How Do You Know if Your Dryer Belt Is Broken
Every one time in a while, my dryer starts misbehaving and producing all sorts of ungodly noises. Recently, the squeaking sounds have been increasing in frequency and volume. And then I decided to look into how I could end it once and for all. Fortunately, it's pretty easy to figure out possible causes of dryer noises — likewise as possible fixes.
Of course, if you're a total apprentice repairman, you can ever call in the pros. After all, this project certainly isn't going to be as piece of cake as silencing a squeaky shoe, door hinge, or floorboard. Nevertheless, fifty-fifty if you do end up calling for assistance, this commodity volition let yous know what you tin can expect.
Why Dryers Squeak: Possible Causes
The commencement thing y'all need to know are the possible causes of the noise. Unfortunately, in that location are several possible explanations for squeaking noises coming from a dryer while running. Commonly, you won't know which i you're dealing with until you open the machine upwardly. However, for now, we can talk near why different parts could malfunction and how that flaw could cause such a noise.
On the bright side, dryers don't actually take many moving parts that might break down. Then yous should be able to tell which of them is making the noise pretty quickly. The possible culprits are usually the dryer belt, idler pulley, drum bearings, and motor. We're well-nigh to effigy out what those are and how they could create squeaking noises.
Before we begin, I ought to signal out that the following section of the article is strictly theoretical. You don't desire to peek inside the dryer until y'all know the bones anatomy of the motorcar y'all're working with. Furthermore, you should never open any electrical car while it's plugged in — that should come equally a given. Now that that's been said, let's get downwards to the nitty-gritty.
Dryer Chugalug
The dryer belt is a relatively thin and narrow safety ring that goes around the dryer drum. The chugalug is fastened to the pulley, which is, in plow, attached to the motor. When the motor is active, information technology moves the idler pulley, thereby causing the belt and the drum to spin. So where'south the issue in that location?
Well, depending on the corporeality of use you get out of your dryer, you lot could come across some serious wear on the dryer belt. It may have stretched due to all the spinning, which tin can reduce its efficiency. After all, if the belt isn't snug confronting the metallic drum, it tin't concord onto it firmly enough to spin it. As you tin can imagine, loose safety and metal don't exactly mix.
Then, the squeaking noise could be coming from the friction between those ii materials. It'due south pretty much the same thing that happens when you walk on vinyl floors in brand new condom sole sneakers.
Fortunately, this consequence is pretty piece of cake to set up. You just demand to get a replacement chugalug and swap out the old one. In fact, that's all I had to do to fix my dryer — so that's the easy case scenario.
Idler Pulley
Most dryers have two pulleys: the motor caster and the idler caster. As I have mentioned, the idler pulley is located between the motor and the dryer belt. This role is actually a spinning wheel, and then it can start wiggling or losing traction, which may upshot in a squeaking dissonance.
Still, simply like with the dryer belt, this function is fairly easy to supersede. You should fifty-fifty exist able to practice it yourself later a quick perusal of your dryer'southward manual. Merely remember, you lot tin't get simply any parts — they may not exist compatible with your dryer. Y'all may take a tough fourth dimension finding replacements, even if you took the time to effigy out exactly which kind of part yous need.
Drum Glide Bearings
If the noise you're hearing doesn't audio similar loose rubber or a malfunctioning wheel, but rather like metal on plastic, yous're likely dealing with faulty glide bearings. Glides are small-scale strips of textile (plastic, felt, or nylon) that go along the edge of the pulsate. They are attached via a series of locking tabs.
Even so, switching them out with new ones should be a breeze equally long every bit y'all can become your hands on new ones that fit your machine.
Motor
The solution to a noisy motor could be as like shooting fish in a barrel as getting a new one. However, I'm not certain whether that solution would be worth the trouble, especially if you're not an electrician. Even if yous chosen in a professional, you'd then take to pay for both the office and the work, which probably wouldn't be worth it. At that point, I'd propose getting rid of that dryer and starting fresh with a new 1.
How to Fix a Squeaky Dryer
So now that we know which parts are the most probable culprits for the sound, let's see how we can put a stop to information technology.
Get the Parts and Supplies You Need
There are two things y'all'll demand to tackle this repair project: your tool kit and the parts you'll need to supplant. But for the fourth dimension being, yous'll kickoff with your usual tools:
- Screwdrivers or the proper flake and a drill
- A crescent wrench
- Possibly pliers or clamps
Depending on the dryer you've got and the size of its drum, you lot may need to shop around for a new dryer belt. The same goes for when you endeavor to get an idler caster — you should look for one that will fit your machine. It should look something similar this Samsung dryer pulley, though.
On the other mitt, some manufacturers also sell service kits for some of their dryer models. This i from GE contains a bearing, two dryer slides, a belt, and some felt. Nevertheless, you won't know which parts you lot demand until you take a peek within.
First things first, yous'll need to completely unplug your car to prevent any accidents. Too, make sure to do this in a big and clean piece of work area — so yous can see if any parts skip across the floor. Ideally, you should also take a way to track where each of the screws and the parts you have out came from.
If yous're the kind of person who forgets where each letter of the alphabet on your keyboard was when you accept them out to make clean them, yous may want to record yourself equally you do this. That manner, you lot'll be able to reverse-engineer your process.
Supercede the Chugalug, Idler Caster, or the Glide Bearings
Before you practice anything, I'd advise you to spend some time with your dryer manual or on YouTube, looking for videos of the kind of repairs you need to perform. While nigh disassembling jobs commencement with taking out the lint trap and remove the screws that concord the lid shut. You can see how to do it in this video of a dryer belt replacement.
When you open up your dryer, you should exist able to run into whether the noise is coming from your dryer belt fairly quickly. If the condom is loose, you'll need to replace the belt. Nonetheless, you won't be able to do information technology unless you disconnect the wire harness plug and remove the mounting screws. You'll want to bank check your manual for exactly how to practise it.
Once you remove the parts that are preventing you lot from getting to the belt, replacing the old with the new should be a piece of block. All y'all'll need to exercise is loop the chugalug around the two pulleys like the onetime one was looped.
On the other manus, if the idler caster itself is the result, yous can bank check that by spinning information technology manually. If you determine that is the source of the squeak, y'all can disassemble the pulley from its bracket and put in a new 1. Then, restore the chugalug and the other pieces to their places.
Lastly, if you notice a trouble with your glide bearings, you'll need to completely take out the dryer drum. In one case you do, y'all can utilize your pliers to squeeze the tab pairs and push button them dorsum out of their holes to detach the beatings. Yous can come across the process here.
Deal With the Motor
If yous're really bent on resolving this consequence past yourself, y'all could replace your motor. The near difficult office would probably be finding the exact motor your dryer uses. From there, you'll just demand to get to it, which will as well crave you to remove the back panel of your dryer by unscrewing the screws in the back.
Keep working until you lot've removed everything keeping you from the motor, and so disconnect information technology as well. With the new motor, you can go backward putting everything together. I hope you remember which screws go where!
All jokes aside, but remember that you can ever call in the calvary — or rather, your repairman. Nonetheless, if you lot see that the within of your dryer is beyond saving, you could just move on and get a quieter one.
Final Thoughts on Fixing a Squeaky Dryer
At this point, your dryer should be completely squeak-free. Congratulations! All the same, if you decided not to bother fixing the dryer, you could try some temporary solutions.
Firstly, you tin simply move your dryer into a soundproof laundry room, equally I've explained in a previous article. On the other manus, many people don't have a whole room to spare for their laundry. So if your dryer is just hanging out in your bath, or worse, a hallway, you could also take steps to soundproof the dryer itself.
I've already explained how y'all could do this using a washing machine as an case. Still, the principle is the same. I recommend elevating the auto onto anti-vibration pads and padding the surrounding surfaces. Alternately, you lot could also create a soundproof cover for the machine by draping information technology with regular or soundproof blankets.
Source: https://soundproofliving.com/dryer-squeaking/
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