Dryer repair in Fort Worth, by a licensed, vetted technician.
A dryer that won't dry isn't an inconvenience — it's a fire risk that gets more expensive the longer it runs. Electric or gas, stacked or pedestal-mounted, Veltrix diagnoses and repairs residential dryers in Southwest Fort Worth and nearby areas. The technician on your call is Texas TDLR-licensed and arrives in the appointment window with a pre-arrival photo so you know exactly who's at the door. The diagnostic is $99, credited in full to the repair if you authorize it the same visit.
Most dryer failures fall into a small number of patterns.
Dryers are simpler machines than washers in some ways and more dangerous in others. The mechanics are straightforward — heat source, drum, blower, vent — but the failure modes carry a fire risk that washers don't. A clogged vent line trapping lint near a heating element is one of the most-cited residential dryer-fire causes, and it's also one of the symptoms most easily mistaken for a "dryer that just isn't drying as well as it used to." After enough service calls, almost every dryer failure resolves to one of about ten patterns — laid out below with what each one looks like from your side and what we typically find when we open the unit up.
Veltrix services electric and gas residential dryers across the brands listed on our brand-coverage section — Amana, Electrolux, Frigidaire, GE, GE Profile, Haier, Kenmore, KitchenAid, LG, Maytag, Samsung, and Whirlpool are our primary coverage; Bosch, Café, and Hotpoint are serviced when parts and service literature are available; Sub-Zero, Wolf, Miele, Thermador, Viking, and Dacor we direct to their factory-authorized service networks.
The technician on your call holds the Texas TDLR Residential Appliance Installer license (#677941), the technician-level credential the state of Texas requires for paid appliance repair work. The company holds the matching TDLR Contractor license (TICL #1496). Most one-truck appliance shops in Texas hold neither. Full credential documentation here.
Honest about what it costs to find out what's wrong.
Veltrix charges a flat $99 diagnostic fee for the in-home diagnostic visit. The diagnostic covers our travel, our examination of the appliance, our identification of the problem, and a written quote for the repair.
Paid on arrival, before the technician begins work. If you choose to proceed with the recommended repair on the same visit, the $99 is credited in full toward the repair total. If you decline the repair, the $99 covers the diagnostic work performed and is non-refundable.
We don't publish specific repair price ranges on this page, and we're upfront about why. Dryer repairs vary too widely to be useful as a range — replacing a heating element on a 2017 Whirlpool electric dryer and replacing a gas valve assembly on a 2021 LG gas dryer are two different jobs at two different prices, even though both can produce symptoms a customer would describe identically as "won't heat." Numbers wide enough to cover both fail to help you budget, and numbers narrow enough to mean something exclude the jobs that fall outside them. We'd rather give you a real written quote based on the actual diagnosis than hand you a wide range that doesn't end up matching anyway.
What you'll see on the quote
After the diagnostic, you'll receive a written quote covering the cost of parts, labor, any applicable taxes, and a brief description of the work. Pricing is informed by the Original Appliance Blue Book — an industry pricing standard most reputable shops use — rather than hourly billing. Flat-rate pricing means the time the job takes is our problem to solve, not yours.
When parts are on the truck, the repair is typically completed on the same visit, and the balance — the quote total minus the $99 diagnostic credit — is due on completion.
When parts need to be ordered, 50% of the approved quote is due as a parts deposit before the parts are ordered, with the remaining balance (less the $99 credit) due when the repair is completed. We are explicit about this up front so there are no surprises at the door. The full payment-and-cancellation policy is in our Terms of Service.
Is it worth repairing? The same three tests apply.
We use a three-test framework — the 50% rule, the age test, and the history test — to make the repair-or-replace call honestly, even when the honest answer costs us the job. The framework applies to dryers the same way it applies to refrigerators.
Rather than rewrite the framework here, we wrote it once, in depth, on the page where it first showed up. Read the framework on the Refrigerator Repair page. The math is the same. The substitutions for dryers are: residential dryer lifespan runs 10 to 13 years on average (gas dryers tend to outlast electric ones modestly, mostly because they cycle the heating element less aggressively); replacement cost on a like-for-like dryer runs roughly $500 to $1,200 for most homes; the 50% threshold and the prior-repair history test apply unchanged.
What it usually looks like, and what we usually find.
A walk through the most common dryer failures we service. Each one describes the symptom from your side, the most common causes we identify, and how the diagnostic typically goes. Your specific unit may not match the typical picture; the diagnostic confirms what's actually happening before any repair is authorized.
01 Not heating — drum tumbles but the air stays cold
The most common dryer call. The unit runs, the drum turns, the cycle counts down, and the laundry comes out as wet as it went in.
On electric dryers, the usual suspects are a burned-out heating element (the most common cause by a wide margin), a failed high-limit thermostat, a failed thermal cut-off fuse (often blown by a vent restriction — see #10), a failed cycling thermostat, or — on rare occasions — only one of the two 120V legs from the breaker is reaching the unit, which is enough to run the motor but not enough to power the heating element. That last one is a breaker or outlet problem, not a dryer problem, and we'll tell you when the diagnostic points there.
On gas dryers, the usual suspects are a failed igniter, a failed flame sensor, a stuck or failed gas valve coil, a failed thermal fuse, or — at the simple end — a closed gas shutoff valve behind the unit that someone forgot to reopen after a previous repair.
02 Runs but takes far too long to dry
The dryer heats, the drum turns, the cycle finishes — but a load that used to take 50 minutes now takes two cycles, or the clothes come out warm and still damp.
This is the symptom most often misread as "the dryer is just getting old," when the real cause is almost always airflow, not heat. The dryer needs to push hot, moist air out of the drum and replace it with dry air; if the path is restricted, the load stays wet no matter how long it runs. The most common causes are a clogged lint screen (the obvious first check), a clogged lint trap housing (less obvious — lint slips past a worn or torn screen and accumulates inside the cabinet), a partially blocked vent line (covered in detail in #10), a failed blower wheel or a blower wheel slipping on its shaft, or — less commonly — a weakened heating element running at reduced wattage.
A useful field test: pull the vent off the back of the dryer and run a cycle. If drying time returns to normal with the vent disconnected, the problem is in the vent line, not in the dryer. If it still runs slow with the vent off, the problem is internal.
03 Drum won't tumble — motor hums but nothing turns
You hear the motor, but the drum sits still. Or the drum turns when spun by hand but stops when you let go.
The most common cause by a wide margin is a broken drive belt — a thin belt that wraps around the drum and a motor pulley, and that snaps or stretches with age. Other causes are a seized drum roller or idler pulley (the belt is intact but the roller it rides on is locked up), a failed motor, a failed drum bearing, or — on some models — a broken drive belt tensioner spring that lets the belt slip off entirely.
A snapped belt is one of the more affordable dryer repairs and is usually a same-visit fix when the part is on the truck. While the back panel is open for a belt replacement, we typically inspect the rollers and idler pulley as well, since they fail in sequence with the belt and replacing all three at once costs less in total than coming back for each one separately.
04 Won't start or won't power on
The unit shows no signs of life, or it powers on but won't begin a cycle when you press start.
Causes in roughly this order of likelihood: a tripped breaker (electric dryers are on dedicated 240V circuits and a tripped breaker can read as "totally dead" rather than "partially working"), a failed door switch (the dryer thinks the door is open and won't run), a blown thermal fuse (a one-time safety fuse that blows when internal temps spike — often blown by vent restriction, see #10), a failed start switch or push-button, a failed control board, or — on gas dryers with electric ignition — a failed power cord or wall outlet on the 120V side.
Worth checking before calling: the breaker (it's a double-pole breaker, and a half-trip can look fully on at a glance), the door (it has to fully click), and any reset button on a wall outlet if the dryer is plugged into a GFCI.
05 Won't stop, or cycles forever without finishing
The opposite of #04. The dryer starts fine but the cycle never seems to end, or it runs for an hour past the time it was supposed to finish.
On modern moisture-sensing dryers, the most common cause is a failed moisture sensor or a moisture sensor coated in fabric softener residue. The sensor is a pair of metal strips inside the drum near the lint screen; if it can't read the laundry as dry, the cycle keeps running. Other causes are a failed cycling thermostat, a failed control board miscounting time, or — on older mechanical-timer dryers — a failed timer motor that's stopped advancing the cycle.
Sensor cleaning (a quick wipe with rubbing alcohol on the metal strips) is sometimes the entire fix. If a customer asks, we'll show how to do this on the diagnostic visit so it doesn't become a recurring service call.
06 Door won't latch, or pops open mid-cycle
A dryer that won't latch won't run. A dryer that latches but pops open mid-cycle stops the load wherever it is, sometimes repeatedly.
Causes: a worn door catch (the small spring-loaded plastic mechanism on the door frame), a worn door strike (the matching piece on the door itself), a misaligned door from worn hinges, a failed door switch (the switch reads "door open" even when it's closed), or — on stacked or pedestal-mounted units — a shifted cabinet from the unit moving slightly during operation, throwing the door geometry off.
Door catch and strike replacements are usually a same-visit repair when parts are on the truck. They're inexpensive parts and a frequent cause; we typically carry the common ones for the brands we service.
07 Error codes on the display
Modern dryers communicate failures through error codes. Each manufacturer uses its own code system: Whirlpool and Maytag use F-codes (F01, F22, etc.), LG uses two-character codes (tE, dE, F1), Samsung uses three-character codes (tS, hE, dC), GE uses numbered codes.
A code points to a system, not always to a specific failed part — a "tE" on an LG ("thermistor error") could be the thermistor itself, the wiring to it, or the control board reading it. Veltrix has the technical service manuals and code references for the brands we service. The diagnostic visit doesn't just read the code — we run the failure mode, confirm the actual failed component, and give you a real repair plan instead of a parts-cannon guess.
If you have the code, mention it when booking. It speeds the visit.
08 Bad smells — burning, gas, or mildew
Three different smells, three different responses.
Burning smell during operation: stop the cycle, unplug the dryer (or shut off the gas at the valve behind the unit on a gas dryer), and call. The most common cause is lint that has accumulated inside the cabinet, on the heating element, or in the blower housing — and lint near a heat source is the documented mechanism behind most residential dryer fires. Other causes are a slipping drive belt burning against the drum or pulley, a failing motor, or an electrical short in the wiring harness or control board. None of these are "wait and see" symptoms; the fastest path to a real diagnosis is a service call.
Gas smell near a gas dryer: stop using the dryer, shut off the gas valve behind the unit, ventilate the space, and — if the smell is strong or persistent — leave the home and call your gas utility's emergency line before calling us. Gas leak diagnosis is outside the scope of an appliance call; we'll work on the dryer once the gas side is confirmed safe.
Mildew or musty smell: usually a sign that wet laundry sat in the drum too long, or that moisture is being trapped in the cabinet by a vent restriction (see #10). The fix is sometimes as simple as a deep clean and a vent inspection. If the smell is coming from inside the cabinet rather than the drum itself, lint accumulation soaked with humidity is the usual culprit.
09 Loud noises — squealing, thumping, or grinding
What kind of noise narrows the cause significantly.
High-pitched squeal, especially at startup or under load: worn drum rollers, a worn idler pulley, or — on some models — a worn drum glide (a felt or plastic strip the front of the drum rides on). Drum rollers and idlers are wear parts; they're meant to be replaced periodically, and squealing is the symptom that says it's time.
Rhythmic thumping, like a drumbeat, that matches the speed of the drum: a flat spot on a drum roller, a worn drum bearing or rear drum support, a damaged drum baffle (the molded plastic ridges inside the drum), or — sometimes — a foreign object (a coin, a button, a piece of a previous broken part) loose between the drum and the cabinet.
Grinding or scraping: usually a worn drum bearing letting the drum sag and rub against the cabinet, a seized drum roller being dragged across its shaft, or a broken drum support. Grinding tends to escalate fast; the longer it runs, the more parts get damaged.
10 Vent line restriction — the dryer-specific safety call
This one gets its own number because it's the dryer failure mode that's most often missed and most often serious. A clogged or restricted vent line is one of the documented leading causes of residential dryer fires, and the warning signs almost always show up at the dryer first.
What to watch for: the dryer takes far longer than it used to (covered in #02 — vent restriction is the most common cause), the dryer cabinet feels unusually hot to the touch during operation, the laundry-room air is humid or warm by the end of a cycle, the outside vent flap doesn't open or barely opens when the dryer is running, the dryer trips its thermal fuse repeatedly, or — most concerning — there's a faint scorched smell with no other obvious source.
Where the restriction usually is: the lint screen itself (the easy check), the lint trap housing inside the cabinet (lint that slipped past a torn screen builds up here), the flexible transition hose from the dryer to the wall (especially if it's been kinked or crushed against the wall by pushing the dryer back), the vent line itself in the wall and ceiling (this is where most accumulation happens on long runs), the outside vent hood (especially if a pest or bird has built a nest in it), and on rare occasions the booster fan on long vent runs.
What we do on the diagnostic: we work through the path from inside the cabinet outward — checking the lint trap housing, the transition hose, and the airflow at the vent termination — and we tell you honestly what we found and what it will take to clear it. Long vent runs through walls and ceilings sometimes need a dedicated vent-cleaning specialist with the right brush-and-vacuum equipment to reach safely; if that's the right answer for your setup, we'll say so rather than charge for a job better done by someone with the right tools.
The honest take: dryer vent restriction is the single highest-leverage maintenance item on a dryer. Most of the symptoms on this page — slow drying, overheating, thermal-fuse failures, burning smells, even some "won't heat" calls — trace back to a vent that hasn't been cleaned in years. If your dryer is more than a few years old and you can't remember the last time the full vent line (not just the lint screen) was cleaned, it's worth knowing.
How a Veltrix dryer service call goes.
We try to make the visit predictable so you know what to expect from the first call to the final invoice.
Booking
Service calls are booked by phone or text at (682) 204-7314, or by email at [email protected]. We'll ask for the appliance brand and model number (a photo of the model-number plate is helpful), a clear description of what's happening, your address, and any access notes (gate codes, parking, pets).
Confirmation and pre-arrival
You'll receive a day-of confirmation. When the technician is en route to your address, we send a photograph of the technician to your phone so you know exactly who to expect at the door. This is part of standard practice on every call.
The diagnostic
On arrival, the $99 diagnostic fee is collected before the technician begins work. The diagnostic itself usually takes 30-45 minutes for a dryer. You'll get a written quote covering the failure identified, the recommended repair, the cost of parts and labor, and any timing considerations (e.g. if parts need to be ordered).
The repair
If you authorize the repair and the parts are on the truck, the work usually proceeds the same visit. The repair total minus the $99 diagnostic credit is due on completion. If parts need to be ordered, the 50% deposit is due before parts are ordered, with the balance (less the $99 credit) due when the repair is completed on the return visit.
The warranty
Parts installed by Veltrix carry a 1-year warranty from the date of repair. If a part we installed fails within the warranty window under normal residential use, we replace it at no charge — and there's no second diagnostic fee on a warranty visit. The full warranty terms are in our Terms of Service.
Texas-licensed at both levels.
Texas requires two TDLR licenses to operate at the contractor level on residential appliances: one for the company, and one for the individual technician. Most one-truck appliance shops in Texas hold one of these. Many hold neither. Veltrix holds both — the TDLR Contractor License (TICL #1496) and the TDLR Residential Appliance Installer License (#677941) held by Louis personally, the technician on every call. Combined with the rest of the regulated credential stack, this is what you're hiring when you book a Veltrix call. Full credential documentation is here.
Ready to get your dryer looked at?
Call or text and we'll get you on the calendar. $99 diagnostic, credited to repair if you authorize the work the same visit. We'll tell you what's wrong, what the fix costs, and whether it's worth doing.