two-pole supply missing — Why: The motor runs on one leg while the heater needs both, so the machine tumbles and never heats.
What to check, in order
- The order follows the ranking above: most likely and cheapest first, nothing needing a meter until everything else is eliminated.
- A heat-pump circuit that is not making heat — Because: on a heat-pump machine there is no element at all.
- A restricted duct — Because: it is upstream of everything: it raises temperatures, opens protective devices and shortens component life.
- A high-limit thermostat that has opened — Because: it opens because of airflow, so it points at the duct even though the part itself has failed.
Checks you can safely do yourself
- Isolate the appliance before any panel comes off, and stop at the first step that explains the fault.
- Clean the exchanger and the filters completely before anything else is considered. — Tools: a tap and gloves — Time estimate: allow half an hour
- Disconnect the duct at the machine and run a short cycle to compare. — Tools: a screwdriver — Time estimate: allow half an hour
- Treat any opened protective device as evidence of restriction rather than as the whole fault. — Tools: nothing — Time estimate: a short observation
- Clear the filter and the whole duct first, because a new fuse in a blocked duct opens again. — Tools: a vacuum and a screwdriver — Time estimate: allow half an hour
- Stop condition: Stop there: the next step means metering live terminals or opening a sealed system.
Safety first
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel, because a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Clear lint from the filter, the housing and the duct: accumulated lint around a heat source is the recognised hazard of this appliance class. Never run the machine with a panel off or the door interlock defeated, and never vent it into the room.
When to call a technician
Call a technician when the airflow path is clear and there is still no heat, when a protective device has opened more than once, or when a gas machine will not light. Gas components, sealed heat-pump circuits and live heater terminals are all service work.
The fact bundle for this address was empty, so no warehouse figure appears. Every number on the page is a program safety constant, cited to its publisher. — Sources
General guidance- 1910.147 — The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) — Occupational Safety and Health Administration, fetched 2026-09-06
Other faults documented for this brand and appliance. — Nearest pages of the same kind
What this page does not cover
This page is generalized across every AEG dryer family and model number: no family fault list, no model parts list, and no measured figure from the program warehouse. Where a family- or model-specific page exists it goes deeper, and it should be preferred over this one.
Links: - [Common AEG Dryer Problems](/blog/aeg-dryer-problems) - [AEG Dryer: Abnormal Noise or Vibration](/blog/aeg-dryer-abnormal-noise) - [AEG Dryer: Does Not Clean or Dry](/blog/aeg-dryer-cleaning-performance)
Adjacent pages for what this one rules out. — Where to go next
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
