In short
- Ontario law: nobody may repair or service a gas appliance without a certificate for that work (O. Reg. 212/01, s. 6).
- Visit fee published by one Ottawa firm: $129 + tax for a gas dryer against $89 + tax for an electric one.
- Gas parts on published lists: igniter or gas valve $200–$380 (B&M), valve coil or igniter $179–$249 (Express).
- Smell of gas: go outside, then call Enbridge Gas at 1-866-763-5427 or 911.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gas dryer diagnostic visit | $129 + tax | B&M Canada, applied toward an approved repair; the electric visit is $89 + tax |
| Igniter or gas valve, parts and labour | $200–$380 | B&M’s typical range, parts and labour |
| Gas valve coil | $179–$249 | Express Appliance Repair, labour estimate, prices current May 2026 |
| Gas igniter | $179–$249 | Same Express table |
| Flame sensor | $99–$199 | Same Express table |
| Visit between 9 PM and 7 AM | +$100 flat | B&M’s after-hours charge |
Sources. B&M Canada Appliances, Dryer repair cost in Ottawa, seen 29.10.2026. Express Appliance Repair Ottawa, dryer repair, prices current as of 19.05.2026, seen 29.10.2026. Capital Appliance Repair, dryer repair, seen 29.10.2026. Rule: O. Reg. 212/01 Gaseous Fuels, s. 6, currency date 26.10.2026, seen 29.10.2026. Gas emergency: Enbridge Gas, smell gas, seen 29.10.2026. Whirlpool, dryer heating help page, seen 29.10.2026. Fire safety: Office of the Fire Marshal clothes dryer handout, windsorfire.com, seen 29.10.2026.
What a gas dryer adds to the job
A gas dryer has everything an electric one has: drum, belt, motor, thermostats, door switch. It also has a gas supply line, a shut-off valve, a valve with coils, an igniter and a flame sensor. A burner makes the heat, where an electric dryer has a heating element. When the drum turns and the clothes stay cold, the cause sits in one of those gas parts, in the gas supply, or in the airflow that the burner depends on.
Some Ottawa firms list gas dryers on a separate line with a separate visit fee. Capital Appliance Repair says on its site that it handles electric dryers only. The request asks whether the dryer is gas or electric for this reason.
Who may open a gas dryer in Ontario
O. Reg. 212/01 under the Technical Standards and Safety Act says in section 6(1) that no person shall install, alter, purge, activate, repair, service or remove an appliance used in the handling or use of gas unless that person holds a certificate for the purpose. Section 6(3) lets a person without the certificate do the work in the presence of the certificate holder.
That rule is why the call matters. Get the company’s TSSA registration number and search it on tssa.org ahead of the visit.
Smell of gas
A gas smell near the dryer is an emergency. Enbridge Gas tells you to get away from the area at once, leave lights and appliances alone, and phone its emergency number or 911 once you are somewhere safe. Send the request after the emergency is over.
What the technician checks
The order follows the heat path:
- Supply. Gas valve open, line connected. Whirlpool’s page says the valve is open when its handle is parallel to the gas pipe.
- Ignition. Igniter glowing, valve coils opening, flame sensor reading.
- Airflow. A burner that lights while loads stay damp points at the vent. Whirlpool’s cleaning interval for the duct is in the FAQ.
- Safety parts. Thermal fuse and high-limit thermostat, which cut heat when the dryer overheats.
For the symptoms side of the same fault, see dryer not heating.
What gas dryer repair costs
Two Ottawa firms print part-level numbers. B&M gives $200 to $380 for an igniter or gas valve and $130 to $280 for a thermal fuse or thermostat, with a gas visit at $129 + tax. Express prints $179 to $249 for a valve coil or an igniter and $99 to $199 for a flame sensor.
After-hours visits cost extra at B&M: $100 flat between 9 PM and 7 AM. The full table with electric parts is on dryer repair cost, and the general rules for any dryer are on dryer repair.
Winter in Ottawa
The Fire Marshal’s handout asks owners to keep the outdoor vent unobstructed. A hood buried under a snow bank counts. Mention where the vent exits in the request.
Repair or replace
B&M’s guide keeps it simple: repair tends to win below about half the cost of a comparable new dryer, on a unit younger than eight to ten. Capital’s page gives $700 to $1,500 or more for a new installed dryer. Swapping in a new gas dryer means reconnecting the gas line, which is certificate work again. See repair or replace.
Warranty terms differ by firm
B&M states 3 months on its repairs; Capital says up to 1 year. Have the term written on the quote next to the gas part, the labour and whether the visit fee is credited.
A company that does gas
Your request goes to one independent Ottawa repair company, and for a gas dryer that means one that says it does gas work. Confirm it on the call with the TSSA number. The Desk passes the request on; the quote and the repair are the company’s. Own a Whirlpool? The Whirlpool page lists what to put in the request.
Questions to ask the company
- Do you hold the certificate Ontario requires for gas appliance repair, and what is the registration number?
- Is the gas dryer visit priced differently from an electric one, and is the fee credited to the repair?
- If the igniter or valve coil is the fault, is that part on your truck or ordered?
- Will you check the gas connection and the exhaust vent while the dryer is open?
- Does the warranty cover the part and the labour, and for how long, in writing?
Have this ready for the call
- Brand, model and serial number from the plate
- What you hear: clicking, a glow, a whoosh, or silence when the heat should start
- The gas shut-off valve location, so the company knows it is reachable
- Room to slide the dryer forward without bending the vent or the gas line
Questions people ask
My gas dryer tumbles but never gets warm. Where does the technician start?
Whirlpool lists the gas shut-off valve first: the drum of a gas dryer turns with the valve closed, and no heat comes. After the supply, the technician looks at the igniter, the flame sensor and the valve coil, which are the parts on the published gas price lists.
Can a company that only does electric dryers work on mine?
Some firms say so on their sites: Capital Appliance Repair states it repairs electric dryers only and sends gas jobs to a certified gas technician. Say gas in the request so the call goes to a company that does gas work.
Why does a gas dryer visit cost more than an electric one?
B&M Canada charges $129 + tax for a gas dryer and $89 + tax for an electric one, and ties the difference to certified gas handling. Other firms price their own way, so the company that calls sets and confirms its fee.
Does a gas dryer need a carbon monoxide alarm nearby?
The Office of the Fire Marshal advises smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every storey of the home, tested monthly. A gas dryer burns fuel and vents outdoors, so a clear exhaust path matters, and the alarm covers the rest.
How often should the exhaust of a gas dryer be cleaned?
Whirlpool’s guidance: clean the run from dryer to outside wall every one to two years, sooner if loads start taking longer. The Fire Marshal’s handout names lack of dryer maintenance, lint in ducts and vents included, as a main cause of dryer fires.
