What is actually happening
A motor that runs while the drum stands still is almost always a snapped drive belt — the belt is a thin band that wraps the whole drum, and when it goes the motor spins freely with nothing to drive. The easy confirmation is that the drum will turn far too freely by hand, with none of the usual resistance.
The White Knight fault codes that point at this
A White Knight tumble dryer will usually tell you what it thinks is wrong before anyone opens it up. These are the codes we hold for this make that relate to drum not turning:
- E00 — The touch control panel has lost contact with the dryer's main circuit board, so the two halves of the machine can no longer talk to each other.
- E01 — The machine can't confirm the door is shut and locked, so it won't start or it has halted mid-cycle.
- E02 — The machine isn't getting enough water in, so it has stopped and flagged a fill fault.
- E05 — The dryer has lost a sensible reading from the temperature sensor on the heater, so it refuses to heat.
- E06 — The control board has lost the signal that tells it the drum motor is turning, so it shuts the cycle down.
- E07 — The dryer has stopped because the control board isn't getting the drum turning as it should — on the heat pump models this points to a locked or disconnected drum motor.
- E08 — The dryer has decided the electricity reaching it isn't steady or strong enough to run safely, so it has stopped the cycle.
- E09 — The machine has measured the mains voltage reaching it and decided it is outside the range it is allowed to run on, so it has halted.
If yours is showing one of those, that is a much shorter conversation than a general fault — tell us the code when you book and the engineer can often carry the part.
The usual causes on a White Knight tumble dryer
- A snapped or slipped drive belt
- A failed drum bearing or worn support rollers, which can seize the drum
- A failed motor or motor capacitor
- An item jammed between the drum and the casing
What you can safely check yourself
- With the dryer off, turn the drum by hand — no resistance at all points at a broken belt
- Listen: a motor humming with no drum movement is the classic sign
- Check nothing is jammed at the edge of the drum
Still drum not turning?
Most of these need an engineer once the checks above are done. £66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.
Our engineers work on White Knight machines week in, week out, so they arrive knowing the machine rather than reading the back of it. Local engineers across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.
Call 0115 648 0929 Book online — postcode and number is all we need
Common questions
Why is my White Knight tumble dryer drum not turning?
The dryer starts and hums, but the drum does not turn. A motor that runs while the drum stands still is almost always a snapped drive belt — the belt is a thin band that wraps the whole drum, and when it goes the motor spins freely with nothing to drive. The easy confirmation is that the drum will turn far too freely by hand, with none of the usual resistance.
Can I fix a White Knight tumble dryer drum not turning myself?
With the dryer off, turn the drum by hand — no resistance at all points at a broken belt. Listen: a motor humming with no drum movement is the classic sign. Check nothing is jammed at the edge of the drum. Beyond those checks this one normally needs an engineer.
What White Knight error codes mean drum not turning?
White Knight tumble dryers report this through their own fault codes. The ones that point at drum not turning are E00, E01, E02, E05, E06, E07. If your machine is showing one of those, that narrows it down considerably — each has its own guide on this site.
How much does a White Knight tumble dryer repair cost?
£66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.
Other White Knight tumble dryer faults
- tumble dryer not heating
- tumble dryer not drying the clothes
- tumble dryer making a noise
- tumble dryer will not start
- tumble dryer burning smell
- tumble dryer keeps stopping