Zanussi 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 Zanussi fault codes that point at this

A Zanussi 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:

E51 — The dryer has shut the cycle down because the switch on the control board that feeds power to the drum motor has failed short-circuit — in effect it can no longer control the motor.
E52 — The dryer's motor has got too hot and its built-in safety cut-out has tripped, so the machine has pulled power from the heater and stopped the drum reversing.
E62 — The dryer has lost proper control of the power supply to its heater, so it has shut the heat off and is running a cooling cycle instead of drying.
E63 — A safety thermostat on the heating unit has tripped because that part of the dryer got too hot, so the machine has cut power to the heater.
E64 — The dryer has flagged a problem with the thermostat that protects the heater, so it won't heat properly until that's sorted.
E65 — The dryer has lost control of the fan that pushes air through the drum, so it has shut the cycle down rather than heat clothes with no airflow.
E66 — The fan that blows air through the drum has got too hot and its built-in overheat protection has cut in, so the dryer has stopped.
E67 — The dryer's control board has lost proper control of the switch that drives the fan motor, so it has shut the cycle down rather than run the heater with no reliable airflow.

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 Zanussi 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 Zanussi 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 Zanussi 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 Zanussi 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 Zanussi error codes mean not heating?

Zanussi tumble dryers report this through their own fault codes. The ones that point at not heating are E51, E52, E62, E63, E64, E65. 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 Zanussi 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 Zanussi 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 Zanussi repairs page.

Zanussi tumble dryer not heating