What to Do if Your Dryer Won’t Start

The laundry routine is essential to keeping things going in my house. With muddy sports clothes and a never-ending pile of socks, if anything goes wrong with my washer or dryer the whole system falls apart. 

Then, last week, it happened. My dryer wouldn’t start. Luckily, it was a quick and easy fix, but it did lead me down a rabbit hole of browsing ‘reasons my dryer isn’t starting’ online. That’s why I’ve put together this short and simple guide for things you should do if your dryer won’t start. 

Check the thermal fuse

If your dryer won’t start, the first thing you should do (other than checking that it’s plugged in) is to check the thermal fuse. The thermal fuse is a safety device that stops your dryer from overheating. 

Before checking your thermal fuse, unplug your dryer. If you’re unsure where the thermal fuse is, simply Google the model number and brand of your dryer and find a diagram. 

There are lots of ways you can check if your dryer’s thermal fuse is blown, you can test the fuses using a multimeter test. You can also use the ‘bypass’ method where you disconnect the thermal fuse wires and then try running the dryer. If it runs fine, that means your thermal fuse needs to be replaced. Remember, if the dryer works when you do this, do not then use the dryer as normal. Replace your thermal fuse before running the dryer again. 

Check the door latch

If the issue is not the thermal fuse, it’s possible that your door latch is not engaging. Check the latch for lint or any other obstructions and clean it so the door can close completely. If the latch is very dirty, you can use some rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab to clean the grime off of the metal areas. 

When closing your dryer door, you should hear a click – this means that the door latch is engaging. If you have cleaned the door latch and you still don’t hear that ‘click’, you might need to replace your door latch. 

Clean behind the start button

This was the problem with my dryer! I removed the push start button and saw there was so much dirt behind it that it wasn’t fully pushing in to start the dryer. 

If you try to switch on your dryer and you don’t hear that ‘hum’ of the power coming on, it’s possible that you need to clean behind the start button. Most dryers have a control board that you can lift off by unscrewing it. Unplug your dryer and remove the control panel and use a cotton swab and a small amount of rubbing alcohol to remove the buttons and clean them. 

A broken clothes dryer can be a panic-inducing moment. But before you think about buying a new dryer, try out these troubleshooting tips. You might find you can fix it yourself or simply buy a new part rather than a whole new dryer!