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The control panel is a critical component in any Amana dryer. Without it, you can’t control the dryer or start a new cycle, even if all its other parts are in excellent condition.
The Amana dryer control panel might seem like it’s not working, but that’s not always the case. It could be that the dryer has no incoming power supply or the machine’s main control board has failed. However, an enabled Control Lock feature or a faulty control panel would cause the panel to not work when you use it.
Keep reading to discover if your dryer control panel has failed or if the root cause is somewhere else.
Why Is My Amana Dryer Control Panel Not Working?
Using an Amana dryer without a working control panel is impossible.
So, here are the most likely problems your control panel is facing and the solutions you can use for each one.
Incoming Power Supply
About this part: When you find that your Amana dryer’s control panel isn’t lighting up or responding to anything you do, the first thing you’ll want to troubleshoot is the machine’s incoming power supply.
There are three aspects of that incoming power supply to troubleshoot, namely:
- Circuit breakers: These are in the main electrical box for your home or building. They’re a safety feature that protects the circuits powering your dryer. Remember: electric dryers like your Amana model draw power from 2 circuits and therefore have 2 circuit breakers.
- Wall socket: The wall socket is where the electrical circuits meet your Amana dryer’s power supply. This is another point of failure that you’ll want to be aware of.
- Dryer power cord and plug: Lastly, your Amana dryer accepts electrical power through its power cord and the plug that fits into the wall socket.
How it causes the problem: Your dryer’s incoming power supply is the quickest thing to troubleshoot and rule out when the control panel doesn’t work. The control panel itself could be in excellent condition.
However, without a power supply, it won’t light up or respond when you push a button.
As you saw above, there are three parts to that incoming power supply. First, the circuit breakers could have tripped, the wall socket could be faulty, and the dryer power cord and plug could be damaged.
Solution: The solution here depends on the problem. You can reset the tripped circuit breakers yourself.
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However, it’s best to engage a qualified electrician to fix a faulty wall socket.
Lastly, you’ll have to purchase a replacement power cord and plug, as a damaged one won’t work.
Read: How To Fix Amana Dryer Squeaking Noise? – Troubleshooting Guide
Control Lock Enabled
About this part: Amana dryers have a ‘Control Lock’ feature. Its purpose is similar to the ‘Child Lock’ feature on other dryer brands and models.
In short, the Control Lock feature disables the rest of the control panel to ensure no one can interfere with the current settings. So, your dryer control panel won’t work as long as that feature is enabled.
This feature is often referred to as a Child Lock because it was initially used to prevent children from operating the dryer mid-cycle and potentially injuring themselves.
How it causes the problem: As you saw above, your Amana dryer control panel seems like it isn’t working because the Control Lock feature is enabled.
When that’s the case, any button you press becomes unresponsive. It’ll also prevent you from changing any dryer settings.
You could have forgotten the Control Lock feature was enabled, or you might have enabled it by accident.
You’ll know the feature is on if you see a lock icon or the word ‘Control Lock’ illuminated on display.
Solution: Disabling the Control Lock feature is very straightforward. Find the button on your Amana dryer control panel. On most models, the button will have a lock icon accompanying it.
Press and hold the button until the Control Lock feature is disabled. That will unlock the control panel and make it responsive to your input.
Read: Why is Amana Dryer Not Turning ON Or Not Spinning? – Troubleshooting Guide
Faulty Control Panel
About this part: On older Amana dryer models, the control panel consists of separate components like the timer and push-to-start (PTS) button.
However, other models will have a singular control panel, where all the buttons are on the same user interface.
The buttons you push on the control panel will trigger parts of an electronic board that relay signals to the dryer’s main control board. Then, the dryer will respond to your input accordingly.
How it causes the problem: Unfortunately, control panels can suffer from faults that are challenging to identify and repair. More importantly, those faults are impossible to predict or prevent.
For example, a power surge or short circuit could cause the board to stop working. In some cases, the whole control board will stop working. However, it’s also possible for some buttons to work while others become unresponsive.
Solution: Whatever the case, a faulty control panel must be replaced with a new one. Diagnosing and repairing individual components on a control panel is impractical, which is why a replacement is the best option.
Read: Why Amana Dryer Won’t Start Just Clicks – Troubleshooting Guide
A Failed Main Control Board
About this part: As you saw above, anything you input through the dryer control panel is communicated to the main control board through electrical signals.
The main control board is a printed circuit board (PCB) that controls every dryer component and function. Based on your input, the control board will send electrical power and signals to the components to carry out your chosen drying cycle.
The main control board is kept out of sight, somewhere inside the dryer’s frame. As a result, it’s not a component that you interact with directly but only through the control panel.
How it causes the problem: The main control board usually acts upon the instructions you provide by using the control panel. However, a failed board won’t respond correctly to the settings you choose or the buttons you press.
Simply put, it seems that the control panel isn’t working, but that’s not the case. The control panel is perfectly fine.
But the main control board doesn’t respond to your input.
Solution: Main control boards are similar to the control panel you read about earlier, so repairing them is not a practical solution. You’ll have to replace the existing control board with a new one.
A whole board is much quicker to buy and install than replacing individual components.
Read: How To Fix Amana Dryer Not Heating Or Not Drying? – Troubleshooting Guide
Additional Questions and Answers
Need a bit more guidance? No problem! Here are a few more questions and answers that you’ll find helpful:
How Do I Fix The Start Button On My Amana Dryer?
When you push the Start button, it triggers the start switch behind it in the control panel. So, fixing the Start button means troubleshooting and potentially replacing a faulty start switch concealed in the control panel.
Why Does My Dryer Have Two Circuit Breakers?
Amana’s electric dryer models require two circuit breakers because they’re powered by two circuits. The two circuits are necessary to power the dryer’s components and the heating element, which draws in a lot of electricity.
Read: Why Amana Dryer Getting Hot But Not Drying Clothes – Troubleshooting Guide
Why Does My Dryer Have A Lock Symbol?
The lock symbol on your Amana dryer refers to its Control Lock feature. When enabled, the control board’s functions are disabled. In addition, the buttons become unresponsive so that no one can adjust the machine’s settings mid-cycle.
How Do I Test My Dryer Control Panel?
You can test your dryer control panel by pushing each button and turning any dials to see if the machine responds. A more thorough test would be an electrical continuity test using a multimeter. That test shows if electricity can flow through the control panel’s contacts correctly.
Can You Reset An Amana Dryer?
Yes, you can reset an Amana dryer through power cycling, commonly referred to as ‘turning it off and on again’. More specifically, disconnect the dryer’s power supply for 5 minutes before turning it back on. Doing that will reset the Amana dryer.
