Breaker not tripped, partial power out, but back on only when the dryer is on
A couple of days ago I returned from work and the power was out in my two bathrooms, my utility closet, and I noticed that a few plugs didn't work throughout the house. None of the breakers had tripped. I have tried resetting them all a few times anyway with no success. I also don't have any of those plugs with the reset button on them. Then today when I was doing laundry I had to run an extension cord into the utility closet from a working outlet to get the washer to work. But the dryer turned on while plugged in to it's original plug. When the dryer was on I noticed that power had been restored to the entire house. Eventually I realized that the power to the section that was out is only on when the dryer is actually turned on and running. As soon as the cycle ends all of the power goes back out. Also the dryer is not getting hot and the clothes aren't getting dry. This has never happened before. I can't imagine that this is just a coincidence, but I'm not sure if the lack of heat is a cause or effect of what is going on. Any idea what is going on and how I can fix it?