Hoover tumble dryer not heating: causes & fix

What is actually happening

On a conventional dryer this is usually a failed element or a tripped thermal cut-out, and the cut-out normally trips because airflow was restricted — so replacing the part without clearing the fluff simply repeats the fault. On a heat pump dryer there is no element at all, and a dryer that runs a full cycle without heat and reports nothing is a different diagnosis entirely.

The Hoover fault codes that point at this

A Hoover tumble dryer will usually tell you what it thinks is wrong before anyone opens it up. These are the codes we hold for this make that relate to not heating:

E05 — The dryer has lost a sensible reading from the temperature sensor at the front of the drum, so it has stopped the drying cycle rather than run blind.
E06 — The dryer's main circuit board has failed its own internal memory check, so it has shut the cycle down rather than run blind.
E08 — The dryer has overheated and a one-shot safety fuse on the heater has blown, so it won't heat or run properly until that fuse is replaced.
E09 — The dryer has spotted a problem with its thermal cut-out — the safety device that kills the heater if the machine gets too hot — and has stopped rather than carry on heating.
E10 — The dryer has stopped because it isn't sensing a normal load of damp washing heating up as it should — on some Hoover models the same code means the display and main control board have stopped talking to each other.
E11 — The dryer has detected that it's getting too hot at the back of the condenser and has stopped the cycle to protect itself.
E13 — The dryer has lost a sensible reading from one of its temperature sensors, so it has stopped rather than carry on drying blind.
E14 — The dryer has lost a sensible reading from the temperature sensor at the back of the drum, so it has shut the drying cycle down.

If yours is showing one of those, that is a much shorter conversation than a general fault — tell us the code when you book and the engineer can often carry the part.

The usual causes on a Hoover tumble dryer

A failed heating element
A tripped thermal cut-out, usually caused by blocked airflow
A blocked lint filter, condenser or vent hose restricting air
On heat pump models, a refrigerant or compressor fault rather than an element
A failed thermostat or sensor

What you can safely check yourself

Clean the lint filter, and on a condenser model pull out and rinse the condenser block
Check the vent hose is not crushed, kinked or full of fluff
Note whether it is a heat pump model — the diagnosis and the cost are quite different

Still not heating?

Most of these need an engineer once the checks above are done. £66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.

Our engineers work on Hoover machines week in, week out, so they arrive knowing the machine rather than reading the back of it. Local engineers across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

Call 0115 648 0929 Book online — postcode and number is all we need

Common questions

Why is my Hoover tumble dryer not heating?

The drum turns and the cycle runs, but the clothes come out cold and damp. On a conventional dryer this is usually a failed element or a tripped thermal cut-out, and the cut-out normally trips because airflow was restricted — so replacing the part without clearing the fluff simply repeats the fault. On a heat pump dryer there is no element at all, and a dryer that runs a full cycle without heat and reports nothing is a different diagnosis entirely.

Can I fix a Hoover tumble dryer not heating myself?

Clean the lint filter, and on a condenser model pull out and rinse the condenser block. Check the vent hose is not crushed, kinked or full of fluff. Note whether it is a heat pump model — the diagnosis and the cost are quite different. Beyond those checks this one normally needs an engineer.

What Hoover error codes mean not heating?

Hoover tumble dryers report this through their own fault codes. The ones that point at not heating are E05, E06, E08, E09, E10, E11. If your machine is showing one of those, that narrows it down considerably — each has its own guide on this site.

How much does a Hoover tumble dryer repair cost?

£66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.

Other Hoover tumble dryer faults

Repairs we cover near you

Written by the engineers at ASAP Repairs from our own repair notes. See also our general guide to tumble dryers not heating and our Hoover repairs page.

Hoover tumble dryer not heating