How to Replace the Centrifugal Switch on Your Dryer Motor

Your dryer runs for a few minutes, then shuts off. Or maybe it tumbles just fine but never actually heats up. You toss in a load, come back an hour later, and everything is still damp. Before you start suspecting the heating element or the thermostat, there is a small part buried inside the motor that could be causing the whole problem: the centrifugal switch.

We have seen this one trip up a lot of DIYers because it is not a part most people even know exists. But once you understand what it does, the symptoms make perfect sense. And replacing it is absolutely something you can handle at home with basic tools and a little patience. Plan for about an hour if it is your first time cracking open a dryer motor.

What the Centrifugal Switch Does and Why It Matters

The centrifugal switch is a small mechanical device mounted inside your dryer’s drive motor. Its job is to sense when the motor reaches full operating speed. Once the motor spins fast enough, centrifugal force pushes a set of weights outward, which flips the switch contacts.

Here is why that matters: in most dryers, the centrifugal switch controls when the start winding disengages and when the heating circuit activates. When you push the start button, extra current flows through the start winding to get the motor turning. Once the motor hits speed, the centrifugal switch cuts the start winding out of the circuit and simultaneously closes the contacts that allow the heater to energize.

If the switch fails, one of two things happens. Either the motor cannot start properly because the start winding never engages or never disengages, or the heater never gets power because those contacts never close. It is a tiny part doing two big jobs.

Signs the Centrifugal Switch Has Failed

Because the centrifugal switch affects both the motor start circuit and the heating circuit, the symptoms can look like completely different problems depending on how it fails.

• The dryer tumbles normally but produces no heat

• The motor hums but will not start spinning

• The dryer starts briefly, then shuts off after a few seconds

• You hear the motor running, but the thermal fuse keeps blowing (the start winding stays energized and overheats the motor)

• The dryer runs fine sometimes and refuses to heat other times, intermittent contact failure

That last one is especially frustrating. Intermittent failures make you question everything. If you have already tested your heating element, thermostats, and thermal fuse and they all check out, the centrifugal switch deserves a hard look.

Tools You’ll Need

Gather these before you start. Nothing exotic here:

• 5/16” and 1/4” nut drivers

• Phillips-head screwdriver

• Flathead screwdriver

• Needle-nose pliers

• Multimeter

• Smartphone or camera (for photos of wire connections before you disconnect anything)

A small container or magnetic tray for screws is a real lifesaver here. You will be pulling the motor apart, and there are small fasteners that love to disappear into the dryer cabinet.

Safety First: Unplug the dryer before you do anything. If it is a gas dryer, shut off the gas supply as well. No exceptions.

Step-by-Step: Replacing the Centrifugal Switch

The exact disassembly steps vary depending on your dryer brand and model, but the general approach is the same across most residential dryers. The motor lives at the bottom of the cabinet, and you need to get to it, remove it, and then open it up to access the centrifugal switch inside.

1. Unplug the dryer and pull it away from the wall. If you have a gas dryer, disconnect the gas line.

2. Remove the dryer’s lint screen and the screws beneath it. On most models, this lets you release the top panel. Some dryers use clips at the front corners instead; slide a putty knife in to pop them.

3. Disconnect the door switch wiring harness and remove the front panel. Support the drum as you do this. On some models, you will access the motor from underneath or through the rear panel instead. Check your model’s layout before you start unbolting things.

4. Take a photo of every wire connection on the motor before you touch anything. The centrifugal switch terminals, the start winding wires, and the run winding wires all need to go back exactly where they were. This photo will save you later.

5. Remove the drum belt from the motor pulley and idler assembly. Lift the drum out of the cabinet and set it aside.

6. Disconnect the wiring from the motor terminals. Use needle-nose pliers to gently pull the spade connectors straight off; do not yank sideways, or you will bend the terminals.

7. Remove the motor mounting bolts. Most dryers use two or three bolts or clips securing the motor to the base plate. Slide the motor and its blower wheel assembly out of the cabinet.

8. Remove the blower wheel from the motor shaft. Some blower wheels are held on by a clamp; others are threaded directly onto the shaft. If it is threaded, remember that many are reverse-threaded; turn clockwise to loosen.

9. Now you are at the motor itself. Remove the retaining clips or screws holding the motor end cap in place. Carefully separate the end cap to expose the centrifugal switch mechanism. You will see the switch contacts and the weighted arms that activate them.

10. Note how the old switch sits, its orientation, and how the contacts align. Remove the failed centrifugal switch. Some are held by small screws; others snap into a retainer.

11. Install the new centrifugal switch in the same position. Make sure the contacts are oriented correctly, and the weighted arms move freely. If the weights are sticking or binding, the new switch will fail prematurely.

12. Reassemble the motor end cap and secure it with the retaining clips or screws.

13. Reattach the blower wheel to the motor shaft.

14. Mount the motor back in the cabinet and bolt it down.

15. Reconnect all wiring to the motor terminals; this is where your photos pay off. Every wire needs to go back to its original terminal.

16. Reinstall the drum, loop the belt back around the drum, motor pulley, and idler, then reassemble the front panel and top panel.

Here is what catches most people off guard: getting the belt routed correctly around the idler and motor pulley on reassembly. If you are not sure of the belt path, snap a photo or sketch it before disassembly.

Testing the Repair

Before you put every panel back on, do a quick test. Plug the dryer in, select a timed heat cycle, and start it.

You should hear the motor start up and quickly transition from a higher-pitched startup whine to a smooth, steady hum. That transition is the centrifugal switch doing its job, disengaging the start winding.

Within a minute or two, you should feel warm air coming from the exhaust vent. If the drum is spinning and heat is flowing, the switch is working exactly as it should.

If you have a multimeter and want to bench-test the new switch before reassembly, set it to continuity. With the switch at rest (motor not spinning), the start winding contacts should be closed (continuity), and the heater contacts should be open (no continuity). When you manually push the weights outward to simulate motor speed, those states should reverse. That quick check confirms the switch is good before you button everything back up.

When you are ready to find the right centrifugal switch for your model, grab your model number and find the exact part for your model. The model number is usually on a sticker inside the door or on the back panel of the dryer.

Need More Help?

If you run into something unexpected during the job, unusual wiring, a motor layout you have not seen before, or symptoms that do not clear up after the swap, head over to our repair forum. Our techs and community members have walked through thousands of dryer repairs and can help you figure out the next step. Post your model number and what you are seeing, and someone will point you in the right direction.

Written by: AppliancePartsPros Team