How to Fix a Squeaking Maytag Dryer
Save yourself a headache and try these suggestions to fix your squeaking Maytag dryer, before throwing it out, leaving it in a landfill, or letting someone melt it down to make another car. Some of these tricks are easy to do, but some take more time and are for the type A do-it-yourself dryer owner. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Dryer lint cleaner brush Screw drivers Crescent wrench Replacement parts (as needed)
Instructions
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1
Unplug the dryer each time that it is worked on or the parts are not in place.
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2
Isolate the sound. With the dryer running on air (so that the heating element is turned off). Search for where the sound is originally coming from by listening to where the sound is loudest. If the sound is too loud to do this, try to feel for signs of vibration or heat. These are signs of friction or wear which may indicate the need for a replacement part.
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3
Clean all parts inside and outside. With the dryer turned off, clean every part that you can get at. Clean the parts inside and out. If there is stray lint, vacuum it out, careful not to suck up anything important or that may damage the vacuum cleaner. Wipe down the parts after vacuuming to remove residual lint. Use a lint trap cleaning brush to reach into crevices. This process may be best to do outdoors with a mask on to keep from inhaling lint. Try the dryer to see if this has corrected the problem.
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4
Lubricate all moving parts inside and out with WD-40 or a similar product (except for belts and the idler pulleys where they are attached). Test the dryer again to see if this has relieved the problem.
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5
Check belt condition to see if they are worn. The belts will be shiny if they are slipping or not fitting right. Other signs of belt problems might be that the belt has born thin in parts or is becoming frayed. If the belt or parts that the belt is attached to are replaced because of this, check the problems in the next paragraph before turning on the dryer again to test it.
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Identify the idler pulleys. These are the wheels inside that the belts run across to keep the tension on them. A spring helps to keep these tightly on the belt to keep the belt tight. If the belt is shiny as discussed earlier, make sure that the idler pulleys are turning freely, but do not lubricate them. Replace idler pulleys if they are worn or are squeaky when hand turned (with or without a load on them).
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Look for friction points. These friction points are unexpectedly shiny or look worn from parts rubbing against each other. Try replacing these parts one at a time starting with the most likely culprits. The most likely sources of problem are the bearings of the motor, drum, drum rollers, fan and fan motor. See the next paragraphs to help identify these parts.
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Identify and check the bearings. Bearings are the cylinders that support the drum and reduce friction. Make sure that these are clean, lubricated and not worn.
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Check the drum glides. Find these by the front panel at the mouth of the drum. If these are worn, the drum is misaligned. Rivet a new one in its place. One way to check this is to spin the drum by hand without it turned on.
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Check the blower wheel (fan blade wheel inside the blower). If the blower wheel needs replacement, it will squeak when it is blowing air.
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Turn the motor to see if it squeaks both with and without a load.
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Tips & Warnings
Definitions Drum: the big tumbler that the clothes are in when the dryer is on. Belt: rubbery straps that wind around wheels inside the machine. Idler pulley wheels: wheels that route the belt and keep tension on the belt Bearing wheels: wheels that balance the weight and keeps the drum rolling and off of other parts Blower wheel: the fan blade wheel inside the blower (the internal part that looks a little like a hair dryer) Drum glide: the flat parts that guide the location of the drum and are held on by rivets If the dryer is older, it may not be worth the trouble to repair it if the replaced parts start to approach the cost of a new dryer or if other parts are ending their lifespan.
Do not run the machine with the cover off or the pieces not in place. Keep away from moving parts, hot parts (especially the heating elements and blower parts), parts that are heavy, or can pinch. Unplug the dryer before working on it and do not touch any electrical components. Tinkering with your appliance may void warranties.
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Comments
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my Maytag Atlantis is 12 years old. started squeaking kinda loud. I was going to order and replace the drive belt, rollers and glides. I opened it up and the belt, rollers and glides looked ok. So, I began spinning and moving the moveable parts. I found the rascal. It was the wheel on the belt tension johnny. I removed the wheel, put some slick 50 grease on the rod or spindlel. and whammo, squeak is gone. I took the rollers off and greased the spindles as well. I spent nothing and it took me about 1 1/12 hours. I also vacuumed all the lint out as well. Hope this helps.
