Your Dryer may suddenly stop spinning due to incoming power issues or a malfunctioning component. In case your Whirlpool dryer not spinning, you should remain calm and start analyzing different components to figure out what went wrong. I’ve written this guide to help you identify the problem and fix it as quickly as possible.

Check Your Power Supply

The first thing that you should check is whether the dryer has power. There’s a huge difference between a running dryer that won’t spin and one that doesn’t even start. In case your machine won’t start, it’s likely due to an incoming power problem.

Is Your Dryer Plugged In

It may sound too obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people think their dryer is broken before they figure out that it’s not plugged in. Before you do anything, make sure that your dryer is plugged into the power source.

Is Your Circuit Breaking Off

How many appliances are you running at the same time? If you turn on too many of them, you may overload the power circuit in your home. In this case, you should first turn off every appliance on the circuit. Now go to your circuit breaker board and reset the tripped circuit breaker to get your dryer to run again.

Has Your Thermal Fuse Tripped

The thermal fuse is an amazing component present in every modern appliance. It’s essentially a safety feature that trips whenever it detects that an appliance is overheating. Your dryer will never reach extreme temperatures because there is a thermal fuse installed in it. This component minimizes the risk of a fire breaking out due to an increasing temperature in your dryer. But when it trips, you’ll need to replace it before you can use your dryer again.

Here’s a great video on how to test a thermal fuse with a multimeter.

7 Reasons Why Your Whirlpool Dryer Not Spinning

When it’s not an incoming power problem preventing your dryer from running, it’s likely due to components like drive belts and roller axles. Here are the parts you’ll need to check to find out why your dryer is not spinning.

1. Worn or Broken Drive Belt

The drive belt is wrapped around the Drum of the dryer. Although this is a durable component, it usually needs to be replaced once every few years. There is an easy way to determine whether the drive belt in your Whirlpool dryer is worn. All you’ll have to do is open the door on the appliance and try turning the drum with your hand. When a drive belt is in good condition, it will give some resistance when you turn it. However, you’ll be able to easily turn it if the drive belt is worn.

Replacing a Dryer Drive Belt

Even if you don’t have a lot of experience with fixing appliances or replacing parts, you won’t have any trouble installing a replacement drive belt. This process will take you up to an hour at most. Here is what you’ll have to do.

1. The first step is to check if the dryer is not plugged into a power source. If you have a gas model, you should shut off the gas valve.
2. It’s advised that you pull the appliance away from the wall because you’ll need some room to remove certain components from it.
3. Grab a screwdriver and use it to remove the screws that secure the front and the top panel.
4. Remove both of these panels and you’ll immediately see the belt that’s wrapped around the drum. Remove it and install the replacement.
5. Reassemble your dryer and turn it on to ensure that it’s running properly now.

If you’d like a visual guide on how to replace a Whirlpool dryer drive belt, you should watch the video below.

2. Drum Pulley Worn Out

The idler pulley wheel in your dryer serves an essential purpose. It helps the belt rotate the drum by keeping your drive belt aligned on the pulley system. Just like the belt, this component can also break down after a certain amount of time. The bearing can wear leading to too much lateral movement in the pulley wheel.

How to Replace a Worn Drum Pulley

You will need to remove the front panel, top panel, and drum to access the pulley. It is located at the bottom of the machine and looks like a relatively small metal component with a plastic wheel attached to it.

Watch the video below to learn how to replace a worn drum pulley.

3. Roller Axles Worn Out

The drum roller axles help your dryer spin properly. When these components become broken, your dryer won’t be spinning. You can easily check whether the roller axles are in good condition. All you’ll need to do is see if they can spin without wobbling. If they can, they don’t need to be replaced.

How to Replace Worn Roller Axles

Start by unplugging your dryer. Now grab a screwdriver and remove all of the screws that secure the top and the front panel. Remove both of these panels and you’ll be able to access the dryer drum. Your next step should be to remove the drum from the machine. The roller axles are located on the back panel of your Whirlpool dryer, just behind the drum. Simply remove them from the machine and install replacement parts.

4. Drum Glides Worn Out

Your dryer would make a lot of noise while spinning if it didn’t have drum glides. These components can become worn over time and cause your dryer to stop spinning. When this happens, the only solution is to replace them with new parts.

Replacing Drum Glides

The whole process of replacing drum glides takes only 15-20 minutes. The location of the drum glides can vary depending on the model of your dryer, but they’ll be either on the inside of the door or around the door side of the drum. To remove them, you’ll need to first remove the front and top dryer panels. The glides represent thin plastic components that you can pull out with your hands. Pull them out and install new ones and your dryer should be working fine now.

The Dryer Won’t Spin and the Belt is Not Broken

In most cases, a dryer stops spinning due to a broken drive belt. But there are also other components that might be causing the issue, like a faulty door switch or the drum.

5. Failed Dryer Door Switch

The dryer won’t spin if the door is not properly closed. This feature was designed as a safety mechanism to prevent potential injuries. When the door switch in your dryer becomes defective, the machine won’t know if the door is open or closed. In case you’re not sure whether the door switch is in good condition, you can test it with a multimeter.

How to Test a Broken Door Switch

You can find the door switch underneath the top panel of your dryer. It is located in a small plastic box beneath the panel, which is connected to a wiring harness. Take your multimeter and set it to the lowest ohm setting. Connect its leads to the terminals of the door switch. In case you get a reading of infinity or a very high number, it means that the door switch is broken and needs to be replaced.

1. Drive Motor Failed

The drum motor failing is perhaps the only problem that you shouldn’t attempt to fix unless you have extensive knowledge when it comes to repairing appliances. If your dryer won’t spin but keeps making loud grinding noises, it’s likely due to a broken motor. In this case, the best course of action is to hire a professional repair technician to fix the problem for you.

2. Dryer Drum Obstructed

The drum in your dryer can get cracked from pressure. This happens rarely and you shouldn’t pay for a new drum. Buying a new drum is very expensive, which is why the best thing to do is get in touch with the manufacturer and file a complaint. This way, you will likely get the drum replaced free of charge.

Whirlpool Dryer Is Not Spinning – SOLVED

So, what should you do if your Whirlpool dryer is not spinning? You should start with the simple steps, like checking whether the dryer is plugged in or if a circuit breaker tripped. Only after you complete these steps should you move on to inspecting different components in the machine. Make sure you check the door switch, drive motor, drive belt, and other important components in your dryer.