How To Fix A Noisy Dryer

In gas and electric dryers, the drum glides provide support to the front part of the dryer’s drum on both sides. The glides are made from either teflon, nylon or plastic and have a felt or cork backing depending on the maker of the dryer. The glides provide a smooth surface for the drum to rotate on, but they can wear out over time producing a scraping sound because of the metal-to-metal contact.

How to inspect your dryer’s drum glides:

1. Disconnect your dryer from the power source.
2. Remove your dryer’s cabinet to locate your drum glides. On most models, the Drum glides are installed on the front bulkhead, either at the top or the bottom.
3. Visually inspect your glides for signs of wear or damage.
4. If any of your drum glides appear worn, you will need a set of replacement drum glides.

In some models of gas and electric dryers, the drum is supported at the rear by a bearing. Depending on the model of dryer, the bearing may be a ball and socket, or a shaft connected to a sleeve bushing. A defective rear bearing will produce a squealing or squeaking noise and will need to be replaced.

How to inspect your dryer’s drum bearings:

1. Unplug your dryer and ensure that there is no residual water or clothing in the drum.
2. Manually spin your dryer drum, listening for any strange noises.
3. Grasping the front edge of your drum, attempt to move your drum upwards, towards yourself, and to the back of the dryer.
4. If you can easily move your drum in any direction, you may need a replacement drum bearing.

Several models of gas and electric dryers have rollers that support the drum. The rollers are typically located on the rear bulkhead and some models will have them on the front bulkhead as well. These rollers can wear out from usage causing the dryer’s drum to not rotate freely and create a squealing noise or in some cases, a thumping noise. Drum rollers should be replaced as a set as they normally will wear evenly.

How to check your dryer’s drum support rollers:

1. After disconnecting your dryer from the power source, open the dryer’s cabinet and remove the drum.
2. Visually inspect your drum support rollers for signs of damage or wear.
3. If one or both rollers are worn or damaged, you will need replacement drum support rollers.

Gas and electric dryers use a belt to rotate the dryer’s drum. The belt can become hard and brittle with age, and portions of the belt may separate and cause a thumping noise when the drum is turning.

How to inspect your dryer’s drive belt:

1. Disconnect your dryer from the power source and ensure that the drum is empty.
2. Remove the front panel of your dryer and locate the drive belt, it will be looped around the drum, under the idler pulley wheel, and around the drive pulley.
3. Visually inspect the drive belt for signs of wear, cracking, fraying, or burning.
4. If the belt is damaged, you will need a replacement drive belt.

The idler pulley on a dryer is used to provide tension on the drum belt so that the belt will not slip on the drive motor pulley or drum when the dryer has a load in it. The idler pulley rotates at high speed and over time may fail due to increased friction. A squeaking or squealing noise can be heard and can progress to a loud scraping or thumping noise in time.

How to check your dryer’s idler pulley:

1. After disconnecting your dryer from the power source and emptying the drum, remove the front panel or lower access panel, depending on your model.
2. To inspect the idler pulley, you need to first remove the drive belt by gently pushing the idler pulley towards the motor to release the tension on the belt, and then slide the belt off.
3. With the belt removed, you should be able to turn the idler pulley freely with little to no resistance. If you can’t, you will need a replacement.
4. Closely inspect the idler pulley, as well as the shaft, for signs of wear or damage.
5. If you are unable to turn the idler pulley easily, or it is visibly damaged, you will need a replacement idler pulley.

The drum seals are used to prevent excess air from entering the dryer drum and act as a cushion between the drum and the front and rear bulkheads. The drum seals are made up of a felt like material. If the seal is torn or worn, then clothing can become stuck in the gap when the drum is turning. This can produce a scraping or thumping noise and the clothes can also be ripped and/or have black marks on them.

How to check your dryer’s felt drum seal:

1. Disconnect your dryer from the power source.
2. Open your dryer cabinet and remove the drum.
3. With the drum removed, inspect your seal(s) for signs of wear or damage.
4. If they are worn or damaged, you will need a replacement felt drum seal. If your model has more than one seal it is recommended to replace them all at the same time, as these seals wear at approximately the same rate.

The blower wheel in gas and electric dryers is used to draw the air from the heating chamber, through the drum and out the exhaust vent. The blower wheel is normally made of plastic and can wear out over time. It is typically attached to the end of the motor and may be threaded onto the shaft or held in place with a clamp. If the blower wheel becomes loose then the symptom is usually a loud thumping or roaring noise is usually heard.

How to tell if your dryer’s blower wheel is bad:

1. After unplugging your dryer, remove the back panel and locate the blower wheel, in most models it is in the bottom left corner.
2. Visually inspect the blower wheel and its housing for damage, you should also check for any foreign objects around the blower wheel that may be causing the noise.
3. To inspect the hub of the wheel, remove the front panel and drum from your dryer.
4. Inspect the hub for any signs of wear or damage. If there are any signs of wear or damage on the hub or the wheel itself, you will need a replacement blower wheel.

Baffles or lifters located on the inner surface of the drum are used to tumble the clothes in your dryer. If a baffle becomes loose it can produce a thumping or banging noise and will eventually break off.

How to check your dryer’s baffle:

1. Open the door of your dryer and inspect the baffles for any signs of cracking, wear, or other damage.
2. Check to see if any loose change or metal objects have become lodged underneath the baffles, as this may cause a rattling noise or damage your clothing.
3. If there is damage, or the baffles are loose, you will need replacement baffles.

Gas and electric dryers have a motor that turns the blower and the dryer drum. A defective motor can produce a variety of sounds, such as a ratting noise from a loose pulley, a high-pitched noise from a bad bearing or bushing or a humming noise from a bad winding or switch on the motor.

How to test a dryer motor with a multi-meter:

1. Disconnect your dryer from the power source and open your dryer’s cabinet to locate the motor. Depending on your model, you may need to remove the drum belt or blower wheel to access the motor.
2. After locating the motor, disconnect the wire leads from the wiring harness and remove the motor from the dryer.
3. With your multimeter on the Rx1 setting, touch the meter’s probes to one terminal each. Your motor should show a reading of zero, or close to zero.
4. To check the ground connection, place one probe on the bare metal housing of the motor, and place the other probe on each terminal, one at a time. You should not receive any reading from this test.
5. If your motor fails either of the tests above, you need a replacement motor.