Washer dryer not drying: what our engineers find
These figures come from NAC's own repair records: 125 washer dryer jobs our engineers attended for this fault in the last 12 months. Here is what they found, what fixed it and what it typically cost.
When a washer dryer stops drying, engineers sometimes find that fluff has built up inside the drying section, blocking the flow of warm air. Without enough airflow the machine can overheat and a safety cut-out switches off the heat, so the clothes stay cold and wet. Fluff can also settle on the sensor that judges how damp the laundry is, which may leave the timer stuck or the cycle running on. Less often the fault lies with a worn out heating element, a faulty temperature sensor or its wiring, or the electronic control that runs the drying cycle.
An engineer will usually run a drying cycle to see what happens, then test the heater, fan and sensors to find where the problem lies. If fluff is the cause, they clear it out, reset the safety cut-out and check that the machine heats properly again. If a part has failed, it often has to be ordered and fitted at a second visit.
To help keep the dryer working well, engineers sometimes advise running regular cleaning cycles and taking care not to overload the drum when drying.
Written by our engineers from these jobs.
- Jobs attended
- 125
- in the last 12 months
- Confirmed repairs
- 73
- This is not a success rate. Jobs inside their 60-day window, jobs still being classified, jobs held for review and visits that didn't end in a repair aren't counted.
- Fixed at the first appointment
- 51%
- about half of our repairs
- Typical total paid by customers
- £98 to £176
- including parts and VAT, from 72 repairs
No single cause has enough confirmed repairs behind it yet to show for this fault.
Error codes we see with this fault
- Candy E11: Dryer or heater temperature sensor (NTC) fault, reading out of range or open circuit.
- Hisense F17: Dryer heating fault, such as the heater not heating or the thermostat tripping from overheating.
- LG DHE: Dryer heater fault: the heater or heater duct is not heating as expected.
About the price. £98 to £176 is the typical total paid by customers, including parts and VAT: the middle half of what customers paid on 72 of these repairs. Repairs paid for by manufacturers and insurers aren't counted, because that work is charged at contract rates. It's a guide, not a quote. Your engineer confirms a fixed price before any work starts.
Before you check anything yourself
- Switch the washer dryer off and unplug it, or turn it off at the isolator switch, before you touch anything. Our guide to safely isolating an appliance walks you through it.
- If it involves the mains supply, sealed parts, or you're not confident at any point, stop and book a qualified engineer rather than risk injury or further damage.
Rather leave it to us?
- Fixed-price quote before any work starts
- Same or next-day visits where available
- UK-wide engineer coverage