Top 5 Reasons Your Dryer Won’t Turn On
So you’ve washed that giant pile of laundry, you pop it in the dryer, press the start button… and your dryer won’t turn on!
Don’t panic. There are a few things you can test to determine why your dryer won’t turn on. We’ve gathered the top 5 causes of this oh-so-frustrating appliance failure for you.
Most Common Reasons A Dryer Won’t Turn On
First things first! Before you go through the trouble of troubleshooting why your dryer isn’t starting, check the power supply. Hopefully, the dryer power cord has just wiggled its way out of the socket and you can just plug it right in. Once you determine that power isn’t an issue, make sure you unplug the dryer before investigating further.
#1 – Blown Thermal Fuse in Dryer
A blown thermal fuse is one of the most common culprits when a dryer won’t start. The thermal fuse is responsible for making sure the dryer doesn’t overheat. However, if the dryer does overheat, the fuse may blow. A clogged dryer vent can also cause the thermal fuse to blow, as airflow is restricted.
To determine if this is causing your dryer to not turn on, you can do a quick test. You can typically locate the thermal fuse on the blower housing. Simply remove it and hook it up to a multimeter to see if it is defective.
#2 – Defective Dryer Door Switch
Another common cause of a dryer not turning on is a defective door switch. This doesn’t just mean that the door isn’t closing properly. If the switch is defective, the dryer won’t turn on even if the door is closed all the way.
Remove the dryer door switch from the inside frame and test it for continuity with a multimeter. If there’s no continuity, your switch is defective and causing the dryer not to start. Replace the switch, and you’ll be good as new.
#3 – Faulty Dryer Start Switch
For dryers that have knob controls, faulty start switches are often to blame for non-starters.
If you turn the knob and don’t hear a humming noise, you probably need to replace the start switch. Again, you can test it with a multimeter.
#4 – Bad Dryer Drive Motor
The drive motor operates the belt and blower wheel of a dryer. If this drive motor isn’t working, then your dryer won’t turn on. One cause of a drive motor error is an obstructed blower wheel. Check this area for and blockages and remove them to get your dryer working again.
If there is no obstruction in the blower wheel, but the motor makes a humming sound, it probably needs to be replaced. Both of these parts can be accessed by removing the back panel of the dryer.
#5 – Broken Dryer Drive Belt
When a drive belt is broken, the belt switch will prevent the dryer from starting at all. Once you replace the broken drive belt, the switch will allow the dryer to start again.
If your dryer won’t turn on, but none of the items in our list seem to be the problem, call an experienced appliance repair technician to diagnose and fix the problem for you.
