You start the gas dryer, peek through the small burner window near the bottom, and see the igniter glowing bright orange. Then it keeps glowing, and nothing lights. Or a flame catches for a few seconds, goes out, and the clothes come out cold at the end of the cycle. This is one of the most common gas dryer faults we repair in Calgary.
In most cases the igniter is doing its job perfectly. The trouble is in the step that is supposed to follow the glow: the gas valve opening and the burner lighting. Here is how that sequence works, what usually breaks it, and what you can safely check yourself.
Smell gas? Stop here first
If you smell gas near the dryer or anywhere in the house, do not troubleshoot anything. Do not flip light switches, unplug appliances or use your phone indoors, because any of those can make a spark. Leave the house, then call ATCO Gas emergency at 1-800-511-3447 from outside. Everything below assumes there is no gas smell at all.
How a gas dryer lights its burner
When the dryer calls for heat, power goes to the igniter, a small ceramic part that heats until it glows. Next to the burner sits a flame sensor, sometimes called a radiant sensor. It watches the igniter, and once it detects enough heat it switches power over to the gas valve coils.
The coils are small electromagnets that open the gas valve. Gas flows into the burner tube, the hot igniter lights it, and the igniter switches off while the flame carries on. When the dryer reaches temperature, the thermostat shuts the gas off, and the whole sequence repeats when it cools down again.
So if the igniter glows but no flame appears, the first half of the sequence worked. Something in the second half did not.
What stops the flame from lighting
Weak or failed gas valve coils
This is the classic cause. Most home gas dryers use two or three solenoid coils on the valve. As they age, they can still work when cold but stop holding the valve open once they warm up. That is why the problem often starts slowly.
- The dryer heats fine for the first part of a cycle, then the clothes come out cool on longer loads.
- The igniter glows, switches off, no flame appears, and a minute later the igniter glows again.
- The problem gets worse over a few weeks instead of appearing all at once.
Coils are normally replaced as a set. Because they are part of the gas valve, the work has to be done and leak-checked by a qualified technician. It is not a DIY repair.
Faulty flame sensor
If the flame sensor never opens when the igniter is hot, the valve never gets power and the igniter glows for a long time with no flame. If it opens too early or behaves erratically, the igniter can switch off before the gas has a chance to light. Either way, the dryer tumbles with little or no heat.
No gas reaching the dryer
Sometimes the dryer is fine and the gas simply is not getting there. The shutoff valve may have been bumped when the dryer was moved, or the flexible connector may be kinked behind the machine. On LG gas dryers, the gAS code means the dryer is not receiving gas, and a d80 code on an LG gas model can also mean no gas rather than only a blocked vent. Check the LG code list for details.
Restricted airflow
A clogged vent can make the burner shut down on its safety controls, which looks a lot like an ignition fault. If the dryer gets hot and then quits, the thermal fuse or high-limit thermostat may be involved too. Those safety parts cut power to the burner circuit, and a dryer that keeps tripping them is warning you about the vent, not about the burner.
When the igniter really is the problem
A failing igniter behaves differently. It may glow dimly instead of bright orange, take much longer to heat up, or not glow at all. Igniters are brittle, and a hairline crack can stop one working without any visible damage. A technician confirms it by measuring its resistance, and replaces it if it reads out of range. If yours glows brightly and normally, though, the igniter is almost never the cause.
Symptom guide for gas dryers
| What you see | Likely cause | Who fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Igniter glows, never lights | Gas valve coils or flame sensor | Technician |
| Flame lights, drops out after a while | Weak gas valve coils | Technician |
| Igniter never glows | Igniter, fuse or thermostat | Technician |
| LG shows gAS | Gas supply closed or line kinked | Check line, then call |
| Hot, then cold, slow drying | Restricted vent | DIY clean or vent service |
Other brands report heating problems in their own way. Frigidaire's E5B, for example, means the temperature is not rising. You can look up any code on our error code lookup.
Safe checks before you call
Unplug the power cord before you look behind the machine or reach inside the drum. Do not remove the burner cover, handle the gas valve or loosen any gas fittings.
- Make sure your furnace, water heater or stove still works, so you know gas is reaching the house.
- Look behind the dryer without pulling hard on it. The flexible gas connector should not be kinked or crushed. If the shutoff handle looks turned, or you are unsure, leave it alone and mention it to the technician.
- Clean the lint screen and confirm strong airflow at the outside vent hood.
- Check that the cycle is not set to air fluff or a no-heat setting by mistake.
- Watch the burner window and note what happens: glow only, a short flame, or a flame that drops out later. That detail speeds up the diagnosis.
If you are not sure the problem is on the gas side at all, start with what to check first when a dryer runs but will not heat.
Gas vs electric: why it matters
Electric dryers have their own heating faults, covered in signs of a failed heating element. Gas dryers add the igniter, flame sensor, coils and valve, and any work on the gas side must be done by a licensed technician who tests for leaks before leaving. That is why we treat gas dryer repair as its own service, with the right parts and test equipment on the truck.
When to call a technician
If the igniter glows with no flame, or the flame lights and then drops out, the dryer needs proper testing of the sensor, coils and valve. Keep using it only if you are comfortable drying on air fluff in the meantime, and never try to force the valve open.
On a typical visit we watch the ignition sequence, test the flame sensor, measure the resistance of each valve coil, and check the vent and thermal controls. Once the faulty part is replaced, we run the dryer through several heating cycles and test the gas connections for leaks before we leave, so you know the repair is safe as well as working.
Fast Appliance Repair offers same-day gas dryer service in Calgary, Okotoks, Chestermere and nearby towns. Call (587) 779-6919. You get a flat diagnostic fee, a full quote before any work, and coverage under our 90-day parts and labour warranty on every gas valve, coil and sensor repair.