My dryer makes a loud squealing or screeching sound when running. It dries clothes fine but the noise is terrible.
A squealing dryer is almost always caused by worn drum support rollers, a worn idler pulley, or a dry drum bearing. These are all wear parts that degrade over time. To identify the source, open the dryer and spin the drum by hand. If it squeals or does not spin freely, the drum rollers or bearing need replacement. The idler pulley maintains tension on the drive belt — if it squeals during operation but not when spinning by hand, the idler pulley bearing is dry or worn. A dryer maintenance kit that includes replacement rollers, idler pulley, and belt costs 20 to 50 dollars for most brands and covers all the common squeal sources. The repair takes about 45 minutes and requires removing the front or top panel to access the drum. Applying a few drops of light machine oil to existing rollers can temporarily reduce the noise, but replacement is the proper fix.
