Tumble dryer making a noise: causes and safe checks

Usually simple

Quick answer

Humming from air moving through the drum and fan is normal. Rattling or banging usually means coins, keys or zips in the drum, or a dryer that isn’t level and steady. Bulky items can thump as they tumble. A grinding noise can come from worn drum rollers, which need an engineer.

Also covers: tumble dryer squeaking · tumble dryer grinding · tumble dryer banging.

This can be normal

Samsung says humming caused by air moving through the drum and fan is perfectly normal.

Likely causes

What you can safely check yourself

Stop and call a qualified engineer if:
  • The code or problem comes back after you’ve done the safe checks on this page.
  • You smell burning, see smoke or scorch marks, or the appliance trips your electrics. Stop using it, and switch it off at the wall only if it is safe to reach. Otherwise switch off at the consumer unit.
  • The next step would mean removing a cover or panel, or working on the pump, valves, heater, motor, door lock or wiring. That is a job for a qualified engineer.

Work through these in order. Stop as soon as one of the signs above applies.

Check for loose objects and that the dryer is level

Before you start
  • Switch off and unplug the appliance at the wall socket before you touch hoses, filters or the back of the machine. Make sure your hands and the plug area are dry.
  1. Empty the drum and check for coins, keys, buttons or zips knocking around.
  2. Check the dryer is level and standing firmly on all its feet.
  3. Humming from air moving through the drum and fan is normal.

Check the load size and programme

  1. Don’t overload. The load limit in your manual is the weight of dry laundry.
  2. Spin washing well before drying, and untangle it. Dry thick and thin fabrics separately.
  3. Sensor (automatic) programmes need properly damp laundry. For nearly dry items, use a short timed programme instead.
  4. For damp results on sensor programmes, choose a higher dryness level.

Don’t run the dryer empty or with just one or two dry items, except for the short, supervised heat test on the dryer-not-heating page.

Related problems

More tumble dryer problems and codes, or use the fault finder.

Sources

Last checked against these sources: .

We write every page in our own words from manufacturer guidance and check it against the sources above. If your manual says something different, follow your manual. How we check.