Your dryer is making loud scraping noises and the clothes are not drying properly.
This may be caused by a number of different issues, including a clogged or broken vent, or it could be something else. This guide will help you determine the cause and fix your dryer.
Dryer Making Scraping Noise
Typically dryers make scraping noises if there’s any kind of wear and tear in the felt drum seal, drum glides, and idler pulley. It can also happen if the drive belt is weak and flimsy or if there’s any kind of brushing against the lint trap. Any of these reasons could be causing the sounds.
Most old and used dryers show these issues. And while they are fixable, and don’t cause any serious trouble, the scraping noises can be quite annoying. Here’s why these problems are occurring and what causes them.
Tear In Felt Drum Seal:
The loud scraping noise that you hear when the dishwasher is drying is caused by a tear in the felt drum seal. The drum is the main part of the dishwasher where the dirty dishes go to be washed.
The felt lining of the drum helps to keep dirt and water out of the dishwasher. The scraping noise is caused by the dishwasher trying to remove the dirt from the felt lining, but the dirt is too tight.
Brittle Drive Belt:
When your dryer starts making scraping noises and doesn’t seem to be as dry as usual, it could be because of a broken drive belt. The drive belt transfers the energy generated by the motor to the rotating drum, which in turn causes the dryer to work.
Your dryer uses a drive belt to turn the drum and tumble the clothes, and a broken belt will make a rattling, scraping, or whining noise when it is supposed to be silent.
Drive belts are made of a number of layers of woven material, including steel, rubber, and fabric.
Sometimes the belt will break due to aging, causing the dryer to work improperly and making scraping noises. However, other times the belt will simply fray or wear out.
Wear And Tear In Drum Glides:
The dryer makes scraping sounds because it has become worn and the glides in the drum are no longer smooth.
The noise is caused by what is known as ‘tribological noise’. Tribological noise is made by the rubbing of surfaces together, including those of the dryer, the glides, and the lint trap.
Brushing Against Lint Trap:
Because the dryer makes noise, we assume that the sound it makes is coming from the inside of the dryer. This assumption makes sense because the inside of the dryer is the place where the lint is created.
The scraping sound occurs because the roller brush is scraping off lint from the lint trap. The lint trap is a screen located at the top of the dryer that catches lint as it is created and traps it until the lint is removed by the drum.
Worn Out Idler Pulley:
When the pulley is worn out, the dryer makes scraping noises. Not a loud or high-pitched noise, but more of a quiet single scraping sound as the idler pulley grinds against the metal plate.
This scraping sound is the result of the idler pulley wearing out as the belt moves through it.
Is it safe to use a dryer making scraping noise?
Dryers make scraping sounds when they are working, so they shouldn’t be used when they still make scraping sounds.
But scraping sounds aren’t a problem in themselves, of course, because they come from the dishwasher or the clothes drier, not from the dryer.
However, the sound of the dryer can be annoying for others, especially if they are trying to sleep. So, when the dryer makes scraping sounds, you should turn it off as soon as possible.
If you have a dryer, then when it makes scraping noises, use the dryer anyway. But never use it when it stops or slows unexpectedly.
It could be the drum is stuck, the motor has failed, or the lint trap needs to be changed. (If you’re not sure, try the dryer first to see if it’s working well).
How to fix dryer making scraping noise?
If you identify the exact reasons your dryer is making noises, you can just fix those issues and prevent the sounds. So naturally your course of action should be do the following things.
Replace Drive Belt:
Replacing the drive belt will stop the machine from making scraping noises while it is operating. This will prevent banging noises, which may be annoying to the user, and improve the machine’s efficiency.
The replacement of the belt is a complex operation since it involves removing the old belt and installing the new belt.
This method involves removing the old belt, hooking the new one up, and resting the old belt on the side of the machine. Doing this allows the old belt to fall off and drop to the floor where it can be disposed of.
This is called “idling replacement,” since the machine is not running and no machine noise is present.
Get New Felt Drum Seal:
A replaced drum seal in the dryer will prevent the noise made by the dryer while running, which can be annoying.
The replaced drum seal has been tested and has been proven effective in preventing the noise. It will also help the dryer run more quietly and save energy.
All parts of felt drum seals should be replaced every year. This includes the tread, the rim, the bottom surface, and any other area of the drum seal that is likely to require replacement during resoling.
Felt drum seals should be replaced every year because they wear out over time and cause scraping noises during drying.
Repair Idler Pulley:
Scraping noises in the dryer are caused by the rope sliding on the pulley blades as the idler pulley turns. To prevent this from happening, take off the dryer idler pulley and then grease or replace it to reduce the friction that causes the scraping sounds.
When the idler pulley is replaced, there will be more torque available to loosen the clothes so they can go through the dryer more easily. This will prevent the annoying scraping noises that occur when the pulley is loose.
How much does it cost to fix a scraping dryer?
Luckily, the fixing of scraping noises in dryers is an affordable fix. The cost of labor to fix the problem generally only amounts to a few dollars.
Most homeowners with dryer problems will only need to take their dryer out of service for a few hours to find the cause of the noise and fix it.
In most cases, the cost to fix scraping noises in dryers is between $50 and $100, depending on the severity of the noise.
Part of the cost will depend on how far the problem has progressed and whether it has been referred to a professional for immediate resolution.
If you are comfortable doing the work yourself, the cost to fix scraping noises in dryers is much less. Here’s how much it’ll cost you for different brands.
Samsung:
The cost of fixing the scraping sounds issues in Samsung dryers is relatively moderate. It should cost you roughly between $150-$350 to get it fixed overall.
LG:
Depending in the issues in the machine, it ought to cost you about $50-$450 to repair your LG dryer. This is quite low especially compared to Samsung.
Whirlpool:
If you own a Whirlpool dryer, you would have to spend about $200-$350 for the purpose of fixing it. Yes, it is quite expensive
Maytag:
In case of Maytag dryers, you would have to spend anything between $100-$550 depending on the condition of it.
Electrolux:
For an Electrolux dryer, the numbers are around $100-$200. Compared to most of the other brands, this is relatively easier and cheaper to repair and replace parts.
Kenmore:
Similar to Maytag, it costs you $100-$200 for repairs on your Kenmore dryer as well.
GE:
In case of GE dryer owners, the cost could be anywhere between $100 and $400.
Frigidaire:
Also similar to Maytag and Kenmore, if you own a Frigidaire dryer, your costs should be quite low as well. You should have to spend only about $100-$200 in order to fix the scraping noises on this brand of dryers.
Final Thoughts
Your dryer is most likely to make scraping noises if the felt drum seal, drum glide, or idler pulley wears out, or if the drive belt is brittle as well. Repairing or replacing these parts will fix the issue for good. If you’re still confused, call experts to inspect and fix the issue for you.