A dryer’s job is to dry your wet clothes. So, it’s maddening to turn on a Maytag Bravos dryer only to realize that it doesn’t do its job. The question to ask, however, is, why is your Maytag Bravos dryer not drying?
Several reasons can prevent a Maytag Bravos dryer from drying. They include a clogged lint screen, blocked dryer vent, wrong vent hose size, defective heating element, power or gas failure, and oversaturated or excess wet load.
Amid these eight reasons is the explanation for your non-drying Maytag Bravos dryer.
But what comes after discovering the probable reason? Then, you have to fix it, and if you prefer to do it DIY, this troubleshooting guide will be beneficial.
I’ll help you diagnose the problem and quickly resolve it where applicable. Later, we will also examine why a Maytag Bravos dryer is not drying all the way, taking too long to dry, or not drying in one cycle.
Let’s get started!
In a rush? See below seven reasons and fixes for troubleshooting a non-drying Maytag Bravos dryer.
Quick Fixes to A Maytag Bravos Dryer Not Drying
| Probable Cause | Recommendable Fix | |
| 1. | Clogged Lint Screen | Use a nylon brush and soapy warm or hot water to clean the dirty lint screen and dry with a towel |
| 2. | Blocked Dryer Vent | Unblock your dryer vent by cleaning out the clog or stretching out kinks, and replace a collapsed option with a metal alternative |
| 3. | Wrong Vent Hose Size | Replace the vent with an option with a diameter that’s at least 4-inch and with less than four 90-degree turns |
| 4. | Defective Heating Element | Replace the dryer’s heating element if it fails to show continuity while testing with a multimeter |
| 5. | Power or Gas Failure | Ensure your dryer is getting enough power or gas, depending on the dryer type |
| 6. | Oversaturated Load | Spin-dry the clothes first before transferring them from the washer to the dryer |
| 7. | Excess Wet Load | Reduce the wet laundry load to under ¾ full |
Why Is My Maytag Bravos Dryer Not Drying Clothes?
Generally, troubleshooting a Maytag Bravos dryer that won’t dry requires you to consider these eight reasons:
1. The Lint Screen Could Be Clogged
Your Maytag Bravos dryer depends on a clog-free lint screen to dry your clothes. Over time, however, dirt and debris collect and block the screen. Once that happens, the residue reduces airflow to the burner, preventing the dryer from heating.
Fix
If your lint screen is dirt clogged, you must clean it. Here’s how to go about it:
- Wet the lint screen with warm/hot water on both sides
- Dip a nylon brush into soapy hot water and use it to scrub off dirt from the lint screen
- Rinse the screen with warm/hot water
- Dry the screen with a dry towel
2. The Dryer Vent Could Be Blocked
There should be no air restrictions to enable your dryer heating element to heat up and allow the dryer to heat. Any source of the blockage, however, interferes with that.
For example, the dryer vent may block either by dirt clogging, kinking, or collapsing. The last part often happens due to using the wrong vent material type, such as plastic and aluminum foil.
As for clogging, the dryer vent can clog with dirt, just like the lint screen.
Fix
Clean the dryer vent, preferably with a suitable dryer vent cleaner, to get rid of clogging. If the dryer hose is kinked, try moving the dryer away to stretch out the vent.
And when it comes to a crushed vent, consider replacing the dryer vent with a flexible or rigid metal as the materials aren’t prone to collapsing.
3. The Vent Hose Might Be the Wrong Size
While you might be using the right vent type, you could still get it wrong if it’s not the correct size. According to Maytag, the dryer’s vents’ diameter should be at least 4-inches and shouldn’t be too long.
What’s more, it should have less than four 90-degree bends to encourage better airflow. More 90-degree bends will limit airflow, preventing the dryer from heating and drying. The same goes for a vent that’s narrower than 4-inches.
Fix
Replace your dryer vent if it is narrower than 4-inches and has five or more 90-degree bends. Consider an option at least 4-inches diameter-wise and with less than four 90-degree turns.
4. Your Maytag Bravos Dryer Heating Element Might Be Defective
The heating element generally warms the incoming air, allowing your dryer to heat up and dry clothes. So, your Maytag Bravos dryer won’t heat or dry if it’s faulty.
Overall, the heating element fails from wearing out or burning.
Fix
Use a multimeter or multitester to test the heating element’s continuity level. If the heating element doesn’t show continuity, it’s not working. In that case, replace it.
5. Possible Power or Gas Failure
Power Failure (For Electric Dryers)
If you have an electric Maytag dryer, then consider that the reason your dryer won’t heat or dry clothes is a power failure. That brings us to these possibilities:
- Loose power cord – If the dryer’s power cord is loose, there won’t be enough power going to the heating element to heat it.
- Tripped breaker – A tripped breaker prevents the dryer from running further to protect it from overheating.
- Blown thermal fuse – A blown thermal fuse also stops the dryer from completing the cycle.
Fix
Plug in the dryer properly and reset any tripped breaker. If the thermal fuse is heat-blown, replace it.
Gas Failure (For Gas dryer)
Now, if you have a gas-only dryer, consider the possibility of the gas failing to reach the burner. If that’s the case, the dryer won’t heat up or dry. Here are the issues that could interfere with your dryer’s gas supply:
- Disconnected gas supply – If you accidentally turn off the gas supply or disconnect it, the dryer won’t heat or dry.
- Defective gas solenoid – Gas won’t get to the burner if the gas solenoid valve is faulty. This valve has to open for gas to get to the burner and allow the burner to heat up.
Fix
Ensure you connect the gas supply to your dryer. Using a multimeter, test the solenoid’s continuity. If it shows none, replace it.
6. The Laundry Could Be Oversaturated with Water (Too Wet)
If your clothes are too wet, your dryer will take longer to dry them. So, you may assume that the dryer won’t dry at all. But sometimes, the dryer may fail to dry due to oversaturated laundry.
Fix
Adjust your washer’s settings to ensure it spins dry your clothes. Check for possible malfunction if your Maytag washer won’t spin clothes dry.
7. The Wet Laundry Could Be Excess
Your Maytag Bravos dryer may also fail to dry if you spin a lot of wet clothes at once, or the cycle could take longer. Maytag recommends loading the dryer not more than ¾ full to avoid the issue.
Fix
Reduce the excessive wet laundry to avoid overloading. Keep the loading size under ¾ full.
Maytag Bravos Dryer Takes a Long Time to Dry
Sometimes the dryer may dry but takes longer than usual. If that’s the case with your Maytag Bravos, it could be due to any of these reasons:
- Faulty blower wheel – The blower wheel helps the motor to drive air into the drum. If it’s defective, air might take longer to get to the dryer, which will delay heating up and drying. You’ll need to replace it.
- Partially clogged lint screen – If the lint screen is partially blocked, the dryer will take much longer to dry as it reduces airflow. You can, however, fix it by cleaning it.
- Partially blocked vent – If the dryer vent is twisted or partially clogged, only a tiny amount of air will get to the heating element. So, the dryer will take much longer to heat. You’ll need to unblock the vent.
- Oversaturated or excess laundry – Your Bravos dryer may take longer to dry the clothes if they are too wet or excessive (more than ¾ full). You’ll need to spin-dry them first and avoid loading them more than ¾ full.
- A faulty heating element or thermistor – Lastly, a dysfunctional heating element or thermistor can delay the drying process. The former, however, can cause the dryer not to heat and need a replacement.
Maytag Bravos Dryer Not Drying All the Way (Clothes Still Wet)
Generally, a Maytag Bravos dryer will stop heating once it reaches a certain preset moisture level. In such a case, some clothes, especially bulky ones, remain wet.
That happens when you opt for auto or timed drying or auto-sensing settings. To fix that, you’ll need to change the dryer settings.
Maytag Dryer Not Drying in One Cycle
Ordinarily, you expect a Maytag Bravos dryer to dry clothes in one cycle. Sometimes, however, you may have to repeat the cycle, which is both time and energy-consuming.
Here are the possible explanations:
- Clothes are too wet – If your clothes are too wet, it may take more than one cycle to dry them. That’s unless you spin and dry them beforehand.
- Laundry overload – Your laundry may need more than one cycle if it’s excess. The fix, however, is to reduce its size.
- Poor airflow – The dryer will take more than one spin cycle to dry if the vent or lint screen is dirt-clogged.
People Also Ask
1. Why Is My Maytag Bravos Dryer Not Getting Hot?
The most likely explanation for your Maytag Bravos dryer not heating is a power failure. It could be due to a tripped breaker, faulty or loose power cord, blown thermal fuse, or a non-heating element.
2. Why Is My Maytag Dryer Not Drying Clothes?
Your Maytag dryer is not drying clothes because of a clogged lint screen or vent dryer, faulty heating element, power or gas failure, wrong vent size, or bulk wet laundry.
3. How Do You Clean a Maytag Bravos Dryer Vent?
You can clean a Maytag Bravos dryer vent using a vent dryer cleaning kit which you can buy. Here’s a tutorial by Maytag on how to efficiently and effectively clean the dryer vent.
Closing Remarks On Maytag Bravos Dryer Not Drying
Generally, the reasons for your Maytag Bravos dryer not drying are almost similar to those of a non-heating dryer. Thus, consider the possibility of a clogged filter, blocked or wrong size dryer vent, defective heating element, power or gas failure, or oversaturated or large wet load.