When you’ve turned to your trusty friend, the tumble dryer, to help you dry your clothes quickly, only for it to fail at the first hurdle, it can be pretty frustrating.
If your tumble dryer’s door isn’t closing and allowing you to put your clothes on the drying cycle, we’re sure you’d like to find a reason why.
Well, we have all the reasons why your tumble dryer door may not be closing and how to fix them below. Don’t worry; most fixes are nice and easy!
Before we get to the bones of this tumble dryer article, though, we’d urge you to check whether there is anything stuck in the door.
Is a piece of clothing stuck, or has the rubber seal of the door become detached and is preventing it from closing?
If so, the fix should be quick, and you’ll be up and running again in no time. We’re sure you’ve checked, but it’s worth double-checking before dismantling part of your tumble dryer, just in case.
The Most Common Reason a Tumble Dryer Door Won’t Close
If your tumble dryer door has nothing caught in it, yet it is still refusing to close, the most common cause of this is the door latch mechanism.
If the latch isn’t making contact with the lock, this will prevent the door from shutting correctly, and the drying cycle won’t start.
This is because when the latch seats correctly, it hits a switch that tells the machine it is good to go. So, if the latch is damaged, it won’t close correctly, and then the machine won’t turn on.
If you suspect the latch has broken, turn off the tumble dryer, open the door and look for any visual damage to the latch or lock.
Most of the time, the damage is on the latch, as this is the bit that sticks out. If you do notice damage, the latch will need to be replaced.
Thankfully, though, repairing the latch on a tumble dryer is relatively easy and can be done with a few basic tools, like screwdrivers, for example.
The key thing is, though, finding the correct latch for your tumble dryer. Make a note of your tumble dryer’s make and model (you can find the model number on the machine or in the owner’s manual, that will be really helpful here). You can then search for the correct latch for your machine.
How to Replace a Tumble Dryer Door Latch
Now that you have the right latch replacing it is nice and simple. The door latch is usually held on with a couple of screws, but on some models, it is simply pressed into place.
For latches with screws, unscrew the screws, remove the latch, pop the new one in place and secure the screws.
For latches that pop into place, you’ll need something thin to prize the old one out of place.
A putty knife or utility knife should work for this. On some models, though, removing the cover on the door may help.
This is just a case of removing a few screws. Once you have, you can gain access to the latch easily, pop it off and put the new one in place. Then you can reinstall the cover.
Now that the latch has been repaired, you can turn the tumble dryer back on and give it a test. The latch should now be making contact with the lock, and everything should be working correctly.
We hope this look at why a tumble dryer door isn’t closing has been helpful. For more repair tricks and tips for tumble dryers, dishwashers and washing machines, please explore In The Wash further.
We also have the best kitchen appliances for all budgets available here too. So, if we can’t help you repair your machine, we have the best replacements right here.
In The Wash is your guide to the best laundry and cleaning products, tips and tricks. Our mission is to solve the UK’s cleaning and laundry dilemmas!
