clothes dryer - noises and increased drying time

Sometimes when my wife is doing laundry the gas clothes dryer will start making a loud noise. This doesn't happen right away, but after sometime. It doesn't do it every load, but once it starts doing it doesn't stop unless she stops the machine and waits a while. It seems to be a vibrating type noise

I checked the the exhaust duct and there isn't any buildup. But it keeps taking longer and longer to dry.

Thanks in advance for the help.

-Dan

Reply to
mulletteeth
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Did you check the lint trap? Mine whistles when it is clogged. Also check that the hose is connected and venting properly.

Reply to
noname87

Reply to
spudnuty

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Reply to
buffalobill

Can you describe the vibrating noise? Is it a banging, whistling, grinding, or whiring noise? Is it constant or does it have a frequency that can be related to the drum spin cycle? Could it be the bearings? Could it be the belt driver?

When you checked the exhaust duct for build up, did you check both in the dryer as well as in the wall?

Reply to
CDET 14

I had an old Maytag that was making a rumbling sound and not drying the clothes right. It was a spun hub on the blower wheel. It is just a "D" cut on a shaft.

Reply to
gfretwell

It is a medium to low pitch vibrating noise. I'd say it's not a banging more of a whiring noise. And it's pretty constant except for maybe a slight frequency.

Lint trap is clean. I first checked the vent tube and it was clear. But since I went outside and the little lift door was stuck not allowing it to vent. I fixed that, but the problem continues.

How freely is the drum suppose to spin by hand?

Reply to
mulletteeth

As someone mentioned, it is probably the belt, or one of the black rubber-type rollers at the rear of the drum, or possibly, though it does not sound like it, the idler pulley.

Dryer repair is pretty straight forward. The typical "reader's Digest-type" home repair book at your local library has detailed troubleshooting charts and repair instructions, photos.

I'd pull the front off, have the wife help by holding the drum and then turn the thing while it is open. By looking and listening, you can probably isolate the source. Lint trap seems a pretty far-out possibility here, but then again, I guess anything is possible.

Reply to
timbirr

It's pretty hard to spin the drum by hand because of the large reduction ration between the drum and the motor pulley.

Another thing to check...pull the front off, and disassemble the blower housing. Most of them have a little plastic squirrel cage blower wheel. I've found pens, credit cards, paper clips, and similar items jammed in the blower wheel. This make noise, and also usually makes the blower slip on the shaft so drying time goes way up. I have no idea how that stuff gets past the lint trap, down the duct, and into the blower, but seeing is believing.

Usually two screws along the bottom of the front, then you pull the bottom out and lift up off the top clips.

HTH,

Paul

Reply to
Paul Franklin

Sounds like a Maytag with a rounded out blower. If you stop the dryer does the noise continue for a few seconds?

Reply to
Ed

It's a tricky problem because like I said the problem really doesn't start until the machine gets 'warmed up.' So I can turn it by hand and when it's not warmed up even run it without hearing the noise.

The problem does seem to be getting worse though. You cannot run the machine with a full load without the noise going. In fact it only takes 2-5 minutes now and that time seems to be getting shorter.

For what ti's worth it's a Hot Point.

Reply to
mulletteeth

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