Tumble Dryer Not Turning
The tumble dryer is a most convenient appliance to have in your home - perfect for those days when you need to quickly dry that favourite top, pair of trousers or even when you're dangerously low on the clean underwear front.
Like a washing machine, the tumble dryer drum needs to turn in order for it to perform the job it was designed for. If it can no longer complete the straightforward task of drying your garments sufficiently, it could leave you with damp clothes that you are then not able to wear as you had intended.
We have investigated the main causes as to why your tumble dryer is not spinning, and hopefully, we have identified the fault you are being faced with. With this article, we will provide you with some insight on how to get your tumble dryer spinning once again.
Drive Belt
The drum belt in your dryer is the driving force to rotating the drum - when broken the tumble dryer will continue to heat and make the same noises leading you to believe all is well. However your clothing in the drum will remain stationary resulting in your clothes looking, feeling and smelling damp. The main reason which may cause the drum belt to fail is down to the appliance being overloaded!
To check that your drive belt is loose, or snapped follow these simple steps.
Safety First! Please make sure that you have disconnected the appliance from the mains before beginning any repair.
- With the top of the dryer off, you should see the drive belt tightly fitted around the centre of the drum.
- If it is loose and lifts away it may have come away from the tension pulley or motor.
- If it can be lifted away with ease this then will indicate the belt is broken and require replacing.
However please note that if the belt is tight, check where it is connected to the motor - there could be another belt that drives a pulley then the main belt.
If you do require a new drive belt then take a look through our online catalogue of tumble dryer spares.
If you wish to have a go at replacing the faulty or broken belt take a look at our how to guide.
Motor Capacitor
A motor capacitor sits close to the motor which normally has two windings, the sole purpose of the capacitor is to allow the voltage to pass in the correct phase to drive the motor. As your appliance gets older the capacitor can fail and slowly reduce in power until the motor can no longer start turning.
You can identify a faulty capacitor by performing two simple checks:
Safety First! Please make sure that you have disconnected the appliance from the mains before beginning any repair.
- If the motor emits a loud buzzing sound the capacitor may have shorted and require replacement.
- Using a multimeter (see our guide on how to correctly use a meter here) check for continuity, if the capacitor is faulty and you will get a reading less than 1 ohm
- If the motor does not start or starts slowly then the capacitor may be faulty and therefore would require replacing.
For a replacement capacitor see our range of tumble dryer spares to get your appliance back up and running.
To see how to replace your faulty capacitor, view our guide to see how.
Drum Bearings
If checking the capacitor and the belt all seem fine, your tumble dryer not spinning could be down to a fault with the bearings. On some dryers it has been identified that the rear bearings can wear through until the drum shaft rests on the rear cabinet panel. If left the shaft can cut through allowing the drum to drop and stop turning.
To inspect your tumble dryer’s bearing you can:
Safety First! Please make sure that you have disconnected the appliance from the mains before beginning any repair.
- Remove the top of your dryer and check that the drum can be turned - apply a little hand pressure.
- If the drum is stuck and appears to slope from the front to the back.
- Check the rear bearing for signs of wear or damage
If you can clearly identify that the bearings are faulty then you will need to replace them - you can browse our online catalogue for replacement bearings here.
To see how to replace the bearings see our video and get your dryer working like new.
Pulleys
Like everything the pulleys inside your tumble dryer will wear and when it does the belt may eventually come off. When this happens you will be stuck with a tumble that no longer turns, you can access the pulley to assess the fault further.
Safety First! Please make sure that you have disconnected the appliance from the mains before beginning any repair.
- Remove the top and side panels of the dryer.
- Locating the pulley, carefully remove the drum belt to gain access to the pulley.
- If there is a heavy amount of play when pressure is applied then this is a sign that the bearings are worn and the pulley will require replacing.
If you don’t already own a replacement dryer pulley, see our range of tumble dryer spares to get the part you need to have your dryer back as good as new.
For a more detailed look into replacing the worn pulley see our video guide.