The short answer
Start from a tripped thermal fuse or cut-out: on a Temprium dryer that is the likeliest explanation for what you are looking at, and a failed element, igniter or thermostat is the least likely. Most of this you can settle before anyone is called.
What the symptom looks like
- The drum turns for a full cycle and the load comes out cold and damp — Motion without heat, which separates the drive from the heating circuit immediately.
- The outside of the cabinet gets hot — Heat trapped in the machine, which is a venting fault and a fire risk.
- NEAR MISS: it heats but the clothes smell scorched — Stop using it and get it looked at now.
Causes ranked for this brand, likeliest first
- A tripped thermal fuse or cut-out — The safety device that protects against a blocked vent does its job and stays tripped, so heat never returns. First on Temprium because a second appliance is run hard in short bursts, which loads it in a way a main appliance never sees.
- A blocked lint filter or vent duct — Heat is made and never leaves, so the machine overheats, the safety device cuts the element, and the drum keeps turning cold. Second here: a restricted vent turns a normal cycle into an overheating one.
- Half the supply missing on an electric dryer — An electric dryer runs its motor on one leg and its element on both. Lose one and the drum turns without heat. Third on this build, because the cord, the switch and the terminals are built to the lowest cost, so the supply side stays in play.
- A failed element, igniter or thermostat — The heating circuit is genuinely open and nothing upstream explains it. Last, which is why it is checked last: the element and its safety devices are commodity parts on this build.
What to check first, second and third
- Consider whether the vent has been restricted recently — A fuse does not trip for no reason: clear the cause or the new one goes the same way.
- Check the lint filter, then the whole vent run to the outside — This is the most common cause and the only one that is also a fire risk.
- Check whether both halves of the breaker have tripped — A large appliance circuit is typically 30 A or higher, and it can trip on one side only.
What an owner can safely check
- Clear the vent completely before anything else, because a fuse trips for a reason — Replacing a fuse without clearing the vent puts you back here within a week.
Tools: a vent brushAbout 30 min
- Clean the lint filter, then disconnect and clear the vent duct all the way to the outside hood — Check the outside flap actually opens. A stuck flap blocks a perfectly clean duct.
Tools: a vacuum, a vent brush, a screwdriverAbout 45 min
- Switch the dryer breaker fully off and back on, both halves together — A drum that turns with no heat at all is the classic signature of this.
About 10 min
- STOP HERE: testing an element, an igniter or a thermostat means a meter on live terminals — A service call, not an owner check.
Read this before you start
Safety
Unplug the dryer or switch it off at its breaker before removing any panel, and shut the gas cock on a gas dryer. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Clear the lint filter every load: lint is the fuel in a dryer fire and the vent is where it collects. If you smell gas, leave the building and call the gas utility or 911 from outside, without switching anything on or off.
When this stops being a do-it-yourself job
Call when the vent is clear end to end, the breaker is fully on and the dryer still runs cold. Call the same day, and stop using the machine, if the cabinet gets hot, anything smells scorched or the vent was heavily blocked: a dryer with a restricted vent is the most common appliance fire there is.
Nearest pages of this class
What is deliberately not on this page
This page covers the Temprium dryer as a class, not one family or model line. Where a family-specific page exists it is linked below and it is the better answer. Not here: element and fuse part numbers, wiring diagrams and family-specific gas train procedures.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
