Troubleshooting Tips for When Your Dryer Won’t Start

Some people may instantly panic when their dryer won’t start, especially if they need to wear clothes soon. Who has time for drying their clothes under the sun?

If you happen to experience this, take it easy. Here are some tips for troubleshooting:

Power Up Properly

Always check the power first when your appliance won’t start. This is the most basic rule for every appliance. Sometimes the cable is unplugged, and other times it is not plugged in properly, so make sure you plugged it in correctly. There is also a possibility of a broken cable, burnt socket or another electrical issue.

Check Your Fuse Box or Circuit Breaker

This is not common, but sometimes one of your fuses is burnt with no apparent cause, stopping the flow of electrical power to your appliance. Therefore, check out your fuse box to see if there is something wrong. If your house is already using a circuit breaker panel, this kind of problem should be even more unlikely. But you can still check your panel just to be sure.

Close the Door to Click

Your dryer machine cannot start if the door is not properly closed and locked. Usually, a dryer door will make a clicking sound when it is perfectly closed. Then there will another clicking sound meaning that the machine has auto-locked the door.

If your door doesn’t click closed, then you might need to replace it. Call your manufacturer to get your replacement. Never get an unofficial replacement because it might cause more serious trouble in the future.

Check the Thermal Fuse

A thermal fuse is an overheating-prevention device that is usually installed in a dryer. It has a sensitive thermal sensor that will blow off and immediately stop the machine when it gets too hot.

If your dryer can’t be turned on, try looking at the thermal fuse. You can also check the fuse condition by running an ohmmeter or continuity checker. If the fuse is blown off, you need to replace it before your machine can work again.

Replace the Broken Drive Belt

Another possible reason why your dryer won’t start is a broken drive belt. On some machines, the motor can still run, but the drum won’t spin if the drive belt is damaged. But on some other machines, the motor won’t start at all if the drive belt is broken. Either way, you must replace the drive belt to make your dryer work again.

Open Up the Handbook

Every appliance comes with a handbook. Try opening it up and checking the troubleshooting section. There should be some more tips you can try.

If those tips do not work, you might have a more serious problem with your dryer. There could be damage to the motor, main control board or another element.

Even so, it is best to call a licensed technician. Let them inspect and determine the real cause. Who knows? Maybe they can solve the problem on the spot.

ECM provides appliance repair services within Palm Beach County, Broward County, Martin County and St. Lucie County. If your home appliances are acting up, our on-call emergency repair services are here and ready to assist you. So if you’re in need of dryer repairs, don’t hesitate to contact us today to schedule a FREE diagnostic service call (with repair)! Our appliance repair experts will diagnose your problem and inform you of the issue so that you can have the issue addressed and repaired on the spot! Call us at 561-295-1763 or contact our appliance repair team online by clicking here.

For more information, see: Why Is My Dryer Not Drying Clothes?