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Dryer Moisture sensor: What It Does and Signs It's Failing
The moisture sensor is a pair of metal bars inside the drum, usually just below or behind the lint screen opening. Wet clothes tumble across them and tell the control how damp the load still is. Sensor-dry and auto-dry cycles rely on it to know when to stop.
Who should replace it
Easy to replace yourself
Related codes
5 error codes on this site point to this part.
How it works
When damp fabric touches both bars, a tiny current passes between them. As the load dries, that contact fades and the control winds the cycle down. Residue on the bars, or lint packed around their mounts, can throw off the reading.
Signs it is failing
- Auto-dry cycles end with damp clothes
- Cycles run much longer than expected
- Overdried laundry
- Moisture or humidity sensor code
Humidity sensor and long-dry codes often come from dirty bars. LG's humidity sensor code shows up after the dryer has run about two and a half hours.
Can you replace it yourself?
Wipe the bars with a damp cloth and let them dry fully. Pick out any lint and hair packed around the bar mounts, which fixes more of these than you'd think. If cleaning doesn't help, unplug the dryer and swap the sensor; on some models the lint filter housing or the front bulkhead has to come off first.
Buying the right part
Some sensors come without the wire harness, and some models use two sensors, so read the listing and match your model tag.
Error codes linked to the moisture sensor
- F010 / F011Cycle started with an empty drum or dry clothesGE
- HSMoisture (humidity) sensor problemLG
- C1Vent test could not runSamsung
- oDDry time too longSamsung
- F3E2Moisture sensor not reading the loadWhirlpool
Last reviewed 2026-10-19.