XT Appliances · Warren
Dryer squealing, thumping or grinding
A low rumble usually means worn drum rollers, and a high squeal usually means a dry idler pulley.
Everything that turns in a dryer rides on something. The drum sits on rollers, slides on glides and felt at the front, and on many designs turns on a bearing at the back. The belt wraps around the drum, and a spring-loaded idler pulley keeps it tight. Each of these wears out in its own way and makes its own sound, so the noise itself tells you where to look.
Match the sound
A low rumble or thump that rises and falls as the drum turns points at the drum rollers. They wear flat or their bearings dry out, and they're replaced as a set.
A high squeal or chirp is almost always the idler pulley, not the rollers. Its bearing dries out, and left alone it can seize and chew up the belt. A dryer that squealed for a while and then stopped tumbling has usually done exactly that.
A scrape or rub that follows the drum, loudest at the front, means the glides have worn through and the drum is dragging on the front of the cabinet. A worn felt seal also lets warm air escape, so drying slows down at the same time.
A deep grind or metallic squeal from the back, louder with a heavy load, is the rear drum bearing. It can sound like the idler, but it comes from the back, and a dry rear bearing can run hot enough to give off a hot-metal smell.
Fix it before it stops
A noisy dryer usually still dries, so it's easy to put off. The parts making the noise are the ones holding the drum and belt in place, though, and a seized pulley or bearing turns a noise into a dryer that won't tumble. When we replace rollers, we check the belt and idler while the dryer is open.
On the visit, our technician takes the belt off and turns the drum by hand, feeling the rollers, the idler and the rear bearing one at a time. A rear bearing still grinds with the belt off, and an idler goes quiet. That ties the noise to one part instead of a guess from the sound.
What it usually turns out to be
- PartDrum support rollersThe drum rides on these wheels. When they wear flat or dry out you get a low rumble or thump that rises and falls with the drum.
- PartIdler pulleyThis spring-loaded pulley keeps the belt tight. A dry bearing gives a high squeal or chirp, and a seized one can shred the belt.
- PartRear drum bearingOn many designs it holds up the back of the drum. A worn one grinds or squeals from the back of the dryer, louder with a heavy load.
- PartDrum glides and felt sealThe front of the drum slides on these pads and seals against the felt. Worn through, they scrape metal on metal and let warm air leak, so drying slows too.
Try this first
- Listen for the kind of sound: a high squeal, a low rumble, a scrape or a grind.
- Note whether the noise comes from the front or the back of the dryer.
- Run it once with a small load and once with a full one, and note whether the noise gets worse with weight.
- Tell us what you heard when you call. It helps us bring the right parts.
Stop using it and call now if
- A burning or hot-metal smell, or the top is too hot to touch.
- A squeal that ends with the drum no longer turning.
Other dryer problems
Or go back to dryer repair in Warren.