A dryer works by moving warm, damp air from the drum to the outdoors. When that air can't escape, your clothes sit in humid heat and the cycle drags on. That's the usual reason a dryer "stops drying" even though it still gets hot.
Where the air gets stuck
- Under the lint screen. Lint slips past the screen and packs the duct beneath it.
- The hose behind the dryer. It gets crushed when the machine is pushed flat against the wall.
- The duct inside the wall. Long runs with several bends collect lint over the years. That's common in condos, where the vent may exit far from the laundry closet.
- The hood outside. Flaps stick, screens clog, birds build nests, and close to the ocean, salt air corrodes the metal.
A five-minute check
- Clean the lint screen and start a timed cycle on high heat.
- Go outside, find the vent hood and feel the air coming out, if it's within reach from the ground (don't climb onto a roof or ladder for this). It should be strong and warm.
- If the air is faint or you feel nothing, something is blocking the path between the dryer and the outside.
Why it's worth fixing
When air can't flow, heating parts run hotter and longer, and that's how thermal fuses and elements wear out early. Built-up lint is also a known fire hazard. In a building, the vent run may be the building's job to clean, so ask before you hire anyone.
Vent open and air strong, yet loads still come out damp? Then the trouble is inside the dryer. See dryer repair.
