Model #LGR4634EQ3 WHIRLPOOL residential dryer

Thank you for your question and I understand your concern.

I assume you are watching the igniter and burner operation through the little inspection hole located below the dryer door. It's not going to be a faulty radiant sensor. If the radiant sensor was to fail open, the igniter would not come on and if was to fail in closed position, the igniter would not shut off not would the gas valve open.

Based on your symptom, it could have weak high limit thermostat which is mounted on the side of the burner box where it channels the heat into the drum. There is also one other component called the operating thermostat which is mounted on the blower wheel housing which could be weak and opening and breaking the circuit to gas valve.

If you have restricted vent system, the high limit will open and break the circuit and shut the burner off. Once it cools and resets, it will complete the circuit again.

For testing purposes only; disconnect the vent hose from the back of the dryer and then place some wet/damp clothes in the dryer and see how long the burner stays on.  Make sure the vent hose is not becoming pinched when the dryer is slid back up against the wall.

You may need to replace the high limit thermostat and the operating thermostat if the burner continues to shut off before reaching the operating temperature. On high heat setting, the exhaust temperature should average around 140-150 degrees.

I hope this is helpful. If I may be of further assistance as more details become available, please reply to this post.

Hi Gary,

Thank you for submitting a question to Manage My Life.

There are several things that can cause a gas dryer not to heat. Here are some troubleshooting tips:

Make sure that the gas shut-off valve is fully open and that the dryer has an adequate gas supply provided to it (simple step that should not be overlooked).

Pull the observation plug on the lower left side of the front panel underneath the dryer door so that you can observe the gas valve assembly when the dryer is running in a heated cycle.

Start a heated cycle and see if the igniter is glowing on the gas valve assembly. The wiring diagram for your dryer with the heating circuit traced in red is shown in the first image below. The second image provides an explanation of the gas valve assembly operation. If the igniter is not glowing, then the most likely failure is a blown thermal fuse. I recommend that you unplug the dryer, shut off the gas supply and remove the back panel. The third image shows the locations of components in the back of the dryer. You can check the thermal fuse for continuity with a volt/ohm meter. (If you don't have a volt/ohm meter, you can buy one at your local Sears or hardware store for less than $20.) Remove one wire from the thermal fuse and measure the resistance through this component. You should measure near zero ohms of resistance (continuity). If the fuse is "open" (measures Ol -- open load or infinite resistance) then it is blown and will need to be replaced. If the thermal fuse is blown, you will also need to check the exhaust vent duct system for a clog or restriction. An unresolved problem with exhaust air flow can cause the fuse to blow shortly after it is replaced. You can verify that this is the only failure that is preventing the dryer from heating by taping the blue wires that go to the thermal fuse together with electrical tape to "bypass" the fuse. Reassemble the dryer, plug it in and turn on the gas supply. If the dryer heats with this fuse bypassed, then replacing the fuse will fix your dryer problem. NOTE: Do not continue to run the dryer with this fuse bypassed. It is an important safety component that must be replaced to safely run the dryer.

If the thermal fuse is okay, you can check the operating thermostat, high limit thermostat and the thermal cut-off fuse in the same manner as above. The thermal cut-off fuse is on the heater box above the high limit thermostat.

NOTE: IF the thermal cut-off fuse is blown then this component and the high limit thermostat should both be replaced at the same time since the high limit thermostat should have opened to prevent the thermal cut-off fuse from blowing.

If all of these components are okay, you could have a failed radiant sensor (flame sensor), a bad igniter or a wiring failure in the heating circuit. A failed timer contact (timer switch 2) could also prevent the dryer from heating.

If the igniter is glowing and then shutting off to initiate the ignition process then you likely have failed gas valve coils. There is a kit (part 279834) that provides both coils (for a lower price than purchasing them separately).

These tips should help you diagnose and repair the heating problem in your dryer.

If you do not feel confident repairing this problem yourself, then you can have it repaired at your home by a Sears technician. Here is a link for the website: Sears Home Services .

Here is a link that you may use to view the parts list diagram or to purchase any parts needed; Sears Parts Direct .

I hope this is helpful. Check the things I have covered here, and if I may be of further assistance, include more details in a reply to this post.

Landell

Hi Gary, You are welcome. Glad I could help. Please keep Manage My Life in mind for all of your do-it-yourself projects. Landell