GE Dryer Not Running Repair Guide
Is your GE dryer not running? Fortunately for you this dryer repair guide will
walk you through the steps in repairing your dryer. These are the same steps I
take in repairing dryers professionally. So read each section carefully until
your dryer is repaired.
Safety Thermostat
The safety thermostat is a thermostat that cuts off your GE dryer in the event it gets too hot.
To check the safety thermostat, first unplug dryer. Then take the top off by removing the two screws in the door (the only two pointing up) and lift up the top. Now remove the front by removing the screws inside the case (pointed toward the front) and lifting the front upward. You should be able to leave wires going to the door switch plugged in and move the front to the side.
Now you should be able to see the safety thermostat; it is the small thermostat located on or near the heater can. Next, unplug the wires from the thermostat and using your ohmmeter check to see if you have continuity between the two terminals. If you don’t the thermostat is bad and needs replacing. These thermostats can be purchased at AppliancePartsPros.com.
DOOR SWITCH
The door switch is a switch inside the door that cuts off your GE dryer when you open the door.
To check this, first unplug dryer. Then take the top off by removing the two screws in the door (the only two pointing up) and lift up the top. Now remove the front by removing the screws inside the case (pointed toward the front) and lifting the front upward.
Now you should see the door switch attached to the front, now unplug the wires going to it. Then using your ohmmeter , check to see if you have continuity between the two terminals, so if you don’t the switch is bad and needs replacing (this test has got to be done whit the door closed). If the switch has three terminals (it may have three terminal even if it only has two wires), check for continuity between the two large terminals because the other wire is just for the light inside the tub. Door switches can be purchased at AppliancePartsPros.com.
BELT TENSION SWITCH
The belt tension switch cuts your GE dryer off in the event that the belt breaks. To check this, first unplug dryer. Then take the top off by removing the two screws in the door (the only two pointing up) and lift up the top. Now remove the front by removing the screws inside the case (pointed toward the front) and lifting the front upward. You should be able to leave wires going to the door switch plugged in and move the front to the side.
Now you should be able to see the belt on top of the tub, pull on it to see if it’s broken. If it is, replace it and your problem should be fixed. If it’s not broken, the switch can still be bad, although it’s unlikely. Next, remove the tub then unhook the belt by pulling the idler pulley toward the motor. This should release the tension from the belt then you should be able remove it.
Then the tub just slides out toward the front. Once the tub is out, you should see the idler pulley and the belt tension switch is located under the pulley (note that some models don’t have belt tension switch so if you don’t see one, your problem is elsewhere). Now remove the wires from the switch: using your ohmmeter check to see if you have continuity between the terminals while pushing down on the idler pulley. If you don’t have continuity the switch is bad and needs replacing. Belt tension switches can be purchased at AppliancePartsPros.com.
BELT
On GE dryer models that don’t have a belt tension switch the motor will run even if the belt is broken. So if you start the dryer and you hear the motor run but the tub doesn’t turn, the belt is most likely broken. To check this, first unplug dryer.
Then take the top off by removing the two screws in the door (the only two pointing up) and lift up the top. Now remove the front by removing the screws inside the case (pointed toward the front) and lifting the front upward. You should be able to leave wires going to the door switch plugged in and move the front to the side. Now you should be able to see the belt on top of the tub, pull on it to see if it’s broken, if so, it needs replacing. Belts can be purchased at AppliancePartsPros.com.
MOTOR
If you start your GE dryer and you hear a buzzing sound, then when you release the start switch and the buzzing goes away, but the dryer doesn’t run, the problem most likely the motor. But, it may just be something blocking the fan. So to check this, first unplug dryer. Then take the top off by removing the two screws in the door (the only two pointing up) and lift up the top. Now remove the front by removing the screws inside the case (pointed toward the front) and lifting the front upward. You should be able to leave wires going to the door switch plugged in and move the front to the side.
Now you should be able to see the fan try to turn the fan by hand. If it doesn’t turn, there is something blocking it. Find what’s blocking it and remove it. If the fan turns, the motor is bad and needs replacing. Dryer mortos can be purchased at AppliancePartsPros.com.
START SWITCH
The only other things that will make your GE dryer not run are the start switch and the timer. The start switch is the least likely but easy to check. First unplug the dryer. Then remove the four screws on top of control panel. Now the control panel should fold toward the front. Next unplug the wires on the switch; using your ohmmeter check to see if you have continuity between the two wires when you turn the start switch. If you don’t the switch is bad and needs replacing. If the start switch has three wires, there will be continuity between two of the wires all the time and all three when you turn the start switch, if not the switch is bad and needs replacing. Start switches can be purchased at AppliancePartsPros.com.
Main Fuse
Some newer GE dryers have a built-in main fuse. If this fuse blows the dryer will not run. To check this fuse, unplug the dryer and remove the plate that houses the cord connection. Then remove the fuse, once the fuse is out you can check the fuse with an ohmmeter. Note if you don’t see a fuse your dryer isn’t equipped with on so your problem is elsewhere.
TIMER
The timer is the only other thing that may cause your GE dryer not to run. But its hard to check so it you haven’t found anything else wrong then the timer is a good guess, but the only way to know for sure is to replace it. Timers can be purchased at AppliancePartsPros.com.
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