What to Do When an Electric Dryer Won't Turn on

When a dryer's door switch doesn't click, it may be faulty.


If troubleshooting your nonfunctioning dryer sounds like rocket science, it may help to know that it has only two fuses and three switches that can fail. Accessing them is a matter of removing the dryer cover and using the dryer manual -- usually available online -- to locate them. If one of these fuses or switches has failed, you may be able to tell just be looking at it. Better yet, you can conduct a more reliable test with an ohmmeter. Before you go to the trouble of checking these parts, though, make sure a breaker hasn't tripped.


Find the breaker for the dryer circuit in the main panel. It's a double-gang breaker -- meaning that it consists of two breakers connected by a bar -- and if it has tripped, you'll see the orange warning flag on both breakers. Reset it by flipping the bar all the way off and then flipping it on. Make sure it stays on. Proceed to test switches and fuses on the dryer if the breaker wasn't tripped. Begin with the starting switch.


Unplug the dryer and remove the cover from the control panel. On most models, you do this by unscrewing screws on either end of the control module on the top of the dryer with a screwdriver and lifting the cover up. Some panels simply snap off.


Locate the starting switch on the control panel, pull off its wire connections and test its continuity with an ohmmeter. Place one meter lead on one switch terminal, the other lead on the other terminal and turn the switch on. If the switch is good, you'll get a reading of zero ohms. If it's bad, you'll get a reading of infinity. Replace a bad switch.


Check the door switch if the starting switch is good. Push in the switch your your finger; it should make a clicking sound. If it doesn't you need to test it, and for that, you need to remove the dryer cover, following the instructions in your manual.


Pull the wiring harness off the switch, put the meter leads on the switch terminals and push in the switch. Replace the switch if you get a reading of infinity.


Locate the dryer's thermal fuse with the aid of your manual if the door switch is good. Disconnect the fuse and test it. If it's good, test the thermal cutoff fuse, again using the manual to locate it. If either fuse has blown, replace it.


Check the pigtail connections behind the electric panel in the back of the dryer if you can't find any other fault. It doesn't happen often, but one of them may have come loose.

Things You Will Need

  • Screwdriver
  • Ohmmeter


  • Some dryers have a cutoff switch on the motor that trips when the belt breaks. If the belt is broken, you should be able to turn the tumbler freely with your hand. Remove the cover, replace the belt and reset the switch.
  • If you don't have the dryer manual, you should be able to get it by entering the model number on the manufacturer's website.


  • If the either thermal fuse or the thermal cutoff fuse have blown, it's a sign that the dryer is overheating, and it could start a fire. Make sure the dryer has room behind it for air circulation. Clear debris from the front and clean lint from the vents.

About the Author


Photo Credits

  • Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images
Suggest a Correction