We use technology everyday that makes our lives much easier and take care of all the mundane tasks that would otherwise waste hours. Therefore it is crucial for us to be careful when we choose to get a new home appliance.
One such appliance is the dryer and in order to learn how to troubleshoot it, follow along!
Why whirlpool duet dryer won’t start?
There could be a number of reasons why your whirlpool duet dryer does not start and the problems can be troubleshooted. The reason behind a dysfunctioning whirlpool duet dryer is usually faulty power source, defected door switch, bad motor, faulty thermal fuse or problems with the dyer’s settings.
The Whirlpool Duet Dryer comes with a plethora of functionalities to handle all of your household’s needs. It is also very efficient at doing its work while saving time and energy.
It can dry a load in just 30 minutes and dries them thoroughly by the use of moisture and other sensors.
However, despite all the facilities and the functionalities – the dryer can act up and stop functioning due to many reasons after months or years of use. Most common problems that prevents the whirlpool duet dryer from starting are:
Faulty power source:
With a damaged or faulty power source or connection, your dryer will not get enough power to turn on, let alone function. Sometimes these problems may be due to the cord or the power unit of the dryer which can be fixed by replacing them.
But if your household circuit breaker got turned off, you can turn them on and continue using the dryer as usual.
Defected door switch:
Dryers have safety measures that prevent the dryer from running if the door isn’t closed. However, if the latch is defected and the door is loose then the dryer will not start.
This can be diagnosed by listening for a ticking sound – if there are no sounds, then the door switch is defective.
Bad motor:
Since the dryer’s critical operating component is the motor, a faulty motor would fail to turn the drum and thus the dryer would not function. Motors are not usually known to go bad, therefore you should only replace the motor if all the other components have been checked.
Faulty thermal fuse:
The thermal fuse is also another key component that gets overlooked often and if it is faulty, the entire dryer would stop functioning. The thermal fuse is important because it makes sure the dryer doesn’t get damaged from overheating.
So if a safety component such as the thermal fuse is bad, then then it is risky to run the dryer – which is why it stops functioning.
Problems with the dyer’s settings:
Although this is not a problem, there are some modes in the dryer that cause the dryer to start after a delay. So you can read the user manual to change the settings to suit your needs.
What do you do when your Whirlpool dryer won’t start?
When your whirlpool dryer does not start, there are several diagnoses that you could do to check what’s wrong:
Checking the power source:
Check whether the power source is working correctly by unplugging your dryer and using a multimeter to check the flow of electricity in the sockets.
In case of three prong sockets, you need to check the voltage in two of the ports while you need to check three ports for a four prong socket. If there is no power in one of them, the power source needs repair.
Checking the door switch:
A faulty door switch will not allow the dryer to operate. You can check it by pressing the door switch and listening for a ticking noise.
Or you can open the dryer lid, unplug the wire connection to the door switch and check with a multimeter if the reading is 0 Ohm when the door is closed.
Checking the thermal fuse:
The thermal fuse is located at the back of the dryer and can blow if excessive current flows through it.
So you can check it by unplugging one of its terminals and then place a multimeter across it – if there is a reading, then the thermal fuse is functioning well, if not then the fuse needs replacement.
Where is the Whirlpool duet dryer reset button? Where do I find the error code on my Whirlpool Duet dryer?
Usually there is no reset button in a whirlpool dryer – although having a reset button would make it easy to solve some settings related problems but the manufacturers excluded it for a specific reason.
Since most problems of the dryer cannot simply be fixed by resetting it, therefore the inclusion of a reset button was unnecessary.
Alternatively, you can manually check the error code of the dryer according to the blinking pattern of the start button. These error codes are found in the user manual that comes along with the dryer.
The manual specifies what each blinking pattern means and how to resolve them.
However, if you have lost possession of the user manual, you can call their helpline or visit their product helper website where they have the digital version of the user manual according to the dryer model.
How do I reset my Whirlpool Duet dryer?
The lack of a reset button on whirlpool duet dryers make it a tedious process to reset it. However, you can easily reset your dryer if you follow the steps below:
Unplug the dryer:
To make sure there is no power in the dryer, unplug the dryer from the power source or you can also turn off all the circuit breakers that are connected to the dryer. In other words, make sure the dryer is completely separated from any source of power.
Make sure there’s no power supply:
To ensure that there is no power supply connected to the dryer, you can check the dryer and press some of the buttons for further confirmation. No lights should remain turned on and there should be no sounds upon pressing any buttons.
Wait for at least 10 minutes:
Once you make sure there’s no power in the dryer, you should leave the dryer be as it is for 10 mins to an hour. You can also disconnect the dryer and leave it overnight to make sure all the power from the dryer has dissipated to fully reset the dryer.
Reconnect the dryer to the power source:
Finally reconnect the dryer to the power source or turn on all the circuit breakers and check whether or not the old problems still persist – if it does, contact whirlpool’s technicians.
Why whirlpool duet dryer won’t start just beep?
If your whirlpool duet dryer sends out beeping noises means that there is some error that is preventing the dryer from operating.
You can usually find the meaning of the beeps by looking up the pattern in the user manual – but in the case of only 3 beeps, it generally means that the dryer’s door is not shut properly or the door switch is faulty.
If the door was shut properly but the beeping problem persists, then you need to check the door switch. You can do so by opening the lid of the dryer and looking for the wires connecting the door switch located at the edge of the dryer.
Disconnect the wires and then use a multimeter across the white and blue wires while keeping the door shut. If the reading is not approximately 0 Ohm, then the door switch is faulty and needs replacing.
When I push the start button on my whirlpool duet dryer nothing happens?
If all the lights on your whirlpool dryers are on and the dryer seems to have a power in it but refuses to operate, then there could be several issues that’s preventing the dryer from working.
Such as a damaged power cord connecting the timer to the motor, faulty start switch or a blown thermal fuse.
In case of a broken power cord and faulty start button, you can open the dashboard and use a multimeter to check whether they are functioning – if they are not, you need to replace them with new parts.
For thermal fuses, use a multimeter across its terminals to check for a flow of current, if there’s none – then you need to replace the thermal fuse as well.
Final Thoughts
There are a variety of reasons why your whirlpool duet dryer won’t start, and the issues can be fixed. A faulty power source, a defective door switch, a poor motor, a failed thermal fuse, or problems with the dryer’s settings are the most common causes of a malfunctioning whirlpool duet dryer.