Notice exactly how the dryer fails, because the three versions point in different directions.
Nothing at All: No Lights, No Response
- Electric dryers: check the double breaker. Switch it fully off, then back on. A tripped breaker is by far the most common cause, and these can fail while still looking set.
- Gas dryers: these run on an ordinary 120-volt outlet, so check that outlet and the breaker or GFCI serving it.
- Cord and outlet: look at the plug and the outlet for scorching or discolouration. Any sign of heat damage means stop and have the outlet checked rather than plugging it back in.
Panel Lights Up but Nothing Happens
- Door. The door switch must confirm the door is shut. Push the door firmly closed and listen for the click. A switch that has failed, or a strike plate that is out of adjustment, leaves the dryer waiting.
- Control lock. Many models have a lock function that disables the panel, usually a press and hold on one pad. Your manual gives the sequence.
- Start button. Some models need the start pad held for a moment rather than tapped.
- Cycle selection. A selector between positions, or an air-fluff cycle chosen by accident, produces a machine that seems to do nothing useful.
- Power reset. Cut power for a minute and restore it. Controls do latch into states that a reset clears.
A Hum With No Drum Movement
That points at something mechanical: a seized drum roller or idler, a broken belt, or a motor that is not able to start. Do not keep pressing start hoping it catches; a motor stalled against a jam draws heavy current. Switch it off and leave it off.
What to Expect
Door switches, belts, rollers and motors are all inside the cabinet, and on gas models there is a burner assembly nearby. Book a Whirlpool dryer repair visit and say which of the three symptoms you have, whether anything was heard when it last ran, and whether the machine is gas or electric.