✨ How To Fix A Noisy Dryer ✨

 

With more than 30 years of experience as an appliance repair technician, I’ve seen and heard hundreds of squeaky dryers. It’s a common complaint with multiple possible causes.

A few years ago, I was asked to fix a really noisy, squeaky dryer. When I tested it, it sounded like nails on a chalkboard! I opened it up and found the rear bearing had completely deteriorated due to years of normal wear. No wonder it sounded so bad!

Replacing the rear bearing fixed the problem and gave the customer another eight years of quiet drying. Often, replacing a common part returns the dryer to its original noise level. These are repairs you can easily do yourself to save some money.

Here’s a list of the common reasons why your dryer is Noisy:

• Dryer Belt Is Worn or Misaligned, or the Tension Is Off

Dryer belts can slip out of position due to wear or overloading. When the belt no longer lines up correctly, it can rub against parts of the tensioning wheel arm and make a bad squeaking noise. If the belt breaks, it can be replaced in the same way as a belt that slipped off.

Here’s how:

• Unplug the dryer and find the belt. On most dryers, you remove the top panel, then the front panel. You may need to also remove the filter housing.
• Reach in and push the idler/tensioner to one side to take tension off the belt. While doing this, you can slip the belt off the dryer motor’s small pulley.
• Pull the belt off the drum.
• Find your dryer’s model number and order a new dryer belt online.
  • They’re not that expensive. The new belt will be made of soft flexible rubber that’s less likely to squeak or break.
• Install the new belt by reversing the process of taking it off. The only difficult part: Pushing the idler wheel to the side while slipping the belt back over the small motor pulley. Once it’s on, spin the drum by hand a few times to be sure the belt won’t slip off.

Dryer Drum Glides and Rollers Are Worn

When this happens, the glides and rollers can make a rumbling noise or a squeak.

• Use the technique above to take off the belt.
• Pull the entire drum out of the dryer cabinet to expose the glides or support rollers. The support rollers hold up the weight of the drum as it spins.
  • You’ll need circlip pliers to remove and install the circlips (aka retaining rings) that hold on the support rollers.
• Order a set of new support rollers, using the dryer’s model number.
• Replace the support rollers.

Or:

• Replace the worn out glides. Order new guides by looking up your model number along with the word “glides.”

Dryer Bearings Are Worn or Damaged

In my experience, worn-out bearings are the most common cause of a squeaky dryer. The front and rear bearings hold up the entire weight of the drum and gradually wear out due to friction.

The front bearing is usually just a slippery plastic surface that holds the weight of the drum. The rear bearing is usually a metal ball that sits in a plastic cup supporting the rear weight of the drum. When they wear out, you’ll probably hear an awful metal-on-metal sound.

Fortunately, the bearings are inexpensive and easy to replace.

• Start by removing the top and front panels.
  • That will give you access to the front bearings.
• Then remove the belt and the drum.
  • That will give you access to the rear bearing.
• Some front bearings are actually glued in place. Some just need to be removed by taking out a few screws.
• Replace the front bearings.
• Replace the front bearings (2nd type).
• Replace the rear bearings.

Dryer Idler Pulley Is Malfunctioning

The idler pulley keeps the right amount of tension on the dryer belt so it won’t slip or fall off. Sometimes the wheel on the pulley needs lubrication or it will squeak.

• Lubricate or replace the idler wheel.
• Remove the dryer drum, as shown above. Often a few drops of general purpose machine oil on the idler pulley wheel shaft will get rid of the squeak.
• You can also easily replace a worn out idler wheel by removing a small bolt at the base of the idler pulley arm. You can order a new idler wheel by doing a Google search with the model number and the word “Idler pulley.”

Foreign Object or Debris Is Trapped in the Dryer

It’s rare, but sometimes metal objects get caught between the front edge of the dryer drum and the front bearing surface. I’ve found small metal zippers and screws that caused the annoying high-pitched squeak.

• If you suspect there’s an object or debris causing the squeak, take a bright flashlight and look carefully at the gap between the front of the dryer drum and the front bearing it rests on.
• If you see something, remove the object or debris and test the dryer to see if it still squeaks.

Dryer’s Moving Parts Need Lubrication

If the idler wheel squeaks, a little lubrication is the answer.

• If your dryer has a small removable panel below the door, remove the screws allows, then the panel. You’ll have access to the idler wheel.
• It may just need a few drops of general purpose machine oil on the idler wheel shaft.

NOTE: The dryer support wheels are not designed to be lubricated with oil. Oiling the support wheels can cause them to prematurely wear out.

Final Thoughts

You can still use your dryer even when it squeaks, but that squeak is a warning. Don’t wait too long to replace or fix the parts that are, or will soon be, worn out.