The short answer
First decide whether anything is wrong: a heat-pump AEG is supposed to run cool and long. If clothes are genuinely still damp, the heat exchanger is almost always matted with lint and needs cleaning. Poorly seated door filters are the cause behind that. Overloading is third, and a compressor or heater fault is last and rare.
What you observe
- Clothes are dry but only lukewarm — Normal for this design. Nothing is wrong.
- Cycles have grown longer over months — Lint accumulating in the heat exchanger.
- The heat exchanger matrix is furred with lint — The main cause on this class, and owner-cleanable.
- The door filter does not seat firmly — Lint is passing it and reaching the exchanger.
- NEAR MISS — a delicate programme leaves clothes damp — Low heat by design on that setting.
Causes, most likely first on this brand
- Expecting vented-dryer heat from a heat-pump machine — First because it is the most common complaint and nothing has failed. These machines recycle cool air for a long time, and warm rather than hot clothing is the intended result.
- Heat exchanger matted with lint — Second, and the real fault on this class: the matrix is fine and it blinds over months. Heat then cannot move either way, so the cycle runs on and clothes stay damp.
- Door filters poorly seated or not cleaned — Third, and it is the cause of the second: lint that slips past a filter left half-clicked goes straight into the exchanger behind it.
- Overloading, or a compressor or heater fault — Last. A packed drum cannot tumble, and a genuine refrigeration or heater failure on this platform is uncommon and needs a technician.
Check in this order, and why
- Decide whether clothes are damp or merely cool — Free, and it settles most of these complaints.
- Open the lower flap and look at the heat exchanger — The real fault on this class, and visible immediately.
- Check every filter seats and clicks home — Explains how the exchanger got blinded.
- Halve the load and run the same programme — Left until here because it only changes the margin.
What an owner can safely check
- Clean the door filters and check they seat firmly — Wash a filmed filter and dry it fully before refitting.
About 15 min
- Open the lower flap and clean the heat exchanger — Follow the instructions for your machine. Never bend the fins.
Tools: soft brushAbout 30 min
- Wipe out the housing the exchanger sits in — Lint collects around it as well as in it.
Tools: clothAbout 20 min
- Run a full programme with a half load and compare — Note how damp the clothes are, not how warm.
About 60 min
- STOP HERE if it still will not dry with everything clean — Refrigeration and heater work is a service call.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the dryer before opening any panel or removing the heat exchanger; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. The exchanger is a refrigeration component with thin fins and sealed tubing — clean it gently and never lever, cut or puncture it. Never run the machine with a filter missing, and never bypass a thermal protector to restore heat.
When to call a technician
Call when every filter is clean and seated, the heat exchanger is clear and a normal load still comes out damp — the refrigeration circuit or the heater is then the answer and needs a technician. Mention that the exchanger has been cleaned, because it changes what they look at. Stop and unplug the machine if you smell burning or hot insulation.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page is written for the brand and the appliance class, not for one family or model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists for your unit, that page is the more specific answer and you should start there. Deliberately absent: programme temperatures, cycle times, exchanger and compressor part identifiers and fault-code meanings, all of which differ between the heat-pump, condenser and vented families.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
