The short answer
The usual answer on this unit is a door switch that is not making contact, with no power, or half the supply lost next. Both are free to check and neither needs the machine opened. The early checks cost nothing and this page stops before any panel comes off.
What you are looking at
- Nothing at all happens when start is pressed — No power, or the circuit is interrupted somewhere before the motor.
- It runs only when the door is pressed firmly — The door switch is not making contact on its own.
- NEAR MISS: it runs but does not heat — Read the heating page for this unit instead.
Causes, most likely first on this unit
- A door switch that is not making contact — No dryer will run with the door reading open. The switch is pressed by the door on every cycle, and the plastic actuator wears until it no longer closes the contact reliably. Ranked first on this unit: it is operated every single cycle and it is a mechanical contact, which makes it the part that fails first on almost every dryer, which counts for more here because this is a nameplate you will not find a service bulletin for, so the ranking below is built from the failure modes of the class rather than from a model-specific note.
- No power, or half the supply lost — A dryer runs its motor and its heat from different sides of the supply. Next, and for a closely related reason: the breaker can look perfectly normal and still be half tripped, which makes this the check to do properly rather than by eye.
- A worn start switch or push-to-start contact — The start button carries the motor circuit until the motor is running. Third, once the two above are clean: it carries current every cycle and its failure is gradual, which is why it announces itself long before it stops working.
- A failed motor, centrifugal switch or control — A motor with a failed start winding hums and does not turn even with a good belt. Bottom of the list, deliberately: everything above it is free, obvious and far more likely, and because this needs a meter.
The order to check in
- Close the door and press it firmly while pressing start — If it runs when you lean on the door, you have found it.
- Switch the dryer breaker fully off, then back on — A breaker that has half tripped does not look tripped.
- Press and hold start rather than pressing and releasing — If holding it works, the switch is the fault.
The checks you can make yourself
- Close the door firmly, press start, then press the door harder and listen — Check the actuator on the door is not worn or missing.
About 10 min
- Switch the dryer breaker fully off and on again, and check the plug and socket for heat damage — A scorched plug is a reason to stop and call.
Tools: a torchAbout 15 min
- STOP HERE if the next step is inside the cabinet or on the gas train — Burners, valves and igniters are not owner work on any gas appliance.
Read this before you touch it
Safety
Unplug the dryer or drop its breaker before a panel comes off, and close the gas valve at the appliance before you move a gas machine. If you smell gas: do not switch anything on or off, leave the building, and call the gas utility or emergency services from outside. Do not look for the leak yourself. Lint packed against a heat source is the real hazard in this appliance, which is why airflow is treated as urgent and not as maintenance.
The line between a fix and a service call
Call once the door switch, the breaker, the start button and the belt are all confirmed and the machine still will not run, because what is left is the fuse, the motor or the control and all three need a meter. Call immediately if the plug or socket is scorched, if the machine trips its breaker, or if there is a burning smell.
Where to go next in this class
What is deliberately not on this page
This page covers the Westbend dryer as a class, not one family or model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists it is linked here. Deliberately not here: belt lengths, switch part numbers, fuse ratings, motor specifications and any panel removal sequence, all of which differ by family and belong on the page for that family.
Links: - [Why a Westbend refrigerator runs but will not get cold](/blog/westbend-refrigerator-cooling-failure) - [Westbend freezer noise: what is normal and what is not](/blog/westbend-freezer-abnormal-noise) - [Why a West Bend dryer will not start](/blog/west-bend-dryer-wont-start)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
