The most common cause: a clogged vent
Here is how a dryer works: it heats air, tumbles it through wet clothes, and pushes the damp air out the vent. If the vent is clogged with lint, the damp air cannot escape. It stays in the drum, the clothes stay wet, and the cycle ends with damp laundry. So you run it again. The heating element is usually fine — the machine is suffocating, not broken.
The 5-minute vent check
Step 1. Run the dryer and go outside to the vent cap. You should feel strong, warm airflow. Weak flow or none means a blockage.
Step 2. Check the cap flaps. They should open fully while the dryer runs. Stuck flaps mean lint or a nest is jamming them.
Step 3. Pull the dryer out and look at the transition hose. If it is crushed flat or kinked, that alone can double dry times.
Step 4. Clean the lint trap thoroughly — including the screen housing, where a film from dryer sheets can block airflow.
If airflow outside is weak and everything visible looks okay, the clog is deep in the wall run. That needs professional equipment.
Other possible causes
A failed heating element (clothes tumble with no heat at all), a broken blower, an overloaded drum, or a dryer that is simply too small for the loads. But rule out the vent first — it is the cause in most cases we see, and it is the simplest to fix.
The cost of ignoring it
Two cycles use twice the energy and twice the machine wear. Over a year, that is real money — and the overheating shortens the dryer's life. A vent cleaning usually costs less than a service call for the machine, and it fixes the actual problem. Call (301) 679-9193 or send the form for a free estimate — no pressure, no obligation.