Dryer stopped spinning? Don’t let it leave you all wet. A dryer drum not turning could have several causes, and some are easy to troubleshoot and resolve without professional help.
1. The drive belt is broken.
If your dryer is generating heat but not spinning, the internal drive belt may be broken. The spinning drum in a dryer is operated by a motor. The motor and drum are not in direct contact. A rubber belt loops around the drum and a small pulley on the motor. If the belt snaps or slips off the drum or pulley, there is nothing acting on the drum to make it spin.
To troubleshoot, reach into the dryer and try to spin the drum. You should feel some resistance if the belt is intact. If the drum moves freely with little effort, the belt has likely broken. To confirm, unplug the dryer and open the access panel. If it’s broken, you can find an inexpensive replacement online or in a hardware store.
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2. The idler pulley is damaged.
A broken idler pulley can also keep the drum from spinning. Idler pulleys require lubricant, which can wear down over time. You might notice your dryer making unusual squeaks or other noises when lubricant needs to be reapplied. If you continue to operate the dryer without the pulley turning smoothly, the pulley can eventually break.
You can find the idler pulley by following the drive belt inside the dryer. Replacement pulleys are quite affordable.
3. The drum rollers are overworn.
The bottom of the dryer drum is supported by two or more rollers. If these wear down or fall out of place, the lack of support can keep the drum from spinning. Worn out rollers also tend to make a lot of noise before they entirely fail.
Check the condition of your dryer’s rollers by first unplugging the dryer and opening the machine’s access panel. Carefully remove the drive belt from the drum or pulley. Then try to spin the drum. If it spins without friction or noise, the rollers are probably fine. If the drum does not spin easily, the rollers may need to be replaced.
4. The roller axles need to be replaced.
Dryer rollers are fitted onto axles. If these are worn out or otherwise damaged, the rollers won’t spin, which in turn inhibits the drum from rotating.
If the drum does not spin freely without the belt, and the rollers are not visibly damaged, the axles may need to be replaced. Confirm this by spinning each roller by hand on its axle. If the rollers spin evenly, the axles are probably okay. If the rollers wobble, the axles need to be swapped out.
5. The drum glides are damaged.
The front of the dryer drum is usually supported by plastic glides. These wear down over time from the repeated spinning action. If the glides become too worn, the drum experiences more friction as it spins. This begins to strain the motor. In some cases, the motor will automatically shut down when it senses the increased resistance. In other cases, the motor may continue to work until it burns out.
You may have to remove the front panel of your dryer to check the condition of the glides. When in doubt, consult your user’s manual or specialized resources online.
6. The drum bearing needs to be replaced.
A lubricated bearing supports the drum where it meets the rear of the dryer. Like the glides and rollers, the drum bearing can wear out. You might hear grinding or squeaking coming from the back of the dryer.
If the rollers, axles, and glides seem fine, but the dryer still won’t turn freely by hand, a worn bearing could be the problem.
7. The dryer is overloaded.
If the dryer runs but won’t heat or spin properly, there could simply be too much material in the drum. Wet clothes are substantially heavier than dry clothes. Overloading a dryer with many heavy items can counteract the machine’s ability to rotate the drum.
This problem should be easy enough to troubleshoot. If the dryer not heating or spinning properly occurred seemingly out of the blue, you may have overloaded the machine. Remove a few items and try to run a cycle again.
8. The motor burned out.
If your dryer is not blowing hot air or spinning at all, and you’re confident it isn’t overloaded, the motor may have failed. A bad motor won’t necessarily keep the machine from powering on, but the dryer won’t function.
Replacement motors are more expensive. The part alone can be $100 to $200—or more for high-end models. Installing a new motor usually requires professional help, so you’ll be paying for labor costs as well.
9. There’s no power to the circuit.
Sometimes, appliance trouble is due to an external problem. If your dryer doesn’t power on or appear to draw any power at all, it may not be receiving power from the circuit it is plugged into. After you have confirmed that the dryer’s power cord is plugged in, ensure that the circuit’s breaker has not tripped. A power surge or some other cause of an electrical overload may have overwhelmed the circuit without your knowledge. Check the switch at your breaker box or panel and reset the breaker if necessary.
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10. The internal electronics are faulty.
If you’ve exhausted all the previous troubleshooting steps and you’re still experiencing trouble with your dryer, there could be an internal malfunction with the wiring, circuit board, or some other electrical component. It may be possible to repair the machine, but a professional technician will likely need to diagnose the problem.
As a final note, remember to not neglect the manufacturer’s warranty. If your dryer is still under warranty and isn’t working properly, there’s no need to diagnose the problem yourself. The manufacturer will take care of that for you.
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