Your Amana Dryer Won’t Start? – Learn How to Fix

If you find your Amana Dryer won’t start, there most certainly is a problem that needs to be fixed.

The Amana Dryer is a popular household appliance that is used in many American homes to dry wet clothes.

The dryer is high quality and relatively simple to use, however from time to time, you may find your Amana Dryer won’t Start.

When your Amana Dryer won’t start, check the power supply and that the door is closed properly. Next check the control panel is unlocked, the correct cycle is selected and the start button has been held down correctly.

In order to fix a dryer that won’t start we first need to start by identifying the issue, before attempting to resolve the issue.

Why My Amana Dryer won’t Start?

Having a dryer that won’t start can pose a problem for you as you won’t be able to dry your clothes.

There are a number of reasons why your Amanda Dryer Won’t Start, most of which are relatively easy to troubleshoot yourself.

Here are the most common reasons:

#1. Start Button Problem

The start button wasn’t pressed correctly or the start button is faulty.

#2. Power issues

There is a problem with the power supply to the machine.

#3. Door Latch issues

The door may have not been closed properly or the latch is faulty.

#4. Problem with Dryer Settings

If the correct cycle wasn’t selected the dryer won’t start.

Now we have identified the common issues we can now work through the best ways to fix them below.

Amana Dryer Won’t Start? Here’s How to Fix it

When you find your Amana Dryer isn’t working you are stuck with a pile of wet clothes which can be frustrating.

Luckily there are some simple fixes you can try yourself at home to get your dryer working again.

Proceed with the following troubleshooting and fixes to get your Amana Dryer working again.

Step #1. Check Power Sources

Like most appliances, the Amana Dryer needs a power source to operate.

Firstly you need to check that the power plug from the machine is plugged into the socket correctly by following these steps.

You can troubleshoot the power source problem by following these steps.

• Turn off the switch at the wall
• Remove the plug from the socket
• Check for any damage
• Reconnect the plug to the socket
• Switch it on

If still no power try connecting another appliance or device to the socket to see if the socket is faulty.

Provided the dryer is still not receiving power after trying these fixes the problem may be with the circuit breaker. We will explain how to check this in detail below.

Note: Make sure you are not using an extension cable to connect your dryer to the wall socket. Doing so may cause the circuit to trip and damage the machine if there is a power overload.

Step #2. Check Household Circuit Breaker

As with most household appliances the Amana Dryer uses fuses and circuit breakers to help safeguard the electrical system.

The Amana electric dryer uses 2 circuit breakers, if one or both of them have tripped there will be no power going to the Dryer.

To identify whether the issue is with the circuit breaker or fuses you need to check the fuse box.

Firstly you need to fix the fuses, to do so follow these steps.

• Locate and open the fuse box
• Check the fuses are intact and tight in the switchboard.
• Press the fuses tight if they appear loose.
• Replace any damaged fuses

If you find fuses are intact and tight the problem may be with the circuit breaker.

To troubleshoot this follow these steps:

• Check if any circuit breakers have tripped (in the opposite direction)
• Reset any tripped circuits by flicking them in the opposite direction

If the circuit breaker trips again or there is still no power to the electric socket you will need to call an electrician.

Note: If you are unsure about any of these steps we recommend contacting an electrician.

After you have completed the above two fixes we can be relatively confident the issue is not the power supply.

Therefore the problem must be with the machine, below let’s continue to troubleshoot issues with the machine.

Step #3. Dryer Door Not Closed Properly

If the dryer door is not closed properly the Amana Dryer won’t start as a safety precaution.

Inside the dryer door, there is a sensor that indicates if the latch is not fully engaged.

To troubleshoot this issue you can do the following.

• Check no clothing is stuck in the door or blocking the latch.
• Press firmly on the door for a few seconds until you hear a clicking sound.
• Hold the start button for 2-5 seconds to turn the machine on.

If you are unable to engage the latch, it may be broken, we recommend contacting Amana customer service to assist you further.

Note: Some Amana Dryer models have two latches, both need to be engaged, you may find 1 latch is broken, preventing the Dryer from starting.

Step #4. The Start Button Not Pressed Properly

A simple issue when your dryer won’t start is the user hasn’t held the start button for enough time to get the machine to start.

Although it seems like an obvious issue, it is very common that users only press the button once briefly and they find it won’t start.

To start the machine follow these steps:

• Select the correct drying cycle
• Hold the start button for 2 to 5 seconds.

After a short moment, you should hear the machine start the drying cycle.

You may need to try this a few times to ensure the button was held for long enough. If this doesn’t work the Start Switch may be faulty, try the step below.

Step #5. Faulty Start Switch

Provided you have tried to start the machine by holding the Start Button and it won’t start, the machine may have a faulty start button.

To identify if the start button is faulty firstly start by holding the power button and listening for any noises.

If you hear a humming sound then the fault is unlikely to be the start switch. If the start switch doesn’t make any noise or doesn’t respond it is likely to be faulty.

You can test the switch with a multimeter to see if it has continuity. If there is no continuity it will need to be replaced.

It is recommended you contact a certified Amana repairer to replace the switch or identify the issue with the Start Switch if you are unsure.

Step #6. Incorrect Cycle Selected

Like most dryers, the Amana Dryer has multiple cycles that can be selected.

Some loads may require longer drying times or hotter temperatures, however, the Amana dryer won’t start on certain settings.

To start the dryer you will need to set the Cycle Control Knob on either a Timed dry or an Automatic dry Cycle.

The dryer will not start if you set it to the Wrinkle reduction option.

If this fix doesn’t work the final issue to troubleshoot is an issue with the control panel.

Step #7. Control Panel Locked

The control lock is a safety lock on the machine to prevent it from accidentally starting.

When the lock is activated you won’t be able to use or start the machine luckily this is easy to fix, here’s how. You will first need to identify if the control panel is activated.

If yes follow these steps to unlock the control panel:

• Hold the cycle signal button for 3 seconds
• Next, follow the steps in Solution #4

Note: When carrying out this fix ensure that you are using dry hands. The control panel is sensitive and won't operate if moisture is present.

Bottom Line:

Thus, when your Amana Dryer won’t start, check the power supply and that the door is closed properly.

Next check the correct cycle is selected, the control panel is unlocked, and the start button has been held down correctly.

If you have completed all the above fixes and are still having problems we recommend you contact Amana support.