The short answer
On the Black Decker BCW dryer an unfamiliar noise is usually a bearing that is wearing out rather than something loose. The BCW table lists one model, so the same checks apply across the model list in the table. The most useful of them costs nothing: switch the machine off and turn the drum a full revolution by hand before you listen to anything.
What you observe
- A rhythmic thump once per drum revolution — Something on the drum or its support: a flat on a roller, a worn glide, or a seam catching.
- A metallic rattle or scraping that comes and goes — Usually a coin, a button or an underwire that has passed the filter and is loose in the blower housing.
- A high whine that rises with the cycle — A bearing under load — motor or blower.
- A squeal that fades after the first few minutes — A dry glide or a belt on a cold machine.
- NEAR MISS — noise with a drum that will not turn at all — That is a jam or a broken belt and belongs on the page for a machine that will not start.
Causes, most likely first on the BCW family
- Motor or blower bearing — First on this family when the noise is a steady rising whine — the BCW table lists one model — and on a compact machine the motor drives both drum and blower, so a single bearing carries far more than it would on a full-size cabinet.
- Drum rollers and glides — Second: they produce a thump or a scrape tied to drum rotation rather than the continuous note a bearing gives, and they wear over months rather than arriving suddenly.
- Belt and idler — Third: cold-start squeal, easing with warmth, and unmistakable once you have listened for it twice.
- Loose objects in the blower — Last on this ranking and first in practice: it is free to check, and finding a coin ends the conversation before any part is priced.
Check in this order, and why
- Decide whether the noise is continuous or rhythmic — First, because it splits the list completely: continuous and rising is a bearing, rhythmic is the drum support.
- Turn the drum by hand and feel for roughness — Second — a bearing on its way out is often felt as grinding through the drum itself.
- Check the filter housing and blower for objects — Third, because it is free and it removes the cheapest explanation for good.
- Run it empty and note whether the noise changes — Last: a bearing ignores the load, and that indifference is the confirmation.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel or reaching into the drum — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Never run the machine with a panel off or the door switch defeated to chase a noise. Lint is fuel: clear the filter and the air path whenever a panel is open. Get a second pair of hands before tipping or moving the cabinet.
Models in the BCW family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| BCW27MW | black-decker:dryer:bcw |
When to call a technician
Call when the noise is a steady whine that rises with running time, ignores the load, and survives an empty drum — that is a bearing and it only worsens. Call immediately if the noise arrives with a burning smell or with a drum that has become hard to turn by hand. A coin in the blower, a cold-start squeal that fades, or a rattle that vanishes with an empty drum needs no appointment.
Other faults covered for the BCW family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
