Appliance Spares
Quick answer: A heat pump dryer that runs but won’t heat is a different beast to a vented dryer — there’s no resistance element to swap. Heat comes from a sealed refrigerant cycle, same as a fridge in reverse. Most common cause, by a country mile: the secondary condenser filter is choked with lint, so the heat exchanger can’t dump heat and the cycle stalls. That’s a free fix. Next: condenser fan stalled, water-condensate path blocked (sump pump or drain hose), then run capacitor on F&P models. Compressor or refrigerant faults are replace-the-dryer territory — be honest about that before you spend.
The part that fixes this
- Fisher & Paykel Heat Pump Dryer drain Pump DH8060P1 DH9060P1 DH8060C1 DH9060C1
- Haier Heat Pump Dryer drain Pump HDHP80E1
- Fisher Paykel Heat Pump Dryer Run Capacitor DH8060P1, DH8060P3
Not sure it is the same on your machine? See every part listed by model number.
Last updated September 2026
Find your heat pump dryer part
Why your heat pump dryer is different
Bosch, Beko, Electrolux, F&P, Haier, Hisense, Asko, Miele and Omega all sell heat pump dryers into the AU market — and they’re not vented dryers with a fancy badge. There’s no glowing element heating the air. Instead, a small sealed compressor pumps refrigerant through two heat exchangers — one heats the air going into the drum, the other cools the air coming out to condense the water. Closer to a reverse-cycle aircon than a vented dryer.
That changes the failure list completely. The cheap parts on a vented dryer (thermal fuse, element, cycling thermostat) don’t exist on a heat pump dryer in the same form. So the diagnostic is different too.
The cause hierarchy (most common → least)
| Likelihood | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Most common | Secondary condenser filter blocked with lint | Pull it, rinse it under the tap, dry it. Free. |
| Common | Condenser fan motor stalled (lint or bearing) | Strip the kickplate, inspect, replace if seized. |
 Common | Condensate path blocked — sump full, drain pump dead, or drain hose kinked | Clear the sump, test the F&P heat pump dryer drain pump (DH8060P1, DH9060P1, DH8060C1, DH9060C1) or Haier heat pump dryer drain pump (HDHP80E1). |
 Less common | Run capacitor failed (compressor won’t start) | Test and replace — the F&P heat pump dryer run capacitor (DH8060P1, DH8060P3) is a $40-60 part. |
| Less common | Auxiliary boost heater failed (some HP dryers have one) | Resistance test, replace if open. Real parts exist — see below. |
| Rare and terminal | Compressor or refrigerant leak | Sealed-system fault. Repair quotes exceed the price of a new dryer almost every time. |
Work the list top to bottom — the first three are DIY or near-free.
The 5-minute check before you do anything else
1. The secondary condenser filter (the one most people miss)
Every heat pump dryer has two filters — the lint screen in the door (everyone empties this) and a second filter behind the kickplate at the bottom of the cabinet. That second one traps the fine lint that gets past the first filter, and it sits right in front of the heat exchanger.
When it clogs, the heat pump can’t dump heat properly — the cycle runs forever, the clothes come out damp, and many models flash a “clean filter” or “condenser” indicator on the display.
- Drop the kickplate (one or two clips, no tools on most models).
- Pull the filter out — usually a foam-and-mesh sandwich.
- Rinse it under the tap until the water runs clean. Squeeze, don’t twist.
- Dry it before reinstalling. Bosch and Miele owners — read the manual on whether yours is rinsable; some are sealed and need replacement.
This is the #1 fix in the workshop. We tell every customer who rings about a heat pump dryer to do this before they spend a cent.
2. Listen for the condenser fan
With the door open and the start button held in (or door switch defeated), put your ear to the kickplate. There should be a soft whirr from the condenser fan running below the drum. Dead silent = stalled fan, blocked with lint, or motor failed.
3. Check the sump and drain
If the sump tray is full of water or the drain pump is dead, the cycle won’t run a heat phase on most models — the control board interlocks it. Check the visible drain line at the back, pull the sump cover if accessible.
When it’s the run capacitor (F&P / Haier especially)
If you’ve got an F&P or Haier heat pump dryer (DH8060, DH9060, HDHP series) and the cycle starts, the drum turns, but you can hear the compressor buzzing without starting — suspect the run capacitor. Compressors use a starting cap; when it dies, the motor hums on the stator but the rotor never spins, so no refrigerant flows and no heat happens. The F&P heat pump dryer run capacitor (DH8060P1, DH8060P3) is an honest $40-60 part, 20-minute swap with the dryer unplugged. Discharge the cap before you touch the terminals.
The “heat pump dryer heater” parts — what they actually are
You’ll see SKUs out there branded as “heat pump dryer heater”. On most AU-sold models these are auxiliary boost heaters — small resistive elements that help the dryer warm up faster at the start of a cycle, not the main heat source. If yours has one and it’s failed, the dryer will still heat (the compressor is doing the work) — it’ll just take longer to come up to temperature. Real parts:
| Part | Suits |
|---|---|
 Omega heat pump dryer heater (OCD7HP) | Omega OCD7HP, also fits Technika TCD7E-5 |
 Baumatic heat pump dryer heater (BCD70, BCD71) | Baumatic BCD70, BCD71 |
 Fisher & Paykel condenser dryer heater (DC8060P3, DE8060P1, DE8060P2) | F&P condenser variants in the DE8060 / DC8060 family |
 Haier condenser dryer heater (HDC80E1, HD80-01, HDHP90AN1, HDHP90ANB1) | Haier condenser and select heat-pump models |
Run your exact model through the Part Finder — auxiliary heater part numbers are tightly model-specific.
FAQs
My heat pump dryer runs forever and the clothes come out damp — same fault?
Yes, very often. The cycle runs to completion based on a humidity sensor; if the heat exchanger can’t dump heat (blocked secondary filter), the dryer never reaches the temperature it needs to dry the load, the sensor never sees dry air, and the cycle stretches out. Clean the secondary condenser filter first.
I’ve cleaned the door filter every load — why’s the back filter blocked?
Fine lint always sneaks past the primary filter. The secondary filter is designed to catch it before it hits the heat exchanger fins. Manufacturers recommend cleaning it every 1-3 months; in practice most owners never touch it until something fails.
My Bosch / Miele heat pump dryer shows a “clean condenser” warning — is that the secondary filter?
Yes, almost always. Same fix — drop the kickplate, pull and rinse the filter, reset the warning. If the warning returns within days, the condenser fins themselves are clogged and need a careful vacuum or a service callout.
Can I top up the refrigerant in a heat pump dryer myself?
No. Sealed system, refrigerant gas handling requires an AU ARC licence, and there’s no service port on a domestic heat pump dryer — adding gas requires cutting and brazing into the line. Not a job. If it’s a refrigerant fault, the economics almost always favour replacement.
Does the Omega OCD7HP heater fit a Bosch or Beko heat pump dryer?
No — auxiliary heater parts are model-specific. Different platform, different mounting, different voltage and connector. Run your exact model through the Part Finder.
Related guides
- Dryer not heating but still spinning (vented dryers) — the vented-dryer sibling diagnostic.
- Fridge not cold but freezer works — same sealed refrigerant-cycle thinking.
- Fisher & Paykel washing machine repair (Australia) — F&P / Haier platform diagnostic patterns.
- Westinghouse fridge repair (Australia) — compressor and refrigerant fault tree (same family of faults).
- Part Finder Quiz — model in, exact-fit drain pump, run capacitor or auxiliary heater out.
Ready to fix it?
- Run your heat pump dryer model through the Oz Appliance Spares Part Finder — exact-fit drain pump, run capacitor or auxiliary heater out the other side.
- Browse dryer parts
- Order before 12pm AEST → ships from our Sydney warehouse same day, Australia-wide.
Disclaimer: this article is general information only and is provided without warranty of any kind. Appliance designs vary between models and production runs — always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, switch off and unplug the appliance before starting any work, and confirm parts against the model number on your appliance’s model sticker. Any repair is undertaken at your own risk and Oz Appliance Spares accepts no liability for injury, loss or damage arising from work performed after reading this guide, to the maximum extent permitted by law. If in doubt, use a qualified technician.
