8 Reasons Why Your Dryer is Not Spinning

1. Lack of Electrical Power

When your dryer control doesn’t light up or the dryer doesn’t appear to have any electrical power at all, check the power cord to make sure that it’s securely plugged into a working outlet. Plug the power cord back in if you find it unplugged.

If the dryer is plugged in, check the house circuit breaker to see if it has tripped. Reset the house circuit breaker for the dryer if you find it tripped.

If the dryer still won’t power up, the outlet may not be working. If you have a gas dryer, plug in a night light or small appliance to see if the dryer outlet is working. If the outlet is dead, have an electrician repair the outlet.

If you have an electric dryer and you suspect that the outlet is dead, have an electrician check the dryer outlet.

If the electrical outlet is okay and you have an electric dryer, check the power cord wiring on the terminal block at the back of the dryer. Reconnect any loose wires. Here’s an image that shows the typical wiring configuration for the power cord on an electric dryer:

Fixing a power cord wiring problem may restore power to the dryer so it runs properly.

If the dryer still won’t power up after following these troubleshooting tips, you’ll likely need to have a service technician visit your home and fix the dryer.

2. Door Switch Failure

If the dryer has power, a door switch failure is one of the most common causes of the appliance not spinning.

Push in on the dryer door to make sure that it is shut fully. If the dryer still won’t start, check the door switch using this procedure:

1. Open the dryer door.
2. Press in on the door switch to see if the drum light inside the dryer turns off.

If the drum light turns off when you press the door switch in, then the dryer door switch is almost certainly working properly and your can skip to the next cause.

If the drum light stays on when you press the door switch, then you’ve likely found the cause of the spinning failure. Replace the door switch.

Here’s a video that shows how to replace the door switch in common types of clothes dryers:

If you’re unable to replace a bad dryer door switch on your own, schedule dryer repair service to have a Sears Home Services technician replace the part and fix the dryer.

3. Bad Push-to-Start Switch

If you’re dryer has a dial timer and the drive motor doesn’t start when you press the push-to-start switch, that component may have failed.

To check the door switch, open the dryer door and push the door switch in. While holding the door switch in, push the start switch. You should hear a click as the relay engages. Then release the door switch and you should hear a click as the relay disengages. If you heard the clicks, the start switch is probably okay.

If you don’t hear the push-to-start relay engaging and disengaging, you’ll likely need to replace the push-to-start switch. Here’s a video shows how to replace the push-to-start switch on common types of clothes dryers:

If your dryer uses a control panel and an electronic control board, then you may need replace the control panel or the electronic control board when the start button isn’t working.

Have a service technician diagnose and repair the dryer if you’re uncertain which part to replace.

4. Blown Thermal Fuse in an Electric Dryer

In most electric dryers, a thermal fuse will trip and prevent the dryer from starting if the dryer overheats due to a clogged exhaust vent duct system.

If the dryer has been running hot and you find that the exhaust vent system is clogged with lint, you’ll likely need to replace the thermal fuse.

Here’s a video that shows how to replace the thermal fuse in common types of clothes dryers:

Schedule dryer repair service to have a service technician fix the dryer if you’re uncertain that you can safely fix the dryer yourself.

5. Broken Drive Belt

Some dryer use a broken belt switch that prevents the drive motor from running if the drum belt breaks. In other dryer models, the motor will run but the drum won’t spin with a broken drive belt.

You can check for a broken drive belt by unplugging the dryer and lifting or removing the top panel. If you discover that the drum belt is broken, replace it. Here’s a video that shows how to replace the drive belt in a common type of clothes dryer:

Have a service technician replace a broken drive belt in your dryer if you can’t replace the part yourself.

6. Bad Drive Motor

A bad drive motor won’t spin the drum. When the motor is getting electrical current but won’t run, you’ll need to replace it.

If you suspect or know that the drive motor is bad, replace it. Here’s a video that shows how to replace the drive motor in a common type of clothes dryer:

If you’re uncertain whether the drive motor is bad or you’re unable to replace it on your own, have a service technician repair the dryer.

7. Defective Control

Whether your dryer uses an electro-mechanical timer or an electronic control board, a failure in that component can prevent the drive motor from getting electrical current to run and spin the drum.

Diagnosing a failure in an electronic control board is typically difficult and normally requires the expertise of a technician. The tech will check for electric current coming from the control board to run the drive motor. This type of live voltage diagnosis shouldn’t be performed by DIY’ers. When you suspect that a bad electronic control board is preventing the dryer from running, we recommend that you schedule service to have a professional fix the problem.

If your dryer uses an electro-mechanical timer, you can unplug the dryer and set the timer dial to run a cycle and check for continuity through the wires connected to the timer that supply current to the drive motor. On many dryers, you’ll need to measure continuity through the black and light blue wires connected to the timer. If the internal contact timer contact between those two wires is bad, then you’ll measure an open circuit and you’ll need to replace the timer. Replace the timer if that internal contact is bad.

Here’s a video that shows how to replace the timer in a common type of clothes dryer:

If you’re not confident that you can safely diagnose and repair a dryer timer failure, schedule dryer repair service to have a service technician fix the dryer.

8. Wiring Failure

A wiring failure in the drive motor circuit will prevent the motor from getting electrical current and running. This type of failure is difficult to diagnose. You’ll typically need to have a service technician examine the dryer to find and fix a wiring failure.

The technician will use the wiring diagram for your dryer to check continuity through the entire drive motor circuit and will find and fix the broken wire or wires.

While additional failures can prevent your dryer from running, these 8 problems are the most prevalent. You can likely fix your dryer when it won’t spin the drum by following the tips outlined above.

How to Fix a Whirlpool Dryer and Other Common Dryers that Won’t Spin

Whirlpool makes many of the clothes dryers in the U.S. including popular brands such as Maytag, Amana, KitchenAid, JennAir, Inglis, Estate and Kenmore. Because of the huge market penetration of dryers made by Whirlpool, we’re adding some strategic troubleshooting tips for those types of clothes dryers.

For an electric dryer that won’t spin, follow these troubleshooting tips:

Use these expert troubleshooting tips for a gas dryer that won’t spin:

Knowing how to fix this type of common dryer may help you out of a jam when your drum isn’t spinning when you try to start the dryer.