The short answer
On a machine of this generation the start chain is mechanical from end to end, and the parts in it fail in ways you can hear and feel. Ranked first on this platform: The door not latching. The checks below follow that ranking, and the first of them need no tools and no panel removed.
What you observe
- The panel responds and the machine does nothing when start is pressed — A responsive panel with no action is a permission problem.
- The machine stopped dead after a load that ran unusually long or hot — A permanent stop after a hot load is a thermal device.
- It starts sometimes, or only if the button is pressed hard or held — An intermittent start that responds to technique is a worn contact.
- NEAR MISS — the motor runs but the drum does not turn — That is a broken belt, and it is a different fault from a machine that will not start at all.
Causes, most likely first on this platform
- The door not latching — A dryer will not start until its door switch says the door is shut. It ranks first on this platform because the door switch is a simple mechanical contact that has been operated tens of thousands of times, and a worn one gives a machine that starts if you press the door in and does nothing if you do not.
- A thermal cut-out or thermal fuse — On many machines the same thermal fuse that protects against overheating also sits in the motor circuit, so when it opens the machine will not start at all. It ranks second here because the dryer is a vented machine with a belt-driven drum turning on felt seals and plastic glides, every one of which is a consumable part.
- The start button or the cycle selector — Start buttons are pressed thousands of times and selector switches are turned as often. Ranked third: worth checking once the causes above have come back clean.
- The supply, or half of it — An electric dryer on a two-pole circuit can lose one side and still light its panel. A tripped half-breaker, a loose connection or a switched outlet leaves a machine that looks alive and will not run. Ranked fourth: worth checking once the causes above have come back clean.
Check in this order, and why
- Push the door firmly closed and listen for the switch click — Free, immediate, and it is the most common answer. It leads because it tests the top-ranked cause.
- Ask what the last successful load was like before the machine died — The history is the diagnosis here. Tests the second-ranked cause.
- Note whether it ever starts, and what you did differently when it did — The pattern is the evidence. Tests the third-ranked cause.
What an owner can safely check
- Close the door firmly and press start; then try holding the door in while you press — A machine that starts while you hold the door has told you what is wrong.
About 10 min
- Reset the double breaker fully, then test the outlet with another appliance — If the breaker will not hold, stop there and call.
About 10 min
- STOP here if the next step needs a meter on live terminals or a sealed panel off — That is where an owner check ends. Write down what each check showed and hand it to the technician.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the dryer or switch off its breaker before removing any panel; on a gas machine close the gas shut-off valve too.
When to call a technician
Call once the door, the controls and the supply are all eliminated, because what is left is a switch, a thermal cut-out or a motor and all three are behind a panel.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page is written for the Moffat dryer as a class, not for one family or one model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists for your unit, that page is the more specific answer and the one to read first. Deliberately not here: part numbers, wiring colours and disassembly order, which differ by family.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
