Gas Dryer Ignitor and Coil Kit Replacement

Why this matters

The number-one cause of a gas dryer that "tumbles but won't heat" is a failed silicon-carbide glow-bar ignitor. Number two is a stuck open or stuck closed gas-valve coil pair. Number three is a thermal fuse or hi-limit thermostat that has tripped on a downstream airflow problem (lint blockage in the vent). The first two are 15-minute parts swaps; the third is the more expensive lesson the customer learns when they ignore vent cleaning. A confident gas-dryer tech checks ignition in the order a flame actually needs (call for heat, ignitor glows, coils open valve, gas ignites, flame-sense holds the call) and only replaces what is actually failed. This guide covers the ignitor and gas-valve coil kit replacement on the most common North American gas dryers (Whirlpool, Maytag, Kenmore, GE, Samsung, LG) and the diagnostic checks that stop a guess-and-swap callback.

How the ignition sequence works

A modern residential gas dryer uses a silicon-carbide glow-bar ignitor (Norton 271N or equivalent), not a spark electrode. On a heat call:

1. The control board energizes the ignitor circuit through the cycling thermostat and high-limit safety chain
2. The glow bar heats to 2200 to 2500 F over 30 to 90 seconds depending on age and resistance
3. Once the bar reaches operating temperature, the resistance climbs and current drop allows the gas-valve coils to energize
4. The valve coils (booster and safety, in series) open the gas valve
5. Gas crosses the glow bar and ignites
6. The flame-sensor thermostat on the burner sees the rising temperature and signals the control board to drop the ignitor; the valve coils stay energized for the duration of the heat call
7. When the drum reaches cycling-thermostat setpoint, the coils drop, gas stops, flame extinguishes
8. On the next call, the ignitor cycles again

Failure mode by symptom

• No glow at all on a heat call: open ignitor, open thermal fuse, open hi-limit, failed control board, broken wire in the burner harness
• Glows then stops, no flame: failed coil kit. The ignitor reaches temperature but the coils cannot open the valve. Often one coil is open and the other intact.
• Glows, flame ignites, drops out immediately: flame sensor failed, coil holding current insufficient, gas pressure dropping out
• Heats once, never again in the cycle: cycling thermostat stuck open, thermal fuse on its way to failure, vent blocked and hi-limit cycling
• Heats but smells of gas at startup: failed coil leaking gas before ignitor reaches temperature; immediate stop, do not run

Tools and materials

• Replacement ignitor (Norton 271N or OEM equivalent; on Samsung and LG, verify the OEM part number against the dryer model)
• Replacement coil kit (Whirlpool 279834 covers the dominant Whirlpool/Maytag/Kenmore platform; specific OEM part for GE, Samsung, LG)
• Replacement thermal fuse and high-limit thermostat (cheap, replace as a kit because the failure cause often takes them with it)
• 1/4-inch and 5/16-inch nut drivers
• Phillips and slotted screwdrivers
• Needle-nose pliers
• Digital multimeter
• Vacuum cleaner with brush attachment for lint cleanup
• Soap-bubble leak-test solution for gas-line verification after reassembly
• Work light

Safety

• Unplug the dryer at the wall, not just the start button. Some control boards keep the gas valve safety circuit energized at standby.
• Close the gas supply valve at the dryer connection before any work on the gas train.
• Verify zero gas pressure at the burner before disassembly: turn off supply, fire the dryer once briefly to consume any remaining line gas (do this with the supply confirmed off), and let any residual bleed at the connection.
• Wear a mask and eye protection during the lint cleanup. Years of accumulated dryer lint is fibrous, irritating, and contains laundry chemical residue.
• After reassembly, leak-test every gas joint that was disturbed with soap-bubble solution before reconnecting power.

Procedure

Step 1: Confirm the diagnosis with a meter

1. Unplug the dryer and pull it away from the wall so the back panel is accessible.
2. On most Whirlpool / Maytag / Kenmore models, remove the lower toe-kick or the front access panel to reach the burner assembly.
3. Locate the ignitor at the rear of the burner. Disconnect the two-wire ignitor lead.
4. Measure resistance across the ignitor leads with the meter on the 200-ohm scale. A healthy 271N ignitor reads 50 to 200 ohms cold. An open reading (OL, infinity) means the ignitor is failed.
5. Locate the gas valve. It has two or three coils mounted on top (a "booster" coil and a "safety" coil on standard valves, or three coils on dual-burner valves). Each coil typically has two terminals.
6. Measure resistance across each coil:
   • Booster (smaller) coil: typically 500 to 1500 ohms
   • Safety (larger) coil: typically 1000 to 2500 ohms
   • Compare to the OEM service manual value for the specific model
7. If a coil reads OL, the coil is open. Replace the coil kit.
8. Measure resistance across the thermal fuse (cold, on the blower housing): should be near 0 ohms (continuous). OL means tripped, replace.
9. Measure resistance across the hi-limit thermostat: should be near 0 ohms cold. OL means tripped, replace.
10. Measure resistance across the cycling thermostat: should be near 0 ohms cold (closes when cold, opens at setpoint).

Step 2: Inspect for lint and the root cause

A failed thermal fuse or repeatedly-tripped hi-limit is almost never a random component failure. The cause is airflow restriction: lint inside the dryer (under the drum, in the blower housing) or downstream (vent hose, exterior vent hood).

1. Open the entire airflow path inside the dryer. Vacuum every accessible lint accumulation.
2. Disconnect the vent hose at the back of the dryer. Inspect for crushing, kinks, or deep lint accumulation.
3. Confirm with the customer that the exterior vent hood is clear; if uncertain, ask permission to verify from outside.
4. If the vent run is over 25 ft (longer than the IRC M1502 default allowable length), additional lint cleaning frequency or vent-fan-aided airflow may be required.

Step 3: Replace the ignitor

The ignitor is fragile silicon carbide; handle by the ceramic base, never by the U-shaped element.

References

• Whirlpool/Maytag/Kenmore Gas Dryer Service Manual (W10208215 and W10683603 service-manual series)
• GE Profile and GE Gas Dryer Service Manual (31-9214 series)
• Samsung Gas Dryer Service Manual (DV-Series), troubleshooting and component test section
• LG Gas Dryer Service Manual (DLG-Series)
• Norton 271N Silicon Carbide Ignitor Application Data Sheet
• 2021 International Residential Code, Section M1502 (Clothes Dryer Exhaust)
• 2021 International Fuel Gas Code, Section 614 (Clothes Dryers)
• ANSI Z21.5.1 / CSA 7.1, Gas Clothes Dryers Volume 1, Type 1 Clothes Dryers