Why Is Frigidaire Dryer Not Spinning?

To cut a long story short. I had a Frigidaire dryer that did not spin.

The problem?

It developed the issue where the drum fails to rotate if I put more items. The dryer works fine if I put in a small load of clothes. It only fails when I add ½ load of clothes.

In fact:

I was shocked and surprised that it hadn’t caught fire because this dryer relies on air that passes through the heater. And the sad part is the service man would need at least $200 to repair it. He also wanted to sell me another dryer if my Frigidaire dryer failed to work.

Like anyone who doesn’t want to spend extra $$ on a maintenance specialist, I took things into my own hands. 

And the good news? 

I was able to fix my Frigidaire dryer. It turns out the issue was with the door switch. I opened the dryer door, held the door switch, had my son push the start button, grabbed the drum fin, and turned the drum in a clockwise direction.

As it turns out:

The problem was fixed. In today’s post, I want to show you how to diagnose the frigidaire dryer that is not spinning. 

And the best part is? 

I’ll share a few cool hacks that you can use right away to prevent future problems from happening.

How Do You Fix the Frigidaire Dryer That Won’t Spin?

Check the Motor Starter Switch

First:

You need to check the motor start switch for signs of lint. Lints from clothes can keep the door from closing and the dryer from failing to spin. 

The solution?

I opened the dryer’s door, held the switch in position, had my kid push the start button, and then turned the drum in a clockwise direction. 

And the best part?

The dryer started working on its own. I let go of the door switch to shut the Frigidaire dryer. The next was now resetting the dryer. A factory reset always restores the dryer’s setting to its original settings. It is a great way to solve any dryer’s issues. My frigidaire dryer did not have a reset button, so I had to do it the old-school way. Here’s how the process goes:

• Unplug the Frigidaire dryer from the electric outlet
• Waited for ten minutes
• Plug the Frigidaire dryer back into the socket

And guess what? 

The Frigidaire dryer works. Most of the time, doing what I have outlined above works like a charm if you clear the excess lint from the switch. What if the above solution doesn’t work? No worries!!! You can read the next part to solve the issue. Here is the Frigidaire dryer manual.

Inspect the Dryer Motor.

Look:

The dryer motor generates the heat energy needed in a Frigidaire dryer to rotate and spin. Excess water and electrical faults can make the Frigidaire dryer fail. 

For example:

If you overload the dryer with too many clothes or heavy items, the motor will be overworked and fail. Additionally, a power surge or short circuit can make the motor fail. Therefore, if the Frigidaire dryer is not spinning even after applying it, my first solution is to check the motor.

You’ll have to unthread the screws on the back panel and disconnect them to access the motor. Once you have opened the rear panel, vacuum the area around the motor to remove the lint. Don’t forget to vacuum the switch area.

If you did what I’ve described, your dryer would work 90% of the time, and you’ll save yourself from having a serviceman check your dryer and buy any part that may need a replacement.

That said:

If you are among the 10% that were not able to fix the problem after the first two attempts. We’ll have to diagnose further, like the drum roller, drive belt, and even the motor. Then we will have to replace the part.

If I could give this dryer seven stars, I would. The dryer has a unique airflow and dries clothes so fast. I’ve tried other dryers before and they all came with cheap door catches and loose dials. I wish we had purchased it sooner.

Fault Drive Belt

The drive belt connects the motor to the drum with the pulleys and tensioners. When the motor rotates, it turns the belt, which helps the Frigidaire dryer spin. If the drive belt fails, the motor won’t transfer its energy, the drum won’t spin, and the clothes won’t dry. The solution? Inspect the drive belt for excessive wear, breakage, and tension. 

But first, a warning: 

Before checking the belt, unplug the Frigidaire dryer from the breaker panel to avoid electrocution. Here’s how to do it.

• Open the dryer’s panel using a screwdriver or other toolkit. Once there, check the belt to see if it’s broken or has rust. If it is a fault, you’ll have to replace it with a new one.
• Depress the tensioner and wrap the drive around the drum and pulleys.
• Put the tensioner back to keep the belt tense and wrapped.
• Cover the Frigidaire dryer with a panel and screw the place. After that, you can reset the Frigidaire to see if it is spinning or not.

Faulty Drum Roller

The role of the rollers is to ensure the drum spine is fast and in perfect balance, even at high speed. The rollers are located at the back of the Frigidaire dryer. If rollers become worn or damaged, the drum won’t make thumping noises, and it won’t spin. And the solution? You’ll have to remove the external and internal parts to diagnose or replace them. Here’s how to go about it.

• Unplug the power code from the Frigidaire dryer
• Ask someone to help you move the dryer from the wall. You’ll have an easy time accessing the panel.
• Loosen the hex header or pan-head screws to remove the back panel. Label each part so that you have an easy time reassembling it.
• You’ll see the rollers at the bottom of the dryer drum. Get rid of advice to access the rollers.
• Loosen and remove any nuts near the roller shaft. Pull the rollers and install a new roller on each shaft. Secure the new rollers with the nuts.
• Reassemble the Frigidaire dryer and reattach back any components that you removed.