My Dyson dryer stopped working!

Hello, Experts.

I really need your help.   I have a Dyson hand dryer and nothing happens when I put my hands in!

"Wet and Worried in Washington"

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Hi, Wet!

To give you advice, I'll first need some more information.

Can you tell me what model of Dyson you have and how old it is?  

Next, have you checked the electrical connection to be sure that the dryer is receiving power (all connections are secure, the circuit is not tripped, and that the power is actually reaching the dryer)?

Also:  Have you tried turning the breaker off, waiting 5 minutes, and turning it back on? A lot of times this will "reset" the circuit board (kind of like turning your computer on and off) and normal operation will be restored.

When you say "nothing happens" do you hear anything at all (a clicking noise or a sound like the motor is trying to turn on)?

Hand Dryer Expert

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Thank you for your reply!

     My dryer is a Dyson Airblade AB14.  Nothing at all happens when you put your hands in.  No lights, no clicking,... nothing.  I checked the circuit breaker in the panel and it's on.  And when I plug in a lamp into an outlet that's on the same circuit, it works.  I also tried what you said about flipping it off and then back on.  Still nothing!

"Worried"

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Well, from your description, it sounds like it's either the sensors (this model has two emitters and two receivers) or the master circuit board. The good news is that Dyson has a 5-year warranty on all of their hand dryers.  In addition, if your dryer is less than a year old, then they will actually send someone to your location to fix the problem on site (or set you up with a new dryer if they cannot).

If it is older than that, but still under warranty, then it's been our experience that they will send you a universal parts kit. In this case, you would be responsible for affecting the repairs and returning the faulty and unused parts back to them.

If it is the sensor, those are pretty hard to replace and they may just send you a whole new unit.   If it is the circuit board or motor, then it's relatively straight forward to swap out those modules.  You will need basic tools (screw drivers, wire cutter, needle nose pliers) and also, the "L-shaped" security wrench that came with your dryer.  If you don't have one, you can order it here: Dyson Security Wrench.

As a general rule, we recommend that you have a qualified electrician do the repair.  If you do decide to attempt it, allow at least an hour to complete it so that you can take your time.  If this is your first experience repairing a hand dryer, it's a good idea to take a picture at every step so that you have a record of where each screw, bracket, or wire came from and how it looked before you took it off.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Hand Dryer Expert

Will this part work in my hand dryer?

Hi, Experts.

   We have inherited a hand dryer that was on the wall when we moved in.  It's not working and I think it's the circuit board that's bad. However, when I look around on the internet, I see a lot of dryers that look almost identical to mine, but with a different brand on the front.  How can I tell if the parts will match?

    "Hopeful in Hanover"

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Good Question, Hopeful!

   In 'the good ole days,' there were only about 5 major brands of hand dryers available.  And like the automobiles of the time, each model year and each manufacturer was pretty unique looking.  

   With the the growing popularity of hand dryers, however, a multitude of new companies have come in to the market to pursue this burgeoning segment, each with it's own brand and sometimes very similar looking models.

   To make matters more confusing, some companies buy other companies products and put their own branding on them.

   But to answer your question;  if the dryer is a prominent hand dryer brand (i.e.: Excel XLERATOR, Dyson Airblade, World Dryer AirMax, American Dryer eXtremeAir, etc.)  then "look-a-likes" are very possibly copy-cat products with different (and frequently inferior) internal parts.

    If the dryer is a private label brand (Some examples would be: ASI, Global Industrial and Palmer Fixture) and if the dryer looks similar or identical (except for branding), then there is a good chance that the internal components are interchangeable. For these dryers, if you can find a picture of the part your looking for, that's even better.  

   For example, here's one company that publishes detailed pictures of all their parts.  They even provide some cross-reference charts.

  I "Hope" that clarifies things a bit for you.

  Sincerely, 

     Hand Dryer Expert