Dryer repair in Ottawa
Tell us the dryer's brand, gas or electric, and what it does. One local repair company calls you to book a visit and quote the repair.
In short
- 01Visit and diagnosis in Ottawa: typically $80–90 + tax, usually waived if you go ahead with the repair.
- 02Repair price: quoted after diagnosis, before work starts.
- 03What drives the bill: the part that failed, the labour to reach it, and gas work on a gas dryer.
- 04A gas dryer must be repaired by a person who holds a TSSA gas certificate (O. Reg. 212/01, s. 6).
Typical ranges
Source Visit fee: service-call fees published by Ottawa repair firms, checked 29.10.2026: Doctor Appliance, doctorappliance.ca ($80 + tax, waived with the repair); Fair Appliance Repair, fair-appliance-repair.pages.dev ($90, waived with the repair). Repair prices are quoted by the company after diagnosis. Gas rule: O. Reg. 212/01, s. 6, ontario.ca/laws/regulation/010212. Dryer lifespan: NAHB, Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components, 2007 (US data). Repair-or-replace rule: Consumer Reports, 9 Jan 2014. Heat and venting: Whirlpool Product Help, Not Heating – Electric Dryer and Long Dry Times – Dryer (producthelp.whirlpool.com/Laundry/Dryers/Dryer/Drying_Performance/Long_Dry_Times_-_Dryer, read 29.10.2026). Gas emergency line: Enbridge Gas, enbridgegas.com/safety/smell-gas.
What to ask before you book
- Q1What is your visit fee, and is it credited if I go ahead with the repair?
- Q2For a gas dryer: what is your TSSA registration number?
- Q3Will I get the quote, parts and labour, before you start?
- Q4If the vent is part of the problem, do you clear it, or should I call someone else for that?
- Q5What warranty comes with the repair, on the part and on the labour?
Before the visit
- Brand, model and serial number. On most dryers the plate is inside the door, on the rim or top of the opening.
- Gas or electric. A gas dryer has a gas pipe and valve behind it.
- Any error code on the display, such as a vent warning.
- How long a normal load takes now, and how long it used to take.
- Room to pull the dryer out from the wall, and a clear path to it.
Common dryer faults
Dryer faults usually fall into four groups:
- No heat. The drum turns, the clothes come out cold or damp.
- Long dry times. A normal load needs two cycles.
- Will not start. Nothing happens, or it hums and stops. Ottawa repair firms list a blown fuse or a failed switch among the causes.
- Noise. Squeal, thump or scrape while the drum turns.
Note which group fits, whether the dryer is gas or electric, and any code on the display.
Gas dryers: what Ontario law says
O. Reg. 212/01 under the Technical Standards and Safety Act says no person may install, repair, service or remove a gas appliance unless they hold a certificate for that work. In practice: a gas technician working for a TSSA-registered contractor. Registered contractors must show their registration and mark their field vehicles with name and registration number.
Ask for the TSSA registration number when the company calls, and check it with the contractor lookup on tssa.org.
If you smell gas, leave the home right away. Leave switches and appliances as they are and call 911 or the Enbridge Gas emergency line, 1-866-763-5427, from outside.
What the technician does on the visit
The technician runs a cycle, reads any stored code and checks power at the dryer. For no heat on an electric dryer, the heating element and the safety parts in that circuit get tested next. For no heat on a gas dryer, the technician checks the ignition and the gas valve. For long dry times with good heat, the airflow comes first: Whirlpool’s guidance says a dryer that heats and still dries slowly likely has a vent problem or restricted airflow. For noise, the parts that carry the drum.
You get a quote, labour and parts, before work starts. If the dryer is not worth fixing, the technician tells you, and the visit fee usually stays.
Repair or replace
A US study of home components (NAHB, 2007) puts the typical life of both gas and electric dryers at about 13 years, with actual life depending on use. Compare the quote with the price of a comparable new dryer today, with delivery and hook-up. Consumer Reports suggests replacing when the repair would cost more than half of that.
Before the technician arrives
Clear the space in front of and behind the dryer. The technician may need to pull it out to reach the vent, the power cord or the gas connection. If the dryer is stacked on a washer or sits in a closet, say so in the work order. Have the model and serial number ready: on most dryers the plate is inside the door, on the rim or top of the opening.
Questions
01The drum turns and the clothes stay cold. What is it?
On an electric dryer the technician checks the 240-volt supply and the cycle setting first, then tests the heating parts. On a gas dryer, anything past the breaker and the cycle setting is gas work.
02Why does a load take two cycles to dry?
Whirlpool says a dryer that heats and still dries slowly likely has a vent problem or restricted airflow: a lint-blocked screen, a crushed or kinked vent, or a blocked hood outside. Say in the work order how long a load takes now.
03Can any repair company work on my gas dryer?
In Ontario, only a person who holds a TSSA gas certificate may repair or service a gas appliance (O. Reg. 212/01, s. 6). Ask for the TSSA registration number on the call and check it with the contractor lookup on tssa.org.
04What does the visit cost?
Ottawa firms that publish a fee charge about $80–90 + tax for the visit and diagnosis, and most waive it if you go ahead with the repair. The company confirms its own fee on the call.
05Is a 13-year-old dryer worth fixing?
A US study (NAHB, 2007) puts a dryer’s typical life at about 13 years. Compare the quote with the price of a comparable new dryer today. Consumer Reports suggests replacing when the repair would cost more than half of that.