The short answer
A dryer that will not start is usually being stopped by the door, the supply or a control state rather than by a failed part. On a compact cabinet those three lead the ranking because they cost nothing to check and because between them they explain most of these calls. What is left after them is behind the cabinet and is service work.
What you observe
- It hums but the drum does not turn — A broken belt or a motor that cannot start, which is service work.
- It starts and stops within a second — A door switch making and breaking as the door flexes.
- It only runs while the start button is held — A motor start circuit that is not latching, which is a known service pattern.
- NEAR MISS: it runs and tumbles but leaves clothes wet — That is a heating or airflow complaint and belongs on a different page.
Causes, most likely first on this appliance
- The door is not latching — The door switch proves the door shut before the motor will run. Ranked first on Danby: a compact dryer moves far less air and carries far less mass than a full-size one, so a restriction or a looseness a big machine would absorb stops a small one outright, and this line spans bar cabinets to apartment units, all of them designed to go where a full-size appliance would not.
- No power, or only half of it — An electric dryer takes both legs of a large-appliance circuit. Ranked second: it is in the middle of the list because it is cheap to rule out and expensive to assume.
- A control lock or a delay start — A child lock engaged by a long press, or a delay timer set by mistake. Ranked third: it ranks below the causes above because it costs more effort, not because it is rare.
- The motor or its start circuit — A motor that hums without turning, or one that runs only while start is held. Ranked last: it is last because on an appliance this size the major components outlive everything around them, and replacing one often costs more than the appliance is worth.
Check in this order, and why
- Close the door firmly and listen for the switch click — A machine that starts after a deliberate close had a door problem and not a control problem.
- Check the breaker and reset it fully — A large-appliance breaker must be pushed fully off before it will reset, and a half-reset breaker is a very common cause of a dead machine.
- Look for a lock symbol or a delay indicator — A machine counting down is not faulty, and the panel usually says so if you look.
What an owner can safely check
- Clean the door catch and strike and close the door firmly — Wipe the catch area, check the strike is not loose, then close the door deliberately rather than gently and try start again.
Tools: soft cloth, screwdriverAbout 15 min
- Switch the breaker fully off and then on again — Push it all the way to off first, then back on, and try the machine before going further.
Tools: torchAbout 10 min
- STOP HERE if the next step needs a meter on live terminals or a panel off — That is where an owner check ends and a service call begins.
Before you open anything
Safety
Switch the machine off at its breaker before reaching inside the cabinet or behind it, and keep it off while your hands are inside. On a gas dryer, shut the gas valve at the machine before moving it, and if you smell gas at any point: do not switch anything on or off, leave the building, and call the gas utility or your emergency services number from outside. Do not look for the leak yourself.
When to call a technician
Call once the breaker, the door, the control lock and the gas valve have all been ruled out, because what is left is the belt, the door switch, the motor or the control. Describe exactly what the machine does when you press start, because a hum, a click and silence lead a technician to three different places.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page covers the Danby dryer as a class, not one model or production run. Any family- or model-specific page for your unit takes precedence over it. Not here: belt, switch and motor part numbers, and the cabinet disassembly sequence for your specific machine.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
