How To Fix Dryer Clicks But Will Not Start: Appliance Expert Explains

Dryers are a staple in many homes and may be a godsend on cold, dark days of the year. Dryers get clothes dried up fast and well too. However, sometimes dryers may have issues, such as clicking, but will not start.

Why does your dryer clicks but will not start? Generally, a dryer that clicks but will not start results from issues such as a blown thermal fuse, faulty door switch, defective start switch, broken dryer belt, or a broken idler pulley. You may try to fix it yourself or get professional help to be safe.

According to appliance experts, one of the best ways to diagnose a faulty dryer is to use a multimeter since it can check if there are faulty switches or fuses.

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How Does A Dryer Work?

Stage	Process
Intake	– Intake fan sucks in air from outside. – Air flows in, heated up by the heating element. – Air travels into the dryer, removing moisture from the clothing.
Exhaust	– The exhaust fan sucks moist air from the dryer drum. – Air is filtered through a lint filter. – Hot, moist air leaves the dryer

A dryer works by maximizing three aspects, heat, tumbling, and airflow. The heater generates heat, which a fan moves inside the dryer. The tumbler rotates, allowing the laundry to move around, exposing itself to the hot air. The hot air then helps to remove moisture from the laundry, eventually drying it.

Before we diagnose and try to fix a dryer that clicks but does not start, it may be a good idea to first learn about how a dryer works.

In its most basic, a clothes dryer works by maximizing the effects of three aspects:

Heat: Heat is the essence of a dryer, as, without it, the dryer simply would not be able to function well. Heat is usually generated by the heating element inside the dryer, which may be used to help heat up the air as they are pulled through it.

Tumbling: Tumbling is the action that helps to speed up the drying process. Tumbling is executed by the tumbler of the drum of your dryer. As the tumbler rotates, the baffles in the tumbler help to move and expose the surface of your laundry.

The exposed area may have hot, dry air blown through it, taking the moisture away. As the process is repeated for some time, the laundry eventually dries.

Airflow: Airflow helps to introduce new hot air into the tumbler area and remove the humid air containing moisture from your laundry. This is usually executed by two fans, an intake fan and an exhaust fan.

The intake fan draws outside air into the heating element and heats it up before sending it into the tumbler. The exhaust fan sucks the hot, humid air containing the moisture from the laundry and expels it from the dryer.

The full process of how a dryer works can be explained using the steps below:

Once you turn the switch on, the tumbler starts to turn. The tumbler usually turns one way for about 30 seconds before stopping and turning the other way. This stops your laundry from bunching up.
The intake fan spins, sucking cold air in from the outside.
The cold air gets past the heating element and becomes hot, dry air.
The hot, dry air enters the tumbler, typically through the large holes at the back of the Tumblr. The heat helps the moisture in the laundry to evaporate.
At the same time, the exhaust fan also spins to suck hot, moist air away from the tumbler.
The hot moist air leaves the dryer and passes through a lint filter that catches dust and bits of fluff.
The air continues to travel, passing through a vent hose and expelled. Some modern dryers may condense the moist air using a condenser and then recycle the heat to save energy.

Why Does Your Dryer Clicks But Will Not Start?

Systems	Likely faulty parts
Control	– Start switch – Door switch – Thermal fuse
Dryer Drum/Tumbler	– Dryer belt – Dryer idler pulley

If your dryer clicks but does not start, there may be issues on several parts of your dryer, namely the thermal fuse, door switch, start switch, dryer belt, or the idler pulley. These would be a rather easy fix, but if the issue is deeper such as the drive motor, circuit board, or timer, professional help may be required.

Generally, when a dryer clicks but will not start, it may indicate an issue from either the control or the tumbler. These may be the most common fault points:

Blown Thermal Fuse: Your dryer contains a thermal fuse. It is used primarily as a safety device. If the temperature inside the dryer becomes too hot, it will blow and kill off the dryer’s operation. This is to protect the dryer from becoming too hot and catching fire.

It commonly sits on the blower housing or around the dryer’s heating element. They are rather easy to diagnose with the help of a multimeter. If the fuse is faulty, it is easy to remove and affordable to replace, and replacement fuses should be easily found online in places such as Amazon.

Faulty Door Switch: Similar to the thermal fuse, the door switch is designed to prevent the dryer from operating when the door is open. The door switch is why the dryer stops working when you open the door.

A faulty switch may fail to function properly, making it unable to tell when the door opens or closes. As a result, even if you close the dryer door, the switch fails to disengage, causing the dryer to not operate. A multimeter can be used to confirm this issue.

Defective Start Switch: Many dryers today come with a rotary, or push the start button to turn the dryer on. If the dryer is not starting after you switched on it, the start switch itself may have been the culprit. You may use a multimeter to confirm this issue.

Broken Dryer Belt: The dryer belt is the belt that wraps around the dryer drum, not the tumbler. The dryer belt’s main job is to rotate the drum. It is usually connected to a drive motor and the idler pulley.

The belt may loosen over time as it is made of rubber. It may have snapped. If this is the case, you may need to replace the dryer belt. Fortunately, dryer belts are available online, and you can easily purchase dryer belts for many models and makes of the dryer.

Broken Idler Pulley: The idler pulley forms a triplet with the dryer belt and the drive motor. Together, they turn the dryer tumbler drum. The idler pulley’s main job in that symphony is to secure the belt so the drums can rotate properly. If the idler pulley is broken, cracked, or worn. Chances are your dryer will not start.

How To Fix A Dryer That Clicks But Will Not Start

Fixing a dryer that clicks but will not start begins with identifying the underlying cause. You may be able to confirm the issue with a visual inspection or with the help of a multimeter. You then order the parts and replace them. After that, you run a test to see if the issue is resolved.

Faulty Part	How To Diagnose & Replace
Thermal Fuse	– Open the back or bottom panel. – Remove the fuse. – Check for continuity with a multimeter. – If the reading is not 0 ohm, consider replacing it.
Door Switch	– Open and close the door. – If there is no clicking sound, the switch may be faulty. – Remove the door panel, and remove the switch. – Check for continuity with a multimeter – If the reading is not 0 ohm, consider replacing it.
Start Switch	– Open the top panel. – Remove wires connecting to the start switch. – Check for continuity with a multimeter – If the reading is not 0 ohm, consider replacing it.
Dryer Belt	– Turn the dryer drum. – If there is no resistance, the belt may be faulty. – Open the top and front panels. – Push in the idler pulley and remove the belt. – If the belt is broken or shows signs of wear and tear, consider replacing it.
Idler Pulley	– Turn the dryer drum. – If there is no resistance, the idler pulley may be faulty. – Open the top and front panels. – Push in the idler pulley and remove the belt. – Observe for signs and wear and tear – Spin the wheel. If it is not smooth and quiet, replace it.

You may need basic hand tools such as wrenches, screwdrivers, and a multimeter to diagnose and repair the faulty parts. If you want to be well-prepared for the diagnosis job, consider preparing a multimeter and hand tools kit set.

You may also want to hand your user-guide ready at hand, just in case you need to consult it during the repair process.

Blown Thermal Fuse

To diagnose and confirm if the thermal fuse needs replacing, perform the following steps:

Turn off the power supply, and disconnect the power plug from the source.
Pull out the dryer so that you can access the rear panel. Depending on your model, you need to remove the rear or the bottom panel to access the thermal fuse. Consult your dryer manual for confirmation.
Remove the thermal fuse from the dryer. It should be as simple as using your hands to pull it from its holder.
Use a multimeter to check if the fuse is in working order. Switch the multimeter setting to test for ‘continuity.’
Take the multimeter’s probes and place them at both ends of the fuse.
If the multimeter shows a reading of 0 ohms, then the fuse is working correctly.
If there is no reading, the fuse may be faulty, and it’s best to replace it.

Faulty Door Switch

To diagnose and confirm if the door switch needs replacing, perform the following steps:

Start by manually opening and closing the dryer door, paying attention if there is a clicking sound when the door closes. If there is, it means the switch is likely working.
However, you also want to confirm this by probing it with a multimeter. This means further work is required.
Start by turning off the power supply and unplug the dryer.
Remove the door panel. This may require some screwdrivers. Consult your dryer manual on how to do so.
Move away the wires connected to the door switch.
Answer the door switch from the dryer.
Use a multimeter to test if the switch has continuity. Switch the multimeter to test for ‘continuity.’
Probe both ends of the multimeter probe to the metal parts of the door switch.
If the multimeter shows a reading of 0 ohms, then the switch is working.
If not, the switch may need to be replaced.

Defective Start Switch

To diagnose and confirm if the start switch needs replacing, perform the following steps:

Start by turning off the power supply and unplug the dryer.
You need to access the control panel. In most cases, you need to remove the top panel coverings. Consult your dryer manual on how to do so.
Before you remove any wires, take photos of the wire connectors to ensure you do not connect any of them wrongly later when you reinstall them. You may also use tape and mark the wires the connectors go into.
Use a multimeter to test if the starter switch has continuity. Switch the multimeter to test for ‘continuity.’
Probe both ends of the switch’s terminals.
If the multimeter shows a reading of 0 ohms, then the switch is working.
If not, the switch may need to be replaced.

Broken Dryer Belt

To diagnose and confirm if the dryer belt needs replacing, perform the following steps:

Start by diagnosing if the belt works well. Open up the dryer door, and try to turn the drum.
The drum should turn, and you should feel some resistance as you try to turn it. If there is no resistance, the belt may have broken. You now need to confirm this by visually inspecting the belt.
You can usually access the dryer belt by opening the top cover panel. Consult your dryer manual on how to do so.
Once the top panel is removed, you should be able to visually look at the belt assembly and confirm if the belt is broken.
To fully access the belt, you must remove the control and front door panels. Again, consult your dryer manual on how to do so.
If the belt is broken, simply pull it out from the dryer. If the belt is still engaged, you can release it by moving the idler pulley to release the tension from the belt.
Visually inspect the belt to see signs of wear and tear. If yes, consider replacing them.
When replacing the belt, simply thread the belt along the motor pulley. Move the idler pulley and position the belt. Release the idler pulley to tighten the belt. Consult your dryer manual on how the belt is positioned.

Faulty Idler Pulley