Dryer Making Loud Noise? A Clogged Vent Was Why

A dryer making loud noise often traces back to blocked venting. On this job the vent was packed, and lint had wound itself tight around the blower. The sound came from that debris spinning inside the housing. By the time I got to it, the blower had failed and needed to be replaced.

The complaint was noise, a very loud one, coming from the dryer while it ran. That is usually the first sign a customer notices, and it is worth acting on early, because the noise is rarely the whole problem.

What does a dryer making loud noise usually mean?

Most of the time it means something solid is moving where it should not be. In a dryer, the parts that spin are the drum and the blower, and the blower is the one that sits directly in the airflow path. Anything the airflow carries can end up there.

Ranked by what I see most often on a noise call like this one:

1. Lint and debris caught on the blower wheel. Airflow carries lint past the filter, and once the vent is restricted, that lint has nowhere to go. It packs into the blower housing and wraps around the wheel.
2. A blower wheel that has already been damaged by the debris. Once it is out of balance or cracked, it runs against the housing and gets louder as it goes.
3. A restricted or blocked vent on its own. That does not always make noise by itself, but it is the condition that creates the first two.

What was wrong with this dryer?

The venting was blocked, badly. Lint had built up to the point where it was wound around the blower, and that wrapped material was what I could hear from across the room. The restriction and the noise were the same problem showing up two different ways.

The blower itself did not survive it. Once I had it out and could look at it, replacement was the call rather than cleaning it and putting it back, so I installed a new one. With the blower replaced and the blocked venting cleared, the dryer ran quiet again.

I don’t recommend pulling a dryer apart to reach the blower at home. Getting to it means opening a cabinet with line voltage inside, and a dryer that runs on gas adds a fuel connection to that. That part is a service call.

What can you check yourself?

Start with the lint filter, and clean it regularly. That is the single thing that keeps material out of the blower housing in the first place, and on this job it is what would have prevented the repair.

Beyond the filter, you can look at the exhaust duct behind the dryer for crushed sections or visible lint packing, and you can feel the outside vent hood while the dryer runs to confirm air is actually moving out of it. Weak or no airflow at the hood means the line is restricted, even if the dryer still tumbles normally.

FAQ

Why is my dryer suddenly so loud?
Suddenly is usually how it sounds from the outside, though the cause builds up over months. Lint collects gradually in the vent line, and the dryer stays quiet the entire time. The noise starts the moment enough of that material reaches the blower wheel and begins turning with it. From that point the sound tends to get worse quickly, because the debris keeps the wheel out of balance.

Can a clogged dryer vent actually damage the dryer?
Yes, and that is what happened here. The blocked vent fed lint into the blower housing until it wound around the wheel, and the blower was damaged enough that it had to be replaced rather than cleaned. A restriction also forces the dryer to run longer cycles to dry the same load, since moist air cannot leave the drum at the rate the machine expects.

How often should I clean the dryer lint filter?
Clear it every load. It takes a few seconds, and it is the only filter on the machine standing between your laundry and the blower. A filter that looks clean can still be coated with a thin film from fabric softener sheets, which blocks air without looking like it does, so rinse the screen with water occasionally and let it dry fully before putting it back.

Need a noisy dryer looked at?

If your dryer has gotten loud, or cycles are taking longer than they used to, get it diagnosed before the blower goes. Call us to schedule a service visit.