A dryer is one of the most convenient appliances in your house. But when your dryer makes noise suddenly, which you might not be able to recognize. A noisy dryer is pretty disturbing. Even you might have noticed that your dryer is making grinding noise.
So you might get confused about why your dryer is making grinding noise. Moreover, you might want to know the reasons behind this problem.
Besides, learning about the process of fixing this problem is essential. Even knowing about these problems can help you recognize your dryer’s noise problems. So let’s see details about it.
Dryer making grinding noise
The worn-down drum bearing of the dryer might make grinding noise in your dryer. Moreover, worn rollers, metal objects in the drum, slipped belts, and other problems in the drum can cause grinding noise in the dryer. You can solve these problems following some methods.
However, grinding noise can occur for different reasons. If you want to solve the problems, you have to know about the reasons in detail. Sometimes, the issues are not severe, and you can solve the problem on your own. So, let’s see why your dryer is making grinding noise.
Worn down drum bearing:
Drum bearing is an essential part of the drum of the dryer. When the drum bearing of the dryer drum is worn down, the work parts will face rubbing against the other parts of the drum bearing.
When there is a worn part in the drum bearing, it will create friction between different parts of the drum bearing. As a result, the worn down parts will make grinding noise.
Worn down drum gliders:
Drum gliders are the supporting section of the dryer drum. These are generally made with plastics. However, if the drum gliders are damaged or worn down, the front portion of the drum will not get support.
So, the worn down gliders will make a grinding noise. This problem is similar to the worn down drum bearing.
Metal object:
If you hear a grinding sound from your dryer, the dryer might have something metal inside it. Because a grinding sound occurs from the friction between metal objects. So, if the drum has a metal object inside it, it can cause a grinding noise.
The metal object might come from outside, or it can be a part of worn material. Sometimes, drum bearing worn parts can be a sound-producing metal.
Bad motor:
A bad motor can also cause a loud grinding sound. For example, if the motor goes bad, the bearings will rub against the metal parts. Moreover, a bad motor makes the bearing get damaged soon. So, a bad motor can be an overall reason for the grinding noise of your dryer.
Belt problem:
Sometimes, a belt problem can cause a grinding noise. A belt is situated in the dryer to support the drum. Moreover, the belt helps to keep the drum at its centre. If the belt slips from its position or tilt, this will cause rubbing of the surface of other machine parts.
This will cause a grinding sound. So, a slipped belt can create grinding noise in your dryer.
Damaged Drum seal:
If the dryer has a damaged drum seal, it can create a grinding sound. Generally, a drum seal is another supporting part that acts as a cushion to the drum. So, it can prevent the friction of the drum with the bulkhead.
So, if the drum seal is damaged, it will not prevent the drum from coming into contact with the bulkhead. Moreover, the damaged seal will allow the air to pass through the excessive air inside the drum. This can also make a grinding sound on the dryer.
How to fix dryer making a grinding noise?
Now that you know different reasons for the grinding noise of your dryer, you might want to know the solutions. Most problems are related to dryer drums. However, some other issues can also be solved. Let’s see how you can fix the dryer by making a grinding noise.
Run an empty cycle:
You can try to run an empty cycle of the dryer. Running an empty cycle will reset the dryer. Sometimes, resetting the dryer can solve many technical problems.
Running an empty cycle will start the dryer from the beginning without any earlier command. So, you can try this to solve the grinding noise of the dryer.
Remove metal objects:
You might know that a metal object also makes a grinding noise. So, you can remove the metal object from the drum. To do this, you need to turn off the dryer and take out all the clothes and fabrics from the dryer.
Then you have to find any metal object inside. For example, you can search for the coin, belt, key, and other metal objects that can be inside the dryer.
After removing a metal object from the dryer, the grinding sound will be gone. But if you still can hear the grinding noise, the problem might be something else.
Replace gliders:
You might know that worn down drum gliders can cause a grinding sound.
If the plastic materials of the gliders are damaged, or the drum gliders are worn down, you have to replace them. Otherwise, the worn down gliders will make noise if you don’t replace them with new ones.
Replace drum bearing:
Damaged or bad drum bearings also cause a grinding noise. So, if you hear the sound from the bearing, you can replace the drum bearing. If you don’t replace the drum bearing, the friction between them will increase, and the wearing will be more severe.
Professional help:
If you have already tried the discussed process, but the problem is still there, you can contact a professional. Because sometimes, experts and experience are needed to solve dryer noise problems.
Is it worth replacing dryer bearings?
Dryer drum bearings are one of the essential parts of the dryer. If the dryer drum bearings are damaged, you have to replace them. Replacing the bearings might cost higher. But if you don’t replace the bearings, this can lead to other problems.
If you don’t replace the damaged drum bearings, the back of the drum will drop, and spinning will be stopped. It can further damage other parts of the dryer. For example, it can damage the heating element in an electric dryer.
If you don’t change the drum bearings, this will lead to other severe problems. Even some issues might not be solved later. So, if you want to make your dryer work efficiently, you should replace the dryer bearings.
The cost of the bearings might be different for different brands. But you should think about the long-run efficiency of the dryer without thinking about the cost or effort.
How much does it cost to replace dryer drum bearings?
You might know that different brand dryers will cost differently to repair. So, the cost to replace different brands’ drum bearings will also vary. Let’s see how much it costs to replace these dryer drum bearings.
Samsung:
If you have a Samsung dryer, the cost of replacing the bearings will be a little bit more. Generally, it will cost $100 to $150 to replace the bearings.
LG:
LG dryer drum bearing price is also pretty high. So, if you want to replace the LG dryer drum bearings, it can cost up to $150.
Whirlpool:
Whirlpool drum bearings will not cost much. You can even get the bearings within $75. But if you think about quality, you can find between $100 and $150. However, the replacement cost will also depend on the technician.
Maytag:
The cost of the Maytag dryer drum bearing is not that expensive. Even you can get them within $50 to $150. But the overall cost of the bearing replacement might be a little more.
Electrolux:
The bearing kit of the Electrolux dryer is available as a cost-effective package. Even you can get them within $50 to $100. Moreover, the overall cost of these bearings will not be so high.
Kenmore:
You will find Kenmore dryer drum bearings for $50. But the overall cost may vary.
GE:
Replacing the drum bearings of the GE dryer might cost $140 to $180.
Frigidaire:
Frigidaire also provides drum bearing kits. Generally, the cost of these drum-bearing kits is around $150 to $185.
Final Thoughts
Dryer grinding noise is pretty common. But most times, this noise will be created if there is any problem will the drum. Metal objects inside the drum, worn down drum parts, damaged bearings, a bad motor, slipped belts, etc., can also be the reasons for the grinding noise.