Check what is tumbling first
- Unplug the dryer before checking inside it or making adjustments, to reduce the risk of electric shock.
- Start with loose items, clothing hardware and bunched laundry. Then check for objects touching the cabinet and uneven legs.
- If an unusual noise remains after those checks, stop using the dryer until a qualified servicer checks it.
We'd check what's tumbling first, because a coin, zipper or bunched sheet can make noise without any problem inside the dryer. Notice whether you hear a rattle, thump, squeak, scrape, grind or rumble, and whether it fades after startup or keeps going. That pattern helps you choose the next check.
A rattle or thump that changes with the load
With the dryer unplugged, check pockets and remove loose coins, pens or paper clips from the drum. Buttons, buckles and zippers can rattle or scrape as clothes tumble, so look at the items in the load as well as the drum.
If sheets, curtains or a comforter have rolled into a ball, untangle them and place them loosely in the drum. A bunched or unbalanced load can thump. Set tennis shoes on a drying rack to air dry instead of tumbling them.
A rattle or squeak around the cabinet
Keep the dryer unplugged while you check the outside. Clear anything leaning against it or resting on top, look for objects underneath or in a pedestal drawer, and leave space between the washer and dryer. Those contacts can turn vibration into a rattle or knock.
Check that the dryer stands on a solid, level floor. Use a level to spot uneven legs, adjust them if needed, and tighten loose legs with a wrench. A squeak from low on the dryer can come from loose or uneven legs.
On GE dryers, check any exposed cabinet screws and tighten ones that are loose. Loose cabinet screws can squeak as the dryer runs.
A rattle near the lint-filter opening
With the dryer unplugged, remove the lint filter and look down into its opening for a foreign object. Coins, buttons or other items in the lint chute can cause a rattle or knock.
On GE dryers, if you need to reach into that opening to remove an object, put on work gloves first and take care around the edges. They can be sharp.
A sound that changes after startup
On a Whirlpool dryer that has sat unused, a light thump at first may fade as the drum support rollers regain their shape. GE lists thumping among abnormal dryer sounds, so keep checking a thump that continues instead of treating every thump as a startup sound.
On GE dryers, a startup squeak should go away after the first few seconds. A squeak that continues belongs with the persistent sounds below.
If yours is a gas dryer, clicking during a cycle can come from the gas valve as it helps maintain the selected temperature. Gas dryers may also buzz when the valve opens or make a low roaring sound from the flame.
A scrape, grind, squeak or rumble that remains
After each hands-on check, reconnect the dryer and listen during operation to see whether the sound has gone. Unplug it again before making another adjustment. A rattle that clears when you remove an object or a thump that clears when you untangle the load gives you a useful result without opening the cabinet.
Grinding may point to worn drum bearings or glides. Metal scraping can come from an object caught at the front seal or from worn or loose drum slides. If a squeak seems to come from the front, an idler pulley is one possibility; a rear squeak can involve bearings, roller shafts, glides or the drive belt.
A damaged belt can also thump, while a loose, off-balance or blocked blower wheel can rumble. If grinding, scraping, persistent rumbling or another unusual noise remains after the load and exterior checks, stop using the dryer and contact a qualified appliance servicer. These internal problems need professional attention, and continued use can wear other parts. Tell the servicer what you heard and whether it started right away or continued through the cycle.
When the noise has cleared, check pockets before future loads, place large fabrics in loosely, and keep objects from resting against the dryer.
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