Your Tumble Dryer Is Not Rotating

In order to dry your wet clothes and linen, the drum on your appliance rotates, and this rotation is driven by a motor. If one of the components involved in this process develops a fault, the tumble dryer will no longer be able to turn. Here, we provide you with a detailed explanation of the various issues that can prevent your appliance from turning.

THE POTENTIAL CAUSES FOR THIS FAULT:

• There is an issue with the electricity supply to the appliance

• The control panel is locked or deactivated

• The door safety lock is not operating properly

• The safety thermostat has tripped

• The drive belt is broken

• The capacitor is faulty

• The drain pump is blocked

• The motor is damaged

• The main circuit board (PCB) is defective

WARNING
Before you do anything to your appliance, make sure you disconnect it from the power supply.
There is a risk of electric shock.
Wear suitable protective gloves if you need to dismantle anything.
There is a risk of getting cut or injured.

There is an issue with the electricity supply to the appliance

If your tumble dryer stops part way through the drying cycle or won't start at all, this could be due to an issue with the electric supply. If this is the case, the drum will, of course, be prevented from turning and the motor won't be able to run. An absence of an electricity supply can sometimes be due to a power cut in your local area. If this is the case, you'll simply need to wait for your electricity provider to re-establish the power. It's also possible that the circuit the tumble dryer is plugged into is the only one without power. If this is the case, the fuse or circuit breaker that protects the circuit must have blown/tripped due to it having too many appliances plugged into it. To re-establish the current, first unplug some of the appliances from the circuit, then reset the circuit breaker or change the fuse. A loss of power supply can also be caused by a faulty cable (due to cutting, melting, breakage, etc.). If this is the case, the power cord will need to be replaced.

The control panel is locked or deactivated

The control panel enables you to select the drying programme and also provides other functions that can prevent the appliance from operating. One of these is the child lock feature, which enables you to deactivate the buttons on the panel. Another is the delay start function, which allows you to set your appliance to come on at a specific time. These two options need to be checked to make sure they aren't preventing your tumble dryer from coming on. The control panel is also used to display fault/error codes composed of letters or numbers and LED lights that flash on and off when a problem occurs. If the panel is faulty, you will need to replace it.

The door safety lock is not operating properly

An improperly closed door is another potential issue that could explain why your tumble dryer will no longer turn. If the door isn't closed correctly, it will prevent both the motor from running and the drum from turning. Sometimes, the problem can be caused by an issue with the safety lock or one of its components. Is the safety lock failing to engage, even though you've properly closed the door by pushing it all the way shut? This could be explained by the door hook not engaging properly with the catch. Faulty door locks are often caused by the door being forced shut, by an impact of some kind, or simply by wear and tear over time. Whatever the cause is, to resolve the issue you will need to change the faulty component.

The safety thermostat has tripped

The safety thermostat is a type of thermal safety device. Usually, these are not resettable. If the safety thermostat gets tripped, it will stop the tumble dryer heating up; and on some models it will also switch the appliance off and prevent it from being turned back on. The thermostat will trip if the appliance overheats, if the drive belt snaps, if the motor stops working, etc. You can easily check and test it using a multimeter in ohmmeter mode. First, find out where the safety thermostat is located (it will normally be behind the drum, close to the heating element). Next, disconnect all the connectors and place the meter's two probes on the thermostat's two terminals to check it definitely has continuity. Some types of thermostat can be reset. These tend to have either a small button on top or a hole into which something small and thin, such as the end of a paperclip, has to be inserted to produce the reset 'click'. For your own safety, it is essential to replace the thermostat rather than reset it. If the safety thermostat trips, it will likely be another component on your appliance that is actually causing the fault. Be sure, therefore, to check the other parts on your tumble dryer.

The drive belt is broken

The drive belt enables the drum to turn. If it snaps, the drum will stop turning, and this may cause the thermal cut-off to trip. Drive belts can break due to components that support the drum getting stuck or jammed (e.g. felt seals, bearing pads or bearings), or due to the combined weight of the items you put in the appliance. We advise you not to exceed the weight limits indicated by the manufacturer. Important: the weight limit indicated on the appliance applies to wet clothes and linen, not dry items.

Purchase a drive belt for your Tumble Dryer

The capacitor is faulty

The capacitor stores the electric charge needed to get the motor started. If it's faulty, the motor will produce a 'growling' sound and will no longer be able to run. To verify that the capacitor is the cause, simply push the drum with your hand to try to get it turning at the point when the motor seems to be struggling. If the motor then starts running, this means there's a strong possibility that the capacitor is faulty. It will therefore need to be replaced.

The drain pump is blocked

On condenser tumble dryers, the drain pump serves to evacuate the water produced by the condensation that takes place inside the appliance. If the pump is blocked or jammed, the safety float will end up activating and, after a few minutes, will trip into safety mode. If this occurs, the drain pump will no longer operate and will then need to be checked. If it's not blocked or obstructed and still won't operate, the pump is the cause of the problem and will need to be changed.

Purchase a drain pump for your Tumble Dryer

The motor is damaged

The motor on a tumble dryer enables the appliance's drum to turn. If it's electrical coil is damaged, or if it gives off a hot smell and makes a whirring sound, it will no longer be able to operate. If this is happening in your case, you will need to replace the motor.

The main circuit board (PCB) is defective

The circuit board manages all your tumble dryer's functions (i.e. motor, heating, etc.). If everything else detailed above has been checked, it may be that the circuit board needs replacing. You can either do this yourself or call on the services of a manufacturer-approved engineer.