LG Dryer HS — What It Means & How to Fix It
HS means an LG dryer has detected a fault with its humidity sensor — the moisture sensor that decides when clothes are dry — and as a fallback the dryer runs a fixed cycle of about two and a half hours, so wiping the sensor contacts clean is the first thing to try.
What this code means
Auto-dry cycles rely on two metal moisture-sensor bars inside the drum that read how wet the laundry is; HS is logged when that signal looks wrong. Fabric-softener film, lint, or residue bridging the bars is a frequent, harmless cause. When HS is active the dryer defaults to a long timed run so clothes still dry, which is why it can look like the machine is stuck running.
The moisture-sensor bars are usually visible just inside the door opening or on the drum's front wall — check your model's manual for their exact location before cleaning. If HS persists after they're spotless, the sensor or its wiring needs a technician.
Most likely causes
| Cause | How likely | DIY-fixable? |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric-softener film or residue coating the moisture-sensor bars | Very common | Yes — no tools |
| Lint bridging the two sensor contacts | Common | Yes — no tools |
| Temporary control glitch | Occasional | Yes — reset |
| Failed humidity sensor or damaged wiring | Occasional | No — technician job |
What you can try yourself
- Unplug the dryer and find the two metal moisture-sensor strips inside the drum, usually near the door opening or on the front wall.
- Wipe the strips with a cloth dampened with a little rubbing alcohol or mild detergent to lift the softener film, then dry them — this alone clears many HS codes.
- Cut back on dryer sheets and liquid softener, which leave the residue that coats the bars in the first place.
- Restore power and run an auto-dry cycle; a clean sensor should end the cycle when clothes are actually dry rather than running the full fallback time.
- If HS returns with clean sensor bars, the sensor or its wiring is at fault and needs a technician.
When to call a technician
- HS stays after the sensor bars are cleaned and softener use is reduced.
- Auto-dry cycles always run the full ~2.5 hours regardless of load size.
- Clothes finish soaking wet or bone dry, showing the sensor isn't reading moisture.
Typical professional repair cost: A moisture/humidity sensor replacement on an LG dryer typically runs $130–$230 with labor.
Frequently asked questions
What does HS mean on an LG dryer?
HS is a humidity-sensor error. The sensor bars that judge when your laundry is dry aren't giving a reliable reading, so the dryer falls back to a fixed cycle of about 2.5 hours. The most common fix is wiping fabric-softener film and lint off the two metal sensor strips inside the drum.
Why is my LG dryer running for 2.5 hours with an HS code?
With the moisture sensor flagged, the dryer can't tell when clothes are dry, so it runs a long timed cycle as a safety net to make sure the load dries. Clean the sensor bars and reset the dryer; once it can read moisture again, auto-dry cycles will end at the right time.
How do I clean the moisture sensor on an LG dryer?
Unplug the dryer and locate the two metal strips inside the drum, usually near the door. Wipe them with a cloth and a little rubbing alcohol to remove the softener residue that builds up, then let them dry. Using fewer dryer sheets keeps the film from coming back.
Related LG codes
- LG Dryer d80 d80 is LG's Flow Sense system telling you the exhaust duct is about 75–80% restricted: the dryer keeps running but dries slowly, so treat it as an early warning to clean the lint filter and the full vent line before the blockage gets worse.
- LG Dryer d90 d90 — and the more severe d95 — is LG's Flow Sense system reacting to a badly blocked exhaust of 90% or more by cooling the dryer down and stopping the cycle, so unlike the milder d80 you have to clear the vent before it will run properly again.
- LG Dryer dE dE tells you an LG dryer can't confirm its door is latched shut, so it won't spin the drum — usually because laundry is caught in the seal, the door wasn't pushed firmly enough, or the door switch is worn.
- LG Dryer tE1 tE1, and the related tE3, means an LG dryer has detected a problem with its thermistor — the sensor that tracks drum temperature — so a factory reset clears a one-off glitch, but a code that keeps returning points to a failing sensor for a technician.
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