You press start, the dryer hums or whirs like normal, but when you open the door the clothes are sitting exactly where you left them. A drum that does not turn while the motor runs is one of the clearest signs of a broken drive belt. Belts are a wear item on every dryer, and they tend to fail without much warning after years of quiet service.
A snapped belt is not the only thing that stops a drum, though. A few other faults look almost the same from the outside, and some of them are the reason the belt broke in the first place. This guide explains how the drive system works, how to tell a broken belt from the look-alikes, and what you can safely check yourself.
How the belt drives the drum
Most home dryers use a long, thin, ribbed belt that wraps right around the outside of the drum. From there it loops around a small pulley on the motor shaft and an idler pulley, a spring-loaded wheel that keeps the belt tight. When the motor turns, the belt turns the drum. There is no gearbox, so if the belt breaks or slips off, the motor spins freely and the drum stays still.
Parts that wear alongside the belt
The drum itself rides on rollers at the back, or on a bearing, and on felt or plastic glides at the front. As those parts wear, the drum gets harder to turn, which puts more load on the belt and the idler. That is why a belt that snaps after a period of squeaking or thumping is rarely the only worn part.
Why belts fail
Belts dry out and crack with age and heat. Overloading the drum, running heavy items like duvets and work clothes over and over, and a seized roller or idler all speed things up. A belt can also be cut by a sharp edge or a loose object, such as a bra underwire that has worked its way out of the drum.
Signs the belt has snapped
- The motor runs but the drum does not move. You hear the motor and often feel air moving, because on most dryers the blower is driven by the same motor.
- The drum spins very freely by hand with almost no resistance when the dryer is unplugged. With an intact belt, it feels firmer, and you can often hear the motor pulley turning as you move it.
- A loud snap or slap during the last cycle, followed by a quieter dryer.
- The dryer stops a few seconds after starting. Some models have a belt switch on the idler that shuts off the motor when the belt breaks.
- Squeaks or thumps beforehand. A worn idler or roller often makes noise for weeks before the belt fails. See our post on dryer squeaking noises.
Some electronic dryers show a code when the drum stops. On Fisher & Paykel models, E7 means drum failure (it varies by model), with a broken belt, the drum or a motor drive problem among the causes. You can check other brands on our error code lookup.
When it isn't the belt
If the drum will not turn, use this table to narrow down what else might be going on.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Who fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Motor runs, drum spins freely by hand | Snapped belt | Technician or skilled DIY |
| Motor runs, belt intact but loose | Belt slipped off a worn idler | Technician |
| Loud hum, drum stiff by hand | Seized roller, idler or motor | Technician |
| Drum stuck, scraping sound | Object jammed at the drum edge | DIY check, then technician |
| No sound at all on start | Door switch, fuse, power or control | Technician |
A slipped belt or worn idler
Sometimes the belt comes off the idler without breaking, usually because the idler spring or arm has worn and lost tension. The belt is often still on the drum when the panel comes off. Simply refitting it rarely lasts, so the idler is normally replaced at the same time.
A seized pulley, roller or motor
If an idler pulley, a drum roller or the motor bearings seize, the drum stalls. You usually hear the motor straining or humming loudly rather than running freely. Do not keep pressing start, because the motor can overheat. Our post on a dryer that hums but won't start explains this in more detail. Some dryers will report it: on Whirlpool-built models, F7 E1 is a motor system fault, and on Electrolux dryers E52 means the motor stopped or would not start.
Something jammed, or no power at all
Small items can wedge between the drum and the front or back panel and lock it in place. And if nothing happens at all when you press start, with no hum and no motor sound, the belt is probably not the problem. That is covered in dryer won't start at all.
Safe checks before you call
Unplug the dryer before doing anything. On a gas dryer, do not pull it out far enough to strain the gas line, and do not touch the valve or burner.
- Empty the drum and turn it by hand. Note whether it spins very freely, feels normal or is stiff and hard to move.
- Look around the door opening and drum lip with a flashlight for anything wedged in place, such as an underwire, coin or sock.
- Think back over the last few weeks. Squeaking, thumping or a burning-rubber smell all point to worn rollers or an idler as well as the belt.
- Press start and listen after plugging back in. A free-running motor, a loud strained hum, or silence each point to a different fault.
Should you replace the belt yourself?
Replacing a belt means taking off the front or top panel, supporting the drum, and threading the new belt around the drum, motor pulley and idler in the right pattern. Experienced DIYers can do it, but there are sharp sheet-metal edges, wiring and, on gas models, a burner close by. If you try it, unplug first and take photos at every step. Many people prefer to have it done, especially since the idler, rollers and glides should be checked while the dryer is open. A new belt on worn rollers often fails again within months.
Belt wear by brand
Belt-driven drums are standard on almost every brand, but layouts differ. Whirlpool, Maytag, Kenmore and Amana dryers built on the same platform usually have rear drum rollers and a separate idler, and belt jobs often include a roller and idler kit. Some front-load dryers use a rear drum bearing instead of rollers, and a worn bearing makes a deep rumble before the belt goes. We carry common belts and idlers for most models, and our Whirlpool and Maytag pages list the other repairs we handle on those brands.
When to call a technician
If the motor runs and the drum does not, we can usually fix it in a single visit. We replace the belt and check the idler, rollers, glides and motor that may have caused it to fail, so the new belt lasts. Book a dryer not spinning repair anywhere in Calgary, Okotoks, Chestermere or Langdon.
Call Fast Appliance Repair at (587) 779-6919 for same-day service when it is available. You pay a flat diagnostic fee, get a full quote before we start, and the repair is covered by our 90-day parts and labour warranty.