What To Do When Your Whirlpool Dryer Won’t Start

Having trouble with your Whirlpool dryer? You’re not alone. 

Although Whirlpool appliances are some of the most reliable on the market, that doesn’t mean that you’ll never run into a breakdown. 

Fortunately, we understand how frustrating this can be, especially when you need to get your laundry done!

So keep reading and we’ll go over some grade-A advice on what to do when your Whirlpool dryer won’t start.

Dryer Not Working

When your Whirlpool dryer isn’t working, you’ll need to troubleshoot these 5 things:

1. Power supply
2. Breaker Box
3. Door Switch
4. Start Switch
5. Thermal Fuse

No Power Supply

You can tell you don’t have a power supply if your dryer is plugged into the outlet, but the dryer won’t turn on. On the bright side, there’s a simple test you can do to confirm that the power supply is causing the problem. 

1. Unplug the dryer from the outlet.
2. Find a lamp or another small, portable device.
3. Plug the lamp into the outlet.
4. Turn the lamp on.

If the lamp works, then your problem is likely with your dryer itself, rather than the power source. 

However, if the lamp doesn’t light up, you’ve confirmed that the problem is the power supply, likely a tripped breaker.  

Bad Door Switch

A Whirlpool dryer, or virtually any other make or model of dryer, will have a door switch to let the appliance know that the door is closed. This is an important feature because it can be dangerous for a dryer to run when the door is open. 

If the door switch is faulty, the appliance’s control panel won’t sense that the door is closed. In turn, the dryer likely won’t start. 

You can try to visually inspect your door switch for any signs of damage. However, diagnosing a faulty door switch tends to be a bit easier said than done. So if you need help trying to figure out why your dryer won’t start, it might be in your best interest to contact a professional appliance repair service. 

A professional appliance repair service will send a technician to help you with your appliance maintenance and repair, and you’ll have your beloved appliance up and running again in no time. 

Learn from a Professional Appliance Repair Technician

When your Whirlpool dryer won’t start, it’s often difficult to determine the source of the problem.

Sometimes the issue may be caused by an electrical problem, or it may be because a component inside your dryer has failed or is on the verge of failing.

Either way, many dryer repair issues can be challenging to tackle on your own.

Blown Thermal Fuse

Your Whirlpool dryer has a thermal fuse that detects when the appliance overheats or undergoes a power surge. This is a crucial part of the appliance since the last thing you want is for your dryer to get hot enough to start a fire!

If the thermal fuse is blown, your dryer will not start and you’ll need to reset or replace the fuse to get things up and running once again.

The good news is, if the thermal fuse is blown, it’s a relatively inexpensive and simple part to replace.

Refer to your owner’s manual for directions on locating, resetting, or replacing this component. 

Then, once you’ve properly reset or replaced the thermal fuse, your dryer should be working just like it did when it was new.

Faulty Start Switch

Even if your door switch is working, a faulty start switch may also prevent your dryer from starting or functioning properly. 

Once again, try to visually inspect your start button or switch for any signs of damage. If the start button’s housing is cracked, split or broken, it’s a good indication that you’ll need to have it repaired. 

Other times, however, you might not be able to see anything visibly broken.

Breaker Box Issue

The second reason why your Whirlpool dryer won’t turn on is because the breaker has been tripped into the “off” position. 

Sometimes using too many appliances at once can overload and trip the breaker. In other cases, the breaker might be tripped due to a short circuit. 

A breaker trips to prevent electrical damage, making it a crucial safety feature for any home. 

To check whether or not your Whirlpool dryer has tripped the breaker, go to the breaker box.

1. Open the breaker box.
2. Look for a switch in the ‘off’ position. In most cases, this should be labelled “dryer” or “laundry machines”. However, your breaker panel might not always be labelled properly. 
3. Turn the switch to the ‘on’ position.

Then, go and check your appliance to see if it’s now receiving power. 

If, on the other hand, the breaker continues to trip, it could mean you have a more serious electrical issue, either with your home’s electrical wiring, or with the appliance’s internal wiring.