Fix it
Why is my dryer squealing?
A dryer is a drum riding on small wear parts — rollers, a belt, glides and an idler — and each squeals differently as it wears. The noises are annoying long before they are terminal, which makes this the classic fix-it-now-for-little repair.
What it usually is
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Worn drum support rollers
The drum rides on rubber-tired rollers that flat-spot and harden. A rhythmic thump-squeal that tracks drum rotation, loaded or empty, is rollers.
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The idler pulley protesting
The spring-loaded pulley that tensions the belt develops a high steady squeal or chirp at any speed — the most common single squeal source.
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Worn front glides or felt seal
The drum’s front edge rides on plastic glides or felt; worn through, it is metal on metal — a scraping squeal loudest at start, sometimes with brown marks on clothes.
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A glazed or fraying belt
A belt slipping on the motor pulley squeals hardest at startup under load and can smell faintly of hot rubber.
What you can check yourself
Localize: front edge (glides), back and rhythmic (rollers), constant high pitch (idler), startup-only (belt). All four are inexpensive parts, and on most dryers the cabinet opens with clips and screws — a repair many owners do with the model number and a video. Unplug first; gas dryers with any doubt go to a pro.
When it’s a job for a pro
The full refresh — rollers, idler, belt, glides in one visit — is the smart ask, since labor is the cost and the parts share the same teardown. Screeching that continues with the belt off implicates motor bearings, which changes the math on an old machine.
A parts kit runs $20 to $50 DIY; a professional refresh typically $150 to $300. Motor bearing failure on an aging dryer is usually the replacement signal.
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