The short answer
A condenser dryer that does nothing when you press start is usually missing a permission, and most often this one: a full condensate tank is inhibiting the start. Next on the list: the door switch is not making. Everything at the top of this list is free to check.
What you observe
- Nothing happens when start is pressed — Note whether the panel lights up — that splits the list in two.
- A tank or fill warning is showing — The machine is telling you exactly why it will not begin.
- Nothing at all happens when start is pressed — The machine is not being given permission to run.
- No display, no drum light, nothing — A completely dead machine is usually a supply question.
- NEAR MISS — the motor runs and the drum does not turn — That is a broken belt, not a no-start, and it is a different fault.
Causes, most likely first on this machine
- A full condensate tank is inhibiting the start — First on this machine: it will not begin a cycle it cannot finish, so a full tank blocks the start rather than the run. Owners who empty the tank after a cycle rather than before one meet this constantly.
- The door switch is not making — Ranked here because it is the commonest no-start cause on any tumble dryer and it costs nothing to test.
- The machine is not getting the supply it needs — Ranked here because proving the supply first avoids dismantling a machine that was never at fault.
- The start switch or the motor relay is not making — Last, and a service part — but hold the button and note what happens before you call.
Check in this order, and why
- Pull the tank and check it is empty and seated — A full or badly seated tank inhibits the start by design.
- Push the door shut slowly and listen for the click — No click means the start circuit never completes.
- Test the outlet and check the breaker — Prove the supply before any panel comes off.
- Hold the start button in and note whether the drum tries to turn — A drum that tries and stops is a switch or relay story.
What an owner can safely check
- Check whether the panel or the drum light responds at all — A dead machine and a lit one that will not run are two different faults.
About 5 min
- Empty the condensate tank and push it fully home — It has to seat properly for the switch to make.
About 5 min
- Close the door slowly and listen at the latch for a click — Never tape or bridge the switch to keep it running.
About 5 min
- Check the breaker and test the outlet with another appliance — A repeating trip is a fault to report, not to reset.
Tools: lampAbout 10 min
- STOP HERE before opening the console or bridging a switch — Never bridge a door switch or a thermal fuse to prove a point.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the machine or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off, and a dryer that has just cut out on temperature is hot inside long after it is silent. Empty and refit the condensate tank with the machine off; water and a live cabinet do not belong together. Never run the machine with the condenser unit out of its housing.
When to call a technician
Call once the supply is proven, the door clicks shut, any tank is empty and the machine still does nothing. What is left is inside the console. Call immediately if the breaker trips again on reset, or if you saw or smelled anything scorch — a repeating trip is a fault to leave alone.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page is written for the brand and the machine class, not for one family or model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists for your machine, it is the more specific answer and it is where to start. Deliberately absent: programme charts, capacity figures, condenser and board part identifiers and wiring colours, which differ between the condenser and heat-pump families.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
