A clothes dryer is an electrical household appliance that is designed to remove moisture from a load of clothing, bedding, and other textiles. It is typically used shortly after washing the clothes using a washing machine.
A dryer has become a common household appliance throughout the US. Thus, problems with clothes dryers have been becoming more common nowadays. Follow our guidelines to find out why your dryer is vibrating and how to fix it.
Reasons why my dryer vibrating:
The most common reasons for vibration in dryers are the installation of the dryer on an uneven surface and the dryer overloading. Unevenly distributed laundry in the tumble dryer can cause vibration and clogging of the blower wheel in electric dryers can also cause vibration.
Let’s find out why different dryers vibrate:
Tumble dryer:
Tumble dryer works by continuously drawing ambient air around them and heating it before passing it through the tumbler. It is one of the most reliable dryers and is widely used.
Your tumble dryer can vibrate due to several reasons including,
Dryer installed on an uneven surface:
The most common cause of vibration of tumble dryers is the unbalanced installation on an uneven surface.
If your tumble dryer is installed on an uneven surface, it will vibrate back and forth. To avoid it, install your dryer on an even solid surface to be balanced.
Uneven distribution of laundry:
The uneven distribution of laundry is another common reason for the vibration or shaking of the tumble dryer.
If you are drying a single heavy item such as a towel or blanket, it will be stuck to one side of the drum and that will cause vibration. To avoid this, try to put two items with similar weight.
Loosening of lock and nuts:
If any lock or nuts of your tumble dryer is loosened, it may cause shaking or vibration of the dryer. To avoid it, make sure all locks and nuts of your tumble dryer are tightened.
Electric Dryer:
The electric clothes dryer contains a heating coil that is designed to create resistance. The resistance is known to build up electrons and generate energy as heat. The electrical dryers can vibrate due to some reasons including,
Clogging of heat blower:
The electrical dryers contain a heat blower wheel which can be congested and causes the dryers to vibrate. The clogging of the lint filter in the electrical dryer can hinder the blower wheel. To solve this, you need to clean the lint filter.
Gas Dryer:
Gas dryers contain a gas burner that is fueled by either natural or propane gas to generate heat. It is more cost-effective than an electric dryer in terms of fuel. The gas dryer can vibrate due to many reasons including,
Damaged Dryer Belt:
The gas dryer typically contains belts made of polyester. The belt can be damaged over time and it can cause vibration or shaking of the gas dryer.
In order to identify the problem with the dryer belt, manually rotate the drum slowly. If there are problems with the dryer belt, you need to change the belt to a new one to get rid of unwanted vibration in your dryer.
Damaged Drum Rollers:
The gas oven also contains one or more rollers or bearings. These drum rollers can be damaged as the dryer ages. The damaged drum roller or bearings can cause both vibration and rumbling noise in the dryer.
To avoid vibration due to the damaged drum bearings, you need to repair them or replace them with new ones.
Should a dryer vibrate?
All dryers are supposed to vibrate a little while operating. All dryers are also supposed to make some noise during a cycle. The vibration and sound occur because the motor of the dryer is pulling air out of the dryer quickly.
The dryer is also supposed to vibrate a little because the drum of the dryer is rotating when the dryer is operating. Therefore, it is normal for a cloth dryer to vibrate during a cycle.
However, if the dryer is vibrating more than usual and making a loud sound, it is not normal. In this case, there must be some issues that are responsible for the unusual vibration of the dryer.
A dryer can vibrate more than normal due to several reasons, For instance, the dryer is not balanced or installed on an uneven surface, uneven distribution of laundry, and damaged drum bearings or motor.
Is dryer shaking a common issue?
Almost all dryers shake a little bit while operating. However, the unusual shaking can result due to several possible reasons.
Samsung dryer:
A Samsung dryer can shake a little bit when they are normally operating.
However, the unusual shaking of a Samsung dryer may have several possible reasons including, unbalanced installation, laundry overloading, and damaged drum bearings or motors.
GE dryer:
Most GE dryers contain at least two dryer drum rollers to support the drum while rotating. These drum rollers can be damaged with time and that results in unusual shaking of the dryer.
LG dryer:
Most Lg dryers shake a little bit more than usual during the operation if the dryer is not leveled correctly.
Whirlpool dryer:
The unusual shaking of whirlpool dryers can be caused due to several possible reasons. The most common cause of unusual shaking in whirlpool dryers is the clogging of the blower wheel.
The blower wheel is known to circulate hot air and push it out through the vent system of the dryer. If the blower wheel is clogged, unusual shaking and noise can result.
How do I stop my dryer from vibrating?
If your dryer is vibrating more than usual, follow these steps to stop the vibration of the dryer.
Ensure that the laundry load is balanced:
One of the most common causes of unusual vibration of your dryer is the unbalanced distribution of laundry load.
The comforters, blankets, and duvets absorb more water during the washing process which increases their weight and causes them to be imbalanced within the dryer.
To ensure your dryer is not vibrating due to the uneven distribution of laundry, try to re-adjust the clothing, bedding, or other items inside the dryer.
Adjust the dryer feet:
If the unusual vibration is still not stopped, you need to check the dryer’s balance. A typical dryer has four feet that can be adjusted to raise or lower the four different corners of the dryer.
Make sure to adjust the feet of the dryer to the same level to make it balanced. A well-balanced dryer is less likely to vibrate.
Use Anti Vibration Pads:
Anti-vibration pads are designed to keep your dryer quiet, stable, and safe for all types of floors. Dryers and washing machines are often installed in the basement, garage, and utility rooms where the floor is not even.
Thus, the use of anti-vibration pads under the dyer or side of the dryer can efficiently balance the dryer which in turn reduces vibration.
Make sure the dryer is not in contact with anything:
If your dryer is in contact with walls, shelves, or washer, it may cause more vibration when operating.
The laundry gets very less places in most homes, Thus, it is likely that the washer and dryer need to fit in a small place. In this case, you can simply buy a stacking kit that is designed to absorb the vibration.
How do you level a drum for a dryer?
If you find that your dryer is vibrating and making noises, the drum of the dryer may be hitting its casing. To avoid these, you need to follow some steps to level the drum of your dryer.
Check the level:
In order to check the level, place a construction level on top of your dryer. You must have a bubble off-center to simultaneously monitor the levelness of the dryer while working.
Adjust the dryer feet:
Unscrew the nuts of the feet for the readjustment. In this step try to make sure you adjust all the feet at the same level.
Monitor the levelness using the bubble off-center:
In this step, you need to raise the leg opposite to the bubble and simultaneously monitor the bubble while raising the leg. As soon as you notice that the bubble has centered, lock all the feet of the dryer to level the drum.
Test your dryer:
In the next step, check the levelness of the drum of a dryer by operating a test cycle.
Final thought:
The most prevalent causes of dryer vibration are the dryer being installed on an uneven surface and the dryer is overloaded. Unevenly distributed laundry in the tumble dryer can produce vibration, as does the congestion of the blower wheel in electric dryers.