[howard490]

I just purchased a used Whirlpool Extra Capacity washer and Dryer. Dryer worked great for first two days and then just suddenly stopped starting. When we press the start button we just hear a hum. If you hold the start button down long enough theres a click and the hum stops and it acts completely dead. If you let the dryer sit long enough and try to push the start button again the hum will be back. The drum spins freely in one direction. Any Idea's?

[eric shubert]

sounds like a bad motor

[blasterman]

The click you hear is the thermal overload in the motor kicking out. The hum means power is getting to the motor but the motor is not starting to rotate. Could be frozen bearing in motor or if used, a bad starting capacitor or the motor may have developed an open or shorted winding.

[bettyboop]

No starting capasitor in this dryer!

[blasterman]

"or if used, a bad starting capacitor"

Suggested as something to consider when troubleshooting a no start fault.

Just because a motor doesn't start doesn't necessarily mean the motor must be bad. In 50 years of servicing/repairing all types of consumer and industrial equipment I can only recall replacing one bad motor (water was sprayed in motor while running). I have found many motors with frozen or tight bearings, or bad starting capacitors. I have reclaimed many motors that were replaced as "bad" that only needed a new starting cap or shot of lube in the bearings.Motors are generally very reliable as long as they are not overloaded.

[eric shubert]

sounds like a bad motor

[bettyboop]

Sounds like a bad motor