I use my dryer a lot in the winter, and one day my Whirlpool dryer wouldn’t start. I managed to get it working again by researching how to fix it. So, I thought I’d summarize what I found in this article.
The most common reason is that the door catch isn’t creating a connection that tells your dryer the door is closed. You can check this easily yourself by opening the door, and pressing the door latch in with your finger and trying to turn it on. If it does you may need to repair the latch.
It’s also possible to use a makeshift solution just to do one load, and then fix it up at a later time. For example, you could hold the door closed with a chair, or tape it in place so that it will run.
There are a range of ways to fix it if it’s not the door latch. So, below I’ll explain step by step what you should do when your Whirlpool dryer won’t start.
Whirlpool Dryer Won’t Start
There are a few steps involved to fix a Whirlpool dryer and I’ll explain how to check the latch in more detail. Here’s a list of what you should check:
- The door latch should register that the dryer is closed
- Check the control lock is off
- Ensure your pressed the start button long enough
- Inspect your home fuse box/circuit board
- Ensure no clothing is stuck in the door
- Make sure it’s on the right cycle
To perform each one of these steps here’s what you should do.
Step 1: The door latch should register that the dryer is closed
If the dryer thinks the door is still open it won’t start. The latch and the door are some of the most used parts of your dryer and therefore the latch can be extra worn, or be slightly out of place.
As the door closes a latch on the door presses in a button that registers that it’s closed. But, if the latch is slightly damaged, the door won’t stay closed, or won’t close all the way.
Close the door of your dryer as you normally would but observe whether the door is flat against the dryer all the way around. The door can be slightly ajar when it’s completely closed because of the door being out of shape, or the latch being broken.
Also, inspect the latch to see if it’s broken.
You may need to press more firmly on the door to get it to click, or hold it closed in the meantime until you can have someone replace the door or the latch.
If the door closes completely but it still won’t start then move on to the next step.
Step 2: Check the control lock is off
There is a control lock on many Whirlpool dryers. When the control lock is on your dryer won’t start. It will show a red key on the digital display. To turn the control lock off hold down the control lock button for 3 seconds, and the red key lock will disappear.
Then attempt to start your Whirlpool dryer. If you’re unable to locate your Whirlpool lock button then refer to the user manual for your Whirlpool dryer. The official Whirlpool website makes it very easy to find the manual for your dryer.
Step 3: Ensure you pressed the start button long enough
There are 3 ways that you can start a Whirlpool dryer: either you’ll have a ‘Start’ button, a ‘Push to Start’ button, or one that says ‘Hold to Start’. With any of these types of buttons you need to hold the button down for 2 to 5 seconds in order for it to start.
Also, if your hands are wet the touchscreen won’t work. Much like a smartphone. Therefore, ensure your hands and the touchscreen are dry before pressing the buttons.
Step 4: Inspect your home fuse box/circuit board
As you may know, when there is a power surge a fuse will blow and protect any appliances connected to that power point.
So, you should visually inspect your circuit board to see if any fuses have been blown. Fuses can have an on and off position. And you can simply turn it back on if it switched off because of a power surge.
In older circuit boards you will visually be able to see the fuse wire, or there may be a black residue around the fuse. It’s always important to be extremely careful when working with fuses, and if you’re at all unsure it’s best to have someone with handyman experience, or an electrician to check it for you.
Step 5: Ensure no clothing is stuck in the door
This step is related to ensuring the door is closed all the way. If part of a garment is caught in the door the door may click shut but might not be closed all the way. Do a quick check to see that none of the clothing is stuck in the door, and push it back in if it is.
Then attempt to start your dryer again.
Step 6: Make sure it’s on the right cycle
There are different cycles on a Whirlpool dryer. Certain models won’t start if it is set to the ‘Wrinkle Shield’ setting. Ensure that your dyer is set to Time Dry Cycle, Accudry, or Automatic Dry. And then try to start your dryer again.
Whirlpool Dryer Won’t Start and Beeps
A Whirlpool dryer can also beep when you attempt to start it and it won’t start. When that happens here’s what causes it and how to fix it.
Generally, you should check the control panel on the front of your dryer to see if there is an error code. If there is an error code, then you can find what it means using your user manual or on the official Whirlpool error code page. Other than that, there are a range of checks you should perform.
You can access the Whirlpool error code page here. For example, an F06 error code means a door lock fault.
If there is NO error code there are some steps that I have explained above in detail which you should do, to troubleshoot your dryer. Simply scroll up to the top where it says ‘1. The door latch should register that the dryer is closed’.
Whirlpool Dryer Won’t Start Sensing Lights on
When the lights on your Whirlpool dryer you know it should be working just fine. But, if it won’t start then it’s usually because of the following reasons.
If your fingers or the control pad are wet the touchscreen won’t work. So, you should ensure that your fingers and the control pad are completely dry. Also, you need to ensure that you press down the button for long enough. You need to press and hold the start button for 2 to 5 seconds.
Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on August 4, 2021.
If you tried both of the above, and it still won’t start it’s best to run through some troubleshooting steps in order until you get it working again. I have explained the additional steps you should take in detail at the start of this article. Scroll to the top and work through each step to get your Whirlpool Dryer to start.
If you try all of the steps and it still isn’t working, then it’s best to hire a technician to repair it for you.
Related Articles
Whirlpool Dryer Has Spin Problems
Whirlpool Dryer Heat Up Problems
Whirlpool Dryer Won’t Work (Thermal Fuse/Timer/Knob/Keypad Problems)
Whirlpool Dryer Thermal Fuse Problems/Troubleshooting
Whirlpool Dryer Timer Not Working/Troubleshooting
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on August 4, 2021.
Whirlpool Dryer Not Heating (How to Fix)
How To Fix Whirlpool Dryer Beeping/Buzzing
Whirlpool Dryer Turns On By Itself (How to Fix)
Whirlpool Dryer Not Heating (How to Fix)
Whirlpool Dryer Not Tumbling (How to Fix)
ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on August 4, 2021.