Note whether the failure coincides with the washer
Run the dryer alone and see whether it starts. Then run it while the washer is heating. If it works in the first case and not the second, the appliances are competing for a circuit, and the answer is an electrical one rather than a repair. It is also a finding worth acting on: a circuit repeatedly loaded to its limit is not a stable situation.
What you find
- The dryer is dead only while the washer is running — The correlation that identifies a shared circuit.
- A breaker trips when both machines heat at once — The protection doing exactly its job.
- The dryer works perfectly when used alone — It exonerates the appliance completely.
- Both appliances plug into the same outlet or an adapter — The condition that makes this possible, and it is visible.
- The dryer is dead whatever else is happening — Not this fault, and the ordinary supply checks apply.
- NEAR MISS: lights dimming when the dryer starts — A supply question rather than a dryer fault.
Ranked for an intermittent dead dryer
- A shared circuit reaching its limit — First. Two heating appliances together can exceed what a single circuit was designed for, and the protection removes the supply.
- An extension lead or multi-way adapter — Second. It is not made for sustained heavy loads and it becomes the weak point long before the wiring does.
- A breaker that has tripped and looks on — Third. It explains a dryer that stays dead after the event until the breaker is properly cycled.
- An appliance fault — Last, and it is indicated when the dryer is dead regardless of what else is running.
Test alone, test together, then call
- Run the dryer by itself and confirm it works — It establishes that the appliance is sound.
- Run it while the washer is heating — It reproduces the fault deliberately, which is what makes it diagnosable.
- Look at what both machines are plugged into — An adapter or a shared outlet is visible and is a finding on its own.
- Call an electrician if the correlation holds — The fault is in the installation rather than either appliance.
Owner steps
- Run the dryer alone with the washer switched off — If it starts and runs normally, the appliance itself is fine.
About 15 min
- Start a hot wash and then try the dryer — Reproducing the fault on purpose is the whole test, and it takes one wash.
Tools: notepadAbout 20 min
- Ease both machines out and look at what each is plugged into — A shared outlet or an adapter behind them is a finding regardless of this fault.
Tools: flashlightAbout 15 min
- Switch the breaker fully off and on if the dryer stays dead — A breaker that tripped during the overlap needs cycling fully, not inspecting.
About 10 min
- STOP before any socket, plug or appliance panel is opened — That is electrician's work, and a laundry room is a wet environment.
Before touching anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel, and switch off at the breaker before handling a plug that has been warm. Never run a dryer from an extension lead. Never reset a breaker repeatedly. Dry any water on the floor before working, since a wet floor beside an energised appliance is a hazard in itself.
When to call
Call an electrician when the dryer works alone and fails alongside the washer, since the circuit rather than the appliance is the problem. Call about any warm plug or socket regardless. Say what you found in the two tests: a fault reproduced on demand is far easier to resolve than one described from memory.
Nearest pages of this class
Scope of this page
Written for the GE Profile dryer class rather than one model line. Circuits and outlets belong to the building rather than the appliance, and a qualified electrician is the authority on what a laundry room needs.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
