In one paragraph
No heat with a turning drum points at the vent path first and the heating circuit second. That order is not a guess: a blocked vent trips the thermal cut-out, and a tripped cut-out produces exactly the same symptom as a failed element. On a Aviva dryer the order below is what makes this page worth reading — the causes are ranked for this kind of machine, not listed alphabetically.
What owners actually report
- The drum turns and the clothes stay cold and damp — The defining symptom. It separates a heating fault from a motor or a start fault immediately.
- Loads take two or three runs to dry and used to take one — Partial heating or partial airflow. This is the early stage of the same fault and it is the point to act.
- The cabinet or the door glass is unusually hot — Heat that cannot leave with the air stays in the machine. That is a restriction signature, and it is also a fire risk.
- A scorched smell during or after a cycle — Stop the machine. Lint overheating is how dryer fires start, and this is the warning stage.
- NEAR MISS — the drum does not turn at all — Then the problem is the motor, the belt or the start circuit. Heat is not the question yet.
Ranked causes on this platform
- Restricted vent or lint path — First by a very wide margin. Lint accumulates in the duct, the outdoor flap sticks shut, and the machine loses the airflow that both dries the clothes and cools the heater — which then trips a thermal cut-out and stops heating entirely.
- Tripped thermal cut-out from a past restriction — Second, and it is the consequence of the first: one-shot thermal fuses do not reset, so a vent that was blocked last month can leave the machine permanently cold even after the duct is cleared.
- Heating element or gas ignition failure — Third. An open element or a failed igniter gives no heat at all with perfectly normal airflow, which makes it easy to separate from the first two once the vent is proven clear.
- Cycle selection — Last, and free to rule out: air-fluff and refresh programmes tumble deliberately without heat, and they are easy to select by accident on a shared machine.
Working through it
- Feel the outdoor vent while the machine runs — Strong warm airflow means the duct is clear and the problem is electrical. Weak or cold airflow settles it the other way.
- Check the selected programme — A no-heat setting explains the whole complaint for free, and it is more common than people expect.
- Run a short cycle with the vent disconnected at the machine — If it heats normally venting into the room briefly, the duct is the restriction. Reconnect it immediately afterwards.
The owner-side checks
- Clean the lint screen and the screen housing — Pull the screen, clear it by hand, then vacuum the slot it sits in — the housing collects more than the screen does.
Tools: vacuumAbout 15 min
- Disconnect and clean the whole duct run — Pull the machine out, release the duct, and clear it end to end with a brush and the vacuum. Check the elbow behind the machine, which is where it packs first.
Tools: vacuum, duct brushAbout 45 min
- Check the outdoor flap opens fully — Go outside while the machine runs. A flap held shut by lint or a bird nest blocks everything upstream of it.
Tools: flashlightAbout 15 min
- Re-run a timed cycle and feel the exhaust — Confirm the airflow is restored before concluding anything about the heater.
About 30 min
- STOP before testing the element or the thermal fuse — Both sit on the high-current side of the machine and need isolation and a meter.
Read this before you start
Safety
Cut the power before you start and leave it off until the cabinet is closed again. If the machine is gas-fired, close the manual shut-off at the appliance as well. Should you ever smell gas, switch nothing on or off, leave the building and call the gas utility or emergency services from outside.
When to book a visit
Call once the vent is genuinely clear end to end and the machine still tumbles cold, because that means a thermal fuse has opened or the heating circuit has failed, and both need a meter. Tell the technician the duct has been cleared — a fuse replaced without clearing the restriction that opened it fails again within weeks, and a good technician will check the duct before fitting anything.
Nearest pages of this class
Scope of this page
This page is generalized across the Aviva dryer line: it covers the appliance class rather than one family or one model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists for your unit it is the better answer and it is linked from this page — check the model label before you rely on anything here. What is deliberately not on this page: wiring colours, board part numbers, torque figures and teardown order, all of which differ by family and belong on the page for that family.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
