When you’ve just finished a wash cycle and want to dry your clothes, the last thing you want is to turn on your tumble dryer only to find that it isn’t working properly.
There are several reasons why your dryer might not work properly. It may be a faulty program selector or control panel, a broken heating element, or a fault in the door switch or temperature sensor.
A Hoover dryer often has a touchscreen display that indicates the problem at hand by showing you specific error codes. However, this isn’t the case with every condenser dryer.
This article will cover some of the most common reasons why a condenser tumble dryer might stop working and how you can reset a Hoover dryer to restore its function.
What Are the Most Common Reasons Why a Condenser Tumble Dryer Stops Working?
Just like all washing machines or condenser dryers, a Hoover dryer can stop working for some different reasons.
Troubleshooting the issue will help you get to the bottom of the problem and fix your machine so you can continue getting through the laundry.
Here are some of the most common reasons why your Hoover dryer might display certain error codes or stop working altogether.
Thermal Fuse Issues
Every condenser dryer contains a thermal fuse, and it acts as a safety mechanism to cut off the dryer if the electrical supply exceeds a certain threshold. If the thermal fuse blows, it needs to be replaced. Your machine won’t turn on or work properly until you replace it.
Depending on the model of your condenser dryer, the thermal fuse might be located either on the heating element or the blower housing.
You can test the thermal fuse using a multimeter, which will make an audible beep if the fuse is still intact and will not make any noise if the fuse has blown.
Faulty Start Button
When you press the power button on your machine, and it starts making a humming noise, it might be the reason why your dryer isn’t working. Again, you can use a multimeter to check whether there is continuity.
Power Surge
Power surges can damage all of your appliances, including your Hoover dryer.
A power surge may cause the plug or thermal fuse to blow. It can also damage one of the other components in the appliance, such as the heater, motor, or thermostat. In the latter case, you’ll need to get the components replaced to fix the fault.
You’ll need to hire a professional electrician to come to your house and check your electrical wiring if you suspect that your issues stem from a power surge.
Circuit Breaker Issues
Another common reason why condenser tumble dryers stop functioning is due to an issue with the circuit breaker. If the control panel has overheated due to a power surge, this can trip the circuit breaker and cut the power supply to the appliance to protect you.
In most homes, a dryer will run on a separate circuit from the rest of the other appliances. Therefore, if the rest of the circuit breakers in your home are unaffected, you might not notice any issues until you attempt to use your Hoover dryer.
Damaged or Loose Power Cord
The reason you can’t run a cycle on your condenser dryer could be as simple as the power cord coming loose.
If you accidentally pull the plug out of its socket and knock the power cord loose, there won’t be enough electrical power going into the appliance, and this will stop it from working correctly.
The power cord might also be damaged or frayed, which is not only inconvenient but also dangerous. Check the wall socket to ensure there are no burn marks and that it isn’t overheating.
Broken Door Switch
The door switch is another safety mechanism present in most condenser dryers. If the door switch isn’t fully locked in place, it signals to the control board to prevent the dryer from starting a cycle.
Thermostat Faults
Thermostats monitor the temperature inside the dryer and signal to the control panel if the temperature gets too high.
A faulty thermostat may cause your Hoover tumble dryer to think it’s overheating, even if it isn’t. This may cause the heater element to blow and the appliance to shut off before it has completed the full drying cycle.
Issues With the Vent Hose
The vent hose enables hot air to flow out of the tumble dryer, preventing it from overheating. If it gets clogged, the warm air can’t escape from the appliance, causing poor airflow and the machine to overheat.
The thermostat will sense this, which signals to the control panel to switch off the dryer, even if it’s in the middle of a cycle.
Drive Motor Issues
In a condenser dryer, the drive motor rotates to spin the drum during a drying cycle. If it’s faulty, the drum won’t spin, and you won’t be able to dry your freshly washed laundry.
The issue may be related to the drum rollers, the drum axle, or the drive belt. The only way to test this would be to remove the drive belt and check if the drum still spins manually.
If it does so with no resistance, the rollers need to be replaced. If it doesn’t rotate by hand, the roller axles are the issue.
How to Reset a Hoover Tumble Dryer
Once you’ve identified the reason why your tumble dryer is displaying an error code or isn’t drying your clothes properly, you can find a resolution.
In many cases, a simple reset is enough to restore your appliance to its full function without paying for costly repairs or replacements.
Pressing the reset button
If your tumble dryer has a reset button, you’ll find this by the thermostat. Simply press down the button for a few seconds, and this should restart your dryer.
There is a reset button on some Hoover tumble dryers, but this isn’t the case with every model. Luckily, there are a few different ways in which you can restart your appliance.
Unplugging the appliance
If you can access the power outlet, pull the plug out of its socket and leave it for 10 minutes. Doing so will enable the dryer to reset itself and, hopefully, resolve any errors or faults.
Unplugging your machine is especially important if you’ve had a recent power surge in your home. When there has been a power surge, it can stay in the control panel’s ‘memory’, and resetting the appliance should wipe it and fully restore the dryer’s ability.
Running the internal diagnostics process
Your tumble dryer might have an internal diagnostics process. You can check whether this is the case for the model of dryer you own by looking at the user manual.
To run the internal diagnostics process in your tumble dryer, carefully turn the control dial clockwise and press the command button that is closest to the dial. This should cause the lights to illuminate, after which you can press the start button.
Once the dryer has run through diagnostic testing, it should display an error code indicating if there is a problem and what the problem is, so you can take the right steps to resolve it.
How to Perform a Hoover Dynamic Next Dryer Reset
The Hoover Dynamic Next Tumble Dryer has a wider range of advanced settings than standard Hoover dryer models. However, the reset process should be similar in the Hoover Dynamic Next Tumble Dryer compared with any other condenser tumble dryer.
You’ll find the reset button on the thermostat, and again, you just need to press it down for a few seconds to restart your appliance and fix the issue. You might need to remove a few panels to access the thermostat, but this should be quick and easy to do, even if you’re not particularly DIY savvy.
Final Word
When your tumble dryer stops working, it could be due to a number of different things. Identifying the reason why your appliance has stopped working will enable you to fix it quickly and easily, so you can continue drying your laundry. The information above should streamline your troubleshooting process.
If one or more of your dryer’s components are broken beyond repair, you will need to get it replaced by a qualified technician. Although fixing or replacing these components will cost money, this is much more cost-effective and time-saving than replacing your dryer altogether.