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My dryer won't turn. When I push the start button, I hear a hum. If I hold it down, it will hum for a moment and then stop with a click. I've checked the door switch and the belt, and tested for continuity on four thermal fuses/thermostats. Everything looks good. Is there a way to test if the motor itself has died?

Model: Kenmore 110 67904791

Thanks!

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  • Have you checked voltage at the motor when it should be running? Does the drum freely rotate by hand? – JPhi1618 Dec 28 '15 at 20:43
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    Try removing the drum belt and see if the motor turns when you press the start button. – Daniel Griscom Dec 28 '15 at 21:27
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Take the belt off and see what it does.

IMPE, this is usually failed drum rollers that have too much resistance to allow the motor to start. You might be able to get a sense for that by simply trying to rotate the drum (without trying to turn the motor on.) If the motor starts with the belt off, excess mechanical resistance is the problem, not something electrical.

Last time it happened to me I did a "kit" rebuild - kit was $25, rollers alone were $19 - kit included both rollers, the belt and the tension roller. I tucked the old, worn but intact belt in the dryer in case of future need for it (and wrote myself or whoever sees it a note on the inside of the top of the dryer.)

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  • I had a Sears dryer that was on its second set of rollers, Same as ecnerwal suggested, very inexpensive fix if the motor turns without the belt, just dont let it run long or you may cause other problems. Just thought some of the new dryers have flow switches that can get cloged with lint as another area to check. – Ed Beal Dec 28 '15 at 23:09
  • Thanks for the advice. After vacuuming out years' accumulation of lint, the motor started without the drum. I cleaned the rollers and put it back together, and now it's working. Thanks for pointing me toward removing obstructions to turning the drum. – zwiebelspaetzle Dec 30 '15 at 1:38

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