I have a Kitchen Aid dryer that squeals under load. Looked through the posts and didn’t see anything specific to this model but I am presuming the noise is from the belt or pulleys. Before I buy the new belt and pulley and wheels, is there anything else I should consider? I can get it to go away temporarily if I rock the unit.
Replace the rollers, belt and pulley, clean everything out and you should be good to go.
Great, thanks for your help. Just wanted to be sure there wasn’t a bearing or something else back there that needed consideration as well. Which drawing should I use to show the belt direction and pulley? Is there any specific instructions I need or just R&R?
Assuming you know how to get into it (take out filter, take out screws under filter lid, flip up top by inserting screw driver at edges between top and front, take off front, release belt, take out drum) then it will be obvious how to replace the items.
No special tools needed, just a little time and patience (having a helper is good to, someone you can boss around)
Thanks again. Usually it’s me that gets bossed around and usually from those under 10 in my house, but I digress…
I appreciate your help
OK, so I changed the belt, idler wheel, and the 2 wheels in back. It worked for a short period of time and now will not run under a load. For example, if I add a bunch of wet towels, it will not run and makes a loud humm then shuts off. If I add a couple of towels at a time, it will run but it is making a loud noise as it is running. I am suspecting the motor is going. Is there anything else I should check before replacing the motor? It will run with a full load of wet towels but I have to add them a few at a time.
A lot of times the belt will come off and slip off the pulley and jam things up. I would open it up again and check the belt. See if the drum will turn freely in each direction if you do it by hand.
If you were not having trouble with your motor before it is possible but unlikely that is the problem now. More likely the belt is hung up, or the drum came off the rollers or something like that.
Good luck, Let us know what you find out.
I checked the belt and pulley and wheels. They are all fine. I was able to turn the drum one direction, but it would not go the opposite way. I pulled out the drum and ran the motor by itself. It makes a loud noise when it starts but it runs. I also pulled off the back panel and looked at the fan. There was lots of lint and junk in there. I cleaned it all out but it still makes the same sound as it turns on and is loud as it runs. I am figuring it is the motor. How does one remove the fan from the back to remove the motor?
This manual will take you through the process of removing the blower and motor.
OK, thanks. I will let you know how I make out
a[SIZE=4]OK, so I was correct in my assumption about the motor. It was definitely shot. I will say though this was a huge PIA. The biggest frustratoin was removing the blower from the back of the motor. It is made of plastic with a square shaft to fit a wrench. It would not budge removing it with the reverse threads. I ended up having to break it to get it out. After rounding the shaft I had to use a hole saw to cut it out from the back. Once it was off, I had to put the shaft in a vice to finally get it to break free. There was no way in hell that was coming off while installed in the dryer. I got the motor and new blower today and installed and reassmbled everything. It all workd better than before. The new motor has a higher amperage and is very quiet. Back out of the doghouse once again!!!
I was also wondering if you could provide advice on any of the newer front loading machines. After all this we are strting to think about the inevitable replacement day and would love to get a better pair of front loaders. Do you know of any good write ups we can research? After this I am especially thinking about ease of maintenance. Thanks again for all of your help. This is a great site!!!
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Well, your experience is not ususual, but it is a tribute to your persistence to get that off and get your machine going. Bummer to have to get a new blower, but you saved a fortune by doing the work yourself.
As far as a new front loader pair is concerned, the short answer is DONT! Actually that’s the long answer too.
The new front load washers have two problems, well three if you count the fact that they are overpriced by hundreds of dollers. The first is that the axis is horizontal while the weight is vertical. This is not good, in fact in engineering terms it is bad. Ultimately the machine support system will likely fail.
The second problem is that these machines have microprocessor controls. What do microprocessors not like? Moisture, heat and vibration. What do washers and dryers have? Hmm.
The argument that these machines are more efficient in terms of energy and water is true, but not enough in my opinion to make any real difference. As for repair, forgettaboutit. They are more likely to fail, they are more difficult to repair and the parts are most costly. Look through these postings here on front load washers (Duets, Frigidaires, LG’s etc) and you will see frustration. If you buy one it is one of the few times when getting the extended warranty is warranted. The way techs fix these things is the "replace parts until it works" method.
Your dryer repair was a PIA, but now you know how to do it, and if you have a top loader that works, keep it, fix it, and enjoy it. (well, as much as you can enjoy a washer)
[COLOR=Black]Wow, that was a great reply. I had no idea these machines were such trouble. I won’t go too far on this subject so as not to diverge from the original one, but suffice to say your comments and pointers are well received. I will search the forum for more data.
You guys are the best!!![/COLOR]
Liek the late David Brinkely said, "everyone is entitled to my opinion"
Good luck with whatever you decide