The short answer
A dryer noise is usually one of four things turning against something it should not be: a coin in the drum, a worn roller, a slipping belt or the blower. On these models the two RV-WD rows are one build in two finishes. Where in the cycle it happens and whether it follows drum rotation narrows it quickly, and two of the four cost nothing to fix.
What you observe
- A rhythmic clink that follows drum rotation — Something loose in the drum or caught in its seam, and it is the cheapest cause on the list.
- A rumble or thumping that rises with drum speed — Drum support rollers, which wear flat and produce exactly this.
- A squeal that appears when the drum is loaded — A belt or an idler working harder under load.
- A scraping that changes when the machine is nudged — The drum contacting something it should clear, often after a heavy load.
- NEAR MISS — a hum with the drum standing still — That is a drive or start fault rather than a noise one, and this page does not cover it.
Causes, most likely first on the RVWD models
- Object in the drum or its seam — First, and by far the cheapest. Coins, buttons and zip pulls work into the seam at the front of the drum and rattle on every revolution.
- Drum support rollers — Second. Rollers wear flat over years and turn a quiet machine into a thumping one, and the noise rises and falls exactly with drum speed.
- Belt or idler — Third. A belt that has hardened, or an idler pulley that has worn, squeals under load and goes quiet on an empty drum.
- Blower wheel obstruction — Fourth. Lint, a sock or a coin that has passed the filter reaches the blower, where it produces a noise that runs the whole cycle rather than following the drum.
- Motor bearings — Last, and the only one where the noise carries on with everything else eliminated. It is a service call rather than owner work. No counted corpus covers these models, so this ranks mechanisms rather than measured shares.
Check in this order, and why
- Read the plate and confirm which of the pair you have — It takes a moment and then you can stop thinking about it: the two rows differ in finish letters, not in the parts this fault involves.
- Empty the drum and run it briefly — If the noise goes, something was in the load and nothing is wrong with the machine.
- Run a hand round the drum seam with the machine isolated — This is where coins and pulls collect, and it is the top cause on the list.
- Note whether the noise follows drum speed or runs constantly — Following the drum points at rollers and the belt; constant points at the blower and the motor.
- Clear the lint filter housing and look for anything past it — Items that pass the filter end up at the blower, and that is a noise that never stops during a cycle.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Do not reach into a drum that is still turning, and do not run the machine with a panel off to listen: the drive parts are exposed and moving. Clear the lint path while you are in there, because lint is the hazard in a dryer and a noise investigation is the natural moment to deal with it.
Models in the RVWD family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| RV-WD900S | contoure:dryer:rvwd |
| RV-WD900W | contoure:dryer:rvwd |
When to call a technician
Call when the drum is empty, the seam is clear and the noise is still there, because rollers, belts and blowers all need the cabinet opened. Call sooner for a scraping noise, which means metal is contacting metal and will damage the drum. Call at once if the noise arrived with a burning smell or with a cycle that has started cutting out. Say which of the two finishes you have when you call. It will not change the part, but it settles the question before anyone travels.
Other pages for this family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
