The short answer
Start with everything that rotates, at the same time: on Premium dryers it outranks something in the drum or the blower, and both come a long way before the feet and what the machine stands on. On a long-serving machine the ranking leans towards what wears — seals, mounts, hoses and switches — rather than towards anything with a circuit board in it. Most of what follows is owner-checkable, and the point where that stops is stated plainly below.
What you observe
- A rumble or roar that rises with drum speed — Worn drum rollers or a rear bearing — the sound tracks the drum exactly.
- A metallic rattle from the back of the machine — Usually the blower wheel, either loose on its shaft or with something in it.
- A rhythmic thumping once per drum turn — Something attached to the drum, or something inside it, coming round at the same point each revolution.
- NEAR MISS — the machine also stops part-way through — Noise plus a cycle that quits is an airflow problem first; read the cycle-fault page for this appliance.
Causes, most likely first on Premium
- Everything that rotates, at the same time — On a machine of this age the rollers, the idler, the belt and the felt seal have all done the same very large number of hours. When one of them goes, the others are usually not far behind, and a noise is often several noises at once. Top of the list for this brand: this leads on a machine of this vintage because several parts arrive at the end of their life together.
- Something in the drum or the blower — Coins, buttons and pen caps go through pockets, past the drum seal and into the blower housing, where they are thrown against the housing by a wheel turning at motor speed. Next, and close behind the first: a noise that appeared between one load and the next is almost always something that came out of a pocket.
- The blower wheel — Blower noise is distinctive because it does not track the drum — it is far faster. Third: it is ranked here because the pitch of the noise separates it from every drum-speed cause immediately.
- The feet and what the machine stands on — A dryer that rocks on an uneven floor, or that sits on a pedestal or a stacking kit that has loosened, will drum against its own support. Last, and the placement is the point: a machine that rocks by hand cannot be assessed properly until it does not, which is why this is worth doing early.
Check in this order, and why
- First: Assess everything that turns, not just the loudest — On a machine this old, the part that is loudest is rarely the only one that is worn. It is first because it is the cheapest of the three to settle.
- Second: Empty the drum and turn it by hand — Listen for something sliding, and check the lint filter slot and the drum seal while you are there.
- Third: Is the noise faster than the drum? — A rattle far quicker than one per drum revolution is the blower rather than anything on the drum.
What an owner can safely check
- Run the machine empty for a moment and listen — Empty the drum completely, close the door, and run a short cool cycle listening for the same noise.
About 10 min
- Level the machine on its feet — Adjust each foot until no corner rocks, and check any stacking kit or pedestal fixings while you are there.
Tools: adjustable spannerAbout 20 min
- STOP HERE if the next step needs a meter on live terminals — That is the line between an owner check and a service call, and it is not worth crossing.
Safety first
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel, and treat every capacitor as still charged: a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Let the machine cool before reaching into the cabinet — the heater housing and the duct hold heat long after a cycle ends — and never leave a dryer running with its vent disconnected.
When to call a technician
The line is the cabinet: everything checked with the panels on is above it, and everything else is a service call. Call at once rather than running another load if the machine buzzes without the drum turning, because a motor energised against a jam heats quickly and the parts around it are full of lint.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This is generalized information for Premium dryers as a whole, not for one product line. A line-specific page for this same problem is linked below, and it is the more specific answer — go there first if your unit is one of them. Not here: wiring colours, torque figures, part numbers and panel-removal sequences, all of which differ by family.
Links: - [Premium Levella Dryer: Abnormal Noise or Vibration](/blog/premium-levella-dryer-abnormal-noise)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
