A lot of Amana dryer problems can be resolved with a quick reset. That’s why a reset should always be the first troubleshooting step for any dryer problem, as it could save you plenty of time and effort upfront.
Amana dryers do not have dedicated reset buttons. You can reset one through power cycling by disconnecting the plug for 5 minutes before turning it back on. Its tripped motor overload protector will also reset itself if you leave it alone for 2-3 minutes. You can’t reset a thermal fuse, so replace it if yours has blown.
Keep reading as this guide walks you through all available options for resetting your Amana dryer.
Is There A Reset Button On An Amana Dryer?
No, Amana dryers do not have a dedicated button that you can use to reset the machine. Instead, there are ways you can reset specific parts of the machine depending on the conditions it’s experiencing.
For example, you can perform a general reset or reset the motor overload protector and the machine’s incoming power supply. Knowing how to perform these resets will help minimize downtime for your Amana dryer.
Below, you’ll discover each type of reset, when they’ll be helpful, and how you can perform them.
General Reset
About this: An Amana dryer can sometimes benefit from a general reset to clear minor glitches or short-term errors.
While most people refer to the process as just a reset, another term for it is a ‘power cycle’. Overall, it involves shutting off power to the dryer for a short period.
That brief period without power is enough to clear many minor issues.
How it helps: A general reset or power cycle helps to clear minor errors in several ways.
Firstly, briefly leaving the dryer powerless will help reset sensors and other malfunctioning components.
Besides that, the process also clears the memory in the dryer’s electronic components, like the main control board. Doing that will help remove any minor electronic glitches affecting the machine.
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Lastly, turning your dryer on after depriving it of power allows it to start over fresh without the glitches that stop it from functioning correctly.
How to do it: To reset your Amana dryer or perform a power cycle, disconnect the dryer from the wall socket.
Remember: it’s not enough to turn your dryer off. It’s critical that you physically remove the plug. That’s because a plugged-in dryer turned off still draws a little power from the socket.
Next, leave the dryer unplugged for 5 minutes. The machine’s memory will clear as any retained electricity inside dissipates.
Finally, reconnect the dryer and start it up normally.
Read: How To Fix Amana Dryer Squeaking Noise? – Troubleshooting Guide
Motor Overload Protector Reset
About this: Amana dryers and their components have several protective features built into them. Those features aim to shut the machine down if conditions become too dangerous. Doing that protects the machine from damaging itself.
The dryer motor has a protective feature called the motor overload protector. The protector will trip if it senses that the motor is being overloaded.
For instance, loading too many things into the drum could stress the motor and burn it out. So, the motor overload protector steps in to stop that damage from happening.
As a result, the motor will stop working until you reset the overload protector.
How resetting it helps: Your dryer motor won’t run once the motor overload protector has tripped. So, performing this reset will allow the motor to start working again.
You can continue using the machine to dry your laundry when that happens.
How to do it: The only thing you need to reset the motor overload protector is a little bit of patience. When the protector trips, leave the dryer alone for at least 2-3 minutes.
After that brief period, the protector will reset itself and allow the motor to work again.
You can prevent this problem from happening again by loading your dryer correctly. As a rule of thumb, never load more than 2/3 of the drum’s capacity in a single load.
Read: Why Amana Dryer Not Turning ON Or Not Spinning? – Troubleshooting Guide
Incoming Power Supply Reset
About this: Sometimes, the reset you need to perform isn’t in the Amana dryer itself.
Suppose your Amana dryer won’t turn on because it’s not receiving any incoming power supply. In that case, your household circuit breakers or the ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet have tripped due to an electrical fault.
You’ll have to reset your incoming power supply to get your Amana dryer working normally again.
How resetting it helps: The circuit breakers and GFCI outlet protect the circuits that power your dryer. So, even though they’re not components within the dryer itself, they’re critical for the machine’s proper functioning.
No electrical current will flow to your dryer when circuit breakers or the GFCI outlet trip. Resetting them restores your dryer’s power supply, allowing you to use the machine again.
How to do it: Firstly, find your dryer’s circuit breakers (electric models have 2) in your house’s main electrical box. You must first push them to the OFF position if they’ve tripped. Only then can you push them the other way to the ON position to restore power.
The National Electrical Code (NEC) requires GFCI outlets in laundry rooms, so you’ll likely have one powering your dryer.
These have built-in circuit breakers that can also trip. You can reset them by pushing the RESET button directly on the outlet.
Read: Why Amana Dryer Won’t Start Just Clicks – Troubleshooting Guide
Thermal Fuse Reset
About this: Another protective feature in Amana dryers is the thermal fuse. It’s similar to an electrical fuse in that it’ll break the circuit if it senses fault conditions.
However, instead of reacting to an electrical fault (like other electrical fuses do), thermal fuses are triggered by excess heat.
So, for example, if your Amana dryer is overheating at dangerous temperatures, the heat will trigger the thermal fuse to blow. That will break the power supply to the heating element and prevent your dryer from damaging itself or starting a house fire.
How to fix it: Unfortunately, the only way to ‘reset’ a blown thermal fuse on an Amana dryer is to replace it with a new one.
There’s a reason a triggered thermal fuse is referred to as a ‘blown fuse’. That’s because the fuse destroys itself to break the electrical circuit.
So, unlike other appliances with similar fuses, the one in your dryer cannot be reset with a push of a button.
A new thermal fuse is the only reset available to get your dryer working again.
Read: How To Fix Amana Dryer Not Heating Or Not Drying? – Troubleshooting Guide
Additional Questions And Answers
Check out these additional questions and answers to help you when resetting parts of your Amana dryer:
What Happens When You Overload A Dryer?
A lot of bad things happen when you overload an Amana dryer. Firstly, your clothes will require much more time to dry thoroughly. But more importantly, that excessive weight will stress the motor and trip the motor overload protector.
What Does It Mean If Breaker Trips?
A breaker will trip if it senses a fault in the electrical circuit. When a breaker trips, it breaks the circuit and prevents electrical current from flowing. As a result, anything powered by that circuit, like your Amana dryer, will stop working until the breaker is reset.
Why Is A Fuse A Safety Device?
A fuse is a safety device because it prevents a dryer from damaging itself or causing a fire. Dangerous conditions, like an electrical overload or excessive heat, trigger different kinds of fuses. Those fuses keep the dryer safe by cutting off power and preventing damage and injury.
Read: Why Amana Dryer Getting Hot But Not Drying Clothes – Troubleshooting Guide
Should A Washer And Dryer Be On GCFI?
The National Electrical Code (NEC) doesn’t require washers and dryers to be on GCFI outlets per se. However, the NEC requires laundry rooms to be equipped with GCFI outlets. Therefore, if your washer and dryer are placed in a laundry room, they’ll likely be plugged into a GCFI outlet.
How Long Does It Take For A Dryer To Reset?
As you’ve seen from this guide, there are several ways to reset a dryer depending on the issue it’s experiencing. Still, you’ll only need less than 10 minutes to perform any of those resets, whether it’s a power cycle, a motor overload protector reset, or anything else.
