The short answer
Dead means supply: breaker, plug or cord. Lit but silent usually means the door switch, which is the most common single cause on a dryer. A hum with no drum movement means the belt has broken or the motor is not turning, and both are internal repairs.
Which one is yours
- No lights, no sound at all — A supply problem.
- Panel lit, nothing happens on start — Door switch, child lock or start switch.
- A hum with no drum rotation — Broken belt or a motor that will not turn.
- It ran, stopped, and will not restart until it cools — A thermal device, and the vent needs checking.
- It starts only if the door is pushed hard — The door switch is marginal.
- Not this fault: it runs but does not heat — That is the not-heating page.
Ranked for this class of machine
- Door switch worn or not being pressed — First on any dryer with power and no movement.
- Breaker tripped or one supply leg lost — Second, and easy to check at the panel.
- Thermal fuse opened after an overheat — Third, and the vent restriction behind it is the real fault.
- Belt broken — Fourth, and it produces the classic hum without rotation.
- Child lock or a start button that must be held — Fifth, and free to clear.
- Motor or start switch failed — Last, and the point at which it is service work.
Check in this order
- Listen: dead, silent or humming — It is the whole branch decision.
- Open and close the door firmly and press start again — The door switch is the leading cause.
- Check the breaker, both poles — A lost leg is a common and confusing fault.
- Turn the drum by hand — A drum that spins with no resistance suggests a broken belt.
Owner checks
- Close the door firmly and press and hold start — Some machines require the button held for a moment.
About 5 min
- Switch the breaker fully off and on once — Check both poles on an electric dryer.
About 10 min
- Turn the drum by hand and feel for belt resistance — A free-spinning drum with a humming motor is a broken belt.
About 10 min
- Check for a child lock indication and clear it — It survives power cycles and is easily missed.
About 5 min
- Clean the lint filter and duct if the machine stopped while hot — A thermal device may have opened, and the cause is airflow.
Tools: duct brushAbout 45 min
- Stop before replacing a fuse, switch, belt or motor — All of them sit behind panels with mains wiring and lint.
Before any panel is removed
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Never hold or defeat a door switch to make a dryer run with the door open, never bridge a thermal fuse, and on a gas dryer, if you smell gas: do not switch anything on or off, leave the building, and call the gas utility or your emergency number from outside. Do not look for the leak yourself.
When to call
Call when the breaker is sound, the door closes firmly and the machine still does nothing, because the door switch, the start switch and the thermal fuse are all internal. Call as well for a hum with no rotation, which is a belt or a motor. If the machine stopped while hot and will not restart, mention the vent: a technician will want the duct cleared as part of the repair.
Other faults on this dryer
Scope of this page
Generalized across dryer families and fuel types under this badge; where a family-specific or model-specific page exists it is the narrower answer. Not here: fuse ratings, switch and belt part numbers, motor specifications and the wiring arrangements that differ between platforms.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
