Tumble dryer won't start

If the tumble dryer wont start, the first thing to establish is whether there is any power to the dryer or not. If there are any indicator lights working then obviously there is power to the dryer, but you can check the socket by plugging in something else. Check the 13 amp fuse in the dryer itself. If the fuse has gone you can try another, but if it goes again there is likely to be a fault that needs an engineer to fix. If you know the fuse has blown or the electric has tripped (because you heard a bang from the dryer) then it needs checking out properly as there may be a short somewhere.

Door switch? If power is getting to the tumble dryer and the socket is definitely OK, then the most common problem with tumble dryers not working is when the door micro switch fails, or the catch on the door that operates the switch either breaks or no longer activates the door switch. Check for broken door catches. There is usually a plastic peg on the door that pushes through a hole in the tumble dryer's casing where the door catch is. Closing the door should operate a simple micro switch. If the plastic peg is broken or bent it might not operate the switch properly.

Capacitor or motor? If power is getting to the tumble dryer but all you can hear is a humming noise then the motor may or drum could be jammed. A more common explanation though is a faulty start capacitor. Many tumble dryer motors use a capacitor start and if the capacitor goes faulty it may not produce the big kick of electricity to jump start the motor. It's also possible for the motor itself to be at fault, maybe it has start windings instead of a capacitor and what you think is a capacitor could be a suppressor filter. I would not mess with this fault if you don't know about capacitors, they can carry a large charge and can give a very nasty shock even some time after the dryer has been unplugged.

Sometimes I've been able to spin a dryer's drum by hand and quickly shut the door which has allowed the motor to run. This implicates the start capacitor if one is fitted. Basically I put the dryer on and when it hums open the door, spin the drum and close the door quickly. It's difficult to do as you can't get the drum to turn much as it has a lot of resistance. It may be worth a try but whatever happens it's not likely to be conclusive.

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