Nine times out of ten, when a dryer stopped working suddenly, the cause is a $15 part and a 45-minute repair. Appliance repair technicians know this, which is why the service call often costs more than the part itself. Before you schedule a $150 visit, run through the diagnostic sequence in this guide. You can confirm most failures in under an hour with a multimeter, a nut driver, and a flashlight. The repairs themselves are within reach of any homeowner who has wired a light switch, and the parts are in stock at appliance parts stores or on Amazon for next-day delivery.
Step One: Confirm You Have Power
Gas dryers still require 120 volts to run the drum motor and controls. Electric dryers need a 240-volt connection. If the dryer is dead (no lights, no beep when you press start), the first suspect is the breaker. A 30-amp double-pole breaker for an electric dryer can trip on one pole while the other stays on, which leaves the controls alive but the heating element dead, or vice versa.
Flip the breaker fully off, then fully on. Check the outlet with a multimeter: you should read 240 volts between the two hot legs and 120 volts from either hot to neutral. If the outlet is dead, the breaker has failed internally or the wiring connection at the panel has loosened.
Step Two: Door Switch
A dryer that makes no sound when you press start but has working lights is almost always a door switch failure. The switch is a small plunger or magnetic sensor inside the door frame that tells the control board the door is closed. When it fails, the dryer refuses to run as a safety lockout.
Open the door and press the switch manually with your finger while someone else hits start. If it runs, the switch button is stuck or the door strike is misaligned. Replacement switches run $8 to $20 and install with two screws after removing the top panel. Whirlpool and GE use similar designs; match the part number printed on the old switch.
Step Three: Thermal Fuse
The thermal fuse is a one-time safety device that blows when the dryer overheats, usually because of a clogged vent. On most models, a blown thermal fuse kills the motor entirely on electric dryers and kills the heat on gas dryers. Locate the fuse on the blower housing or heating element assembly. It is a small white rectangular part with two wire terminals.
Test with a multimeter on continuity setting: a good fuse reads 0 ohms, a blown fuse reads infinite. Replacement fuses cost $5 to $15. Critical next step: the fuse blew for a reason. Before running the dryer again, clean the entire venting system from the dryer to the exterior hood. A second blown fuse within a month means the vent is still restricted.
Step Four: Belt
If the dryer hums or the motor runs but the drum does not turn, the belt has snapped or jumped off the pulleys. The belt is a thin rubber band, roughly 90 inches long for most top-load-style dryers, that wraps around the drum and the motor pulley with a spring-loaded idler to maintain tension. Replacement belts cost $12 to $30 and are specific to the model.
Replacement requires opening the cabinet, which on most Whirlpool, Maytag, and Kenmore models means removing the top panel, the front panel, and the drum. Plan 45 to 90 minutes for your first belt replacement. YouTube has model-specific videos for virtually every dryer made since 1990.
Step Five: Start Switch or Start Capacitor
A dryer that clicks when you press start but does not spin up has either a failed start switch on the control panel or a failed start capacitor on the motor. The start switch is a push-button momentary contact switch that costs $10 to $25. The start capacitor, if your model has one, is a cylindrical component mounted near the motor that helps kick the motor to speed.
Capacitors fail visually (bulging, leaking, or discolored) and electrically. A multimeter with capacitance measurement reads the microfarad value; a failed cap reads zero or wildly out of spec.
Step Six: Motor
A failing motor either hums without turning, runs hot and cuts out after a few minutes, or makes a loud buzzing noise. On direct-drive designs, a seized motor will often trip the breaker immediately. Replacement motors run $90 to $250 and are among the more involved repairs, typically requiring 90 to 150 minutes.
Before replacing the motor, rotate the drum by hand with the belt off. If it grinds or resists, the drum rollers or idler pulley are seized and you are about to kill the new motor too. Replace drum rollers ($20 to $40 per set) and the idler ($15 to $30) at the same time as any motor or belt job.
Step Seven: Heating Element or Gas Valve
If the dryer runs but clothes stay wet, the heat source has failed. On electric dryers, the heating element is a coiled resistance wire inside a metal housing at the back. Test terminals with a multimeter on resistance: a good element reads 8 to 15 ohms. Open circuit means the coil has broken. Replacement elements run $35 to $90 and install with three to four screws.
On gas dryers, the most common failure is the igniter (glows but does not light the gas) or the gas valve coils (click but do not open the valve). Igniters cost $20 to $45, gas valve coils $25 to $50 per set. Both are diagnosable by watching the sequence through the lint filter housing during a cycle.
Step Eight: Vent and Airflow
A dryer that takes two cycles to dry one load has not failed. It is choked. Check the lint screen first, then the lint trap housing, then the transition hose behind the dryer, then the full vent run to the exterior. A clogged vent is the leading cause of both premature component failure and house fires.
Disconnect the vent hose from the dryer and run a cycle. If dry time returns to normal, the vent is restricted. Clean with a rotary brush kit ($25 to $40) or pay a professional duct cleaner $100 to $200 for a full service.
Step Nine: Control Board
Control board failures are rare on dryers built before 2015 and increasingly common on smart dryers. Symptoms include random resets, stuck error codes, cycles that will not start, and displays that flicker. Replacement boards run $120 to $400 and require matching the exact revision number. Before buying a board, pull it out and inspect for burned traces or a blown surface-mount fuse, which can sometimes be repaired for under $5.
When to Call a Pro
Call a licensed technician for any gas line work, any repair that requires opening the sealed burner assembly, or any symptom that includes a burning smell that persists after the vent is cleaned. A $120 service call is worth it when the alternative is a gas leak or a house fire. Otherwise, most dryer repairs are within DIY reach and save hundreds per failure.
