Dryer Won't Start or Turn On
Likely causes
- ✓Door switch not detecting the door as closed
- ✓Blown thermal fuse cutting power as a safety measure
- ✓Tripped breaker or bad outlet (electric dryers need 240V)
- ✓Worn start switch or timer
- ✓Failed motor start relay or capacitor
A dryer that won’t respond at all is usually simpler to diagnose than one with a partial fault. We start with the door switch and the thermal fuse — a blown thermal fuse is a safety component that cuts power completely when the dryer overheats, and it’s a common failure point that’s inexpensive to replace once we find it.
Electric dryers need a full 240V circuit, so a tripped breaker or a bad outlet can also leave the machine completely dead even though it “has power.” If those check out, we move to the start switch, timer, and motor start relay, testing each with a meter before recommending a part.
This is one of the issues covered under our Dryer Repair service.