What this usually is
On a Westbend dryer no heat is usually a blocked or crushed vent duct, and the part that actually failed is nearly always downstream of a blocked vent. Replace the part without clearing the vent and you will replace it again. Most of this page is a vent and a lint trap, and the page stops where live terminals start.
What you are looking at
- A hot, scorched smell during a cycle — Lint near heat, and a reason to stop now.
- NEAR MISS: it heats but stops after a few minutes — Read the cycle fault page: that is a different failure.
What it usually turns out to be, in order
- A blocked or crushed vent duct — Lint packs the duct, the flap outside sticks shut, or a flexible hose is crushed behind the machine. Heat cannot leave, a thermal protection opens, and the dryer runs cold from then on. First, and the whole order below follows from it: it is the root cause behind most no-heat faults, and it is the one that destroys the replacement part too if it is not cleared.
- A lint screen and housing that are restricting airflow — A screen that looks clean can be sealed by fabric softener film, and the housing below it fills with lint that no one ever sees. Next, and for a closely related reason: it is the check that costs nothing, and a film on the screen is invisible until you run water at it.
- A cycling thermostat, thermistor or timer at fault — A thermostat stuck open, a drifted thermistor or a timer that never calls for heat gives a cold drum with no other symptom, and all three need a meter to tell apart. Bottom of the list, deliberately: everything above it gives the same cold load for far less, and it is where owner diagnosis genuinely ends.
The order to check in
- Run the dryer and feel the air coming out of the outside vent — Weak or no airflow outside settles this immediately.
- Hold the lint screen under a running tap — Water that pools on the mesh instead of passing through means it is sealed with softener film.
- Only once the vent, the lint path and the supply are all confirmed good — Beyond that the test is a meter on a live circuit.
The checks you can make yourself
- Pull the machine out, disconnect the duct and clear it end to end, then check the outside flap opens freely — A brush on a rod does the job. Check for crushing behind the machine.
Tools: a vent brush, a vacuumAbout 45 min
- Wash the lint screen with hot water and a little detergent, dry it, and vacuum the housing it sits in — Do the water test again afterwards.
Tools: a vacuum, hot waterAbout 20 min
- STOP AT THIS POINT if the next step is inside the cabinet or on the gas train — Burners, valves and igniters are not owner work on any gas appliance.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the dryer or drop its breaker before a panel comes off, and close the gas valve at the appliance before you move a gas machine. If you smell gas: do not switch anything on or off, leave the building, and call the gas utility or emergency services from outside. Do not look for the leak yourself. Lint packed against a heat source is the real hazard in this appliance, which is why airflow is treated as urgent and not as maintenance.
Where an owner check ends
Call once the vent is clear end to end, the lint path is clean and the supply is confirmed, because everything past that point needs a meter on live terminals. Call immediately on a gas machine that clicks and will not light, or if you smell gas at any point.
Where to go next in this class
What is deliberately not on this page
This page covers the Westbend dryer as a class, not one family or model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists it is linked here. Deliberately not here: element part numbers, thermostat ratings, gas valve procedures and any wiring detail, all of which differ by family and belong on the page for that family.
Links: - [Westbend washer stopping, stalling or never finishing: what to check](/blog/westbend-washer-cycle-fault) - [Why a Westbend washing machine will not start](/blog/westbend-washer-wont-start) - [VMX dryer running cold: what to check first](/blog/vmx-dryer-heating-failure)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
