The short answer
On Aviva ALFD the noise sources are few because the machine is simple: a drum turning on rollers or glides, a belt driving it, and a blower moving air. Each makes a different sound and each fails in its own way.
What you observe on these models
- A rhythmic thump once per drum turn — Something the drum rides on, or something stuck to the drum.
- A squeal or a slap — The belt.
- A steady whine whenever the drum turns — A motor bearing.
- A scraping that changes if the drum is loaded — The drum is running out of true against something, and a load changes where it sits.
- NEAR MISS — the motor runs but the drum does not turn — That is a broken belt, which is a will-not-start style fault rather than a noise fault.
Causes, most likely first on ALFD
- An object in the drum or under the lint filter housing — The cheapest cause on the list and the one to rule out first, because it needs nothing but a hand and a torch. Ranked first on Aviva ALFD because a dryer is an air machine before it is a heat machine, so the vent sits at the top of almost every list it appears on.
- Drum rollers, glides or the rear bearing — A rumble or a thump once per drum revolution comes from what the drum rides on, and it gets worse steadily rather than suddenly.
- The drive belt — A belt that is fraying squeals or slaps; a belt that has broken leaves the motor running and the drum still.
- The blower wheel and what has got into it — A coin or a button that has passed the drum seal reaches the blower and produces a sharp, fast rattle that is loudest at start-up.
- The motor bearing — A whine that is present whenever the drum turns, unchanged by load, and that does not vary with drum position. Last on this list, and the item that every cause above it can imitate exactly.
Check in this order, and why that order
- Look for something loose first — Clear the lint filter and then check that air is actually leaving the vent outside, because almost every heat complaint on a dryer begins there — and while you are there, reach into the filter recess with a torch. This is the cheapest check on the list and frequently the whole answer.
- Turn the drum by hand with the power off — Listen for a rumble at a particular point of the rotation and feel for roughness. A smooth, silent turn points away from the rollers.
- Note whether the noise changes with load — Load-sensitive noise is a drum-support or belt issue; load-independent noise is the motor or the blower.
- Check the machine is level and not touching the wall — A cabinet in contact with a wall or a washer beside it transmits everything it does into the room.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the dryer or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. If your model is a gas dryer and you smell gas: do not switch anything on or off, leave the building, and call the gas utility or 911 from outside — do not look for the leak yourself. Never run the machine with a panel removed in order to locate a noise: the belt, the blower and the heat source are all exposed once the cabinet is open.
Models this page covers — the ALFD family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| ALFD2780W | aviva:dryer:alfd |
When to call a technician
Call when the drum feels rough or notchy by hand, when the noise is a metallic scrape that is getting worse, or when the noise arrived together with a loss of heat. Call sooner if there is any burning smell: a dryer that smells hot has a lint problem until proven otherwise, and that is a fire question rather than a noise question. On Aviva ALFD an object in the blower and a worn drum support cover most of the rest. Check the plate before acting on any of this. ALFD is a front-load dryer, and the ranking above is written for that construction rather than for the brand as a whole.
Other problems covered for the ALFD family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
