The short answer
Dryer noise is unusually diagnostic: the character of the sound names the part more reliably than any test does. A squeal is a bearing, a thump is support, and a rattle or scrape is usually something loose that does not belong there. Turn the drum by hand with the power off. A noise you can reproduce by hand is mechanical and in the drivetrain; a noise only present under power is the blower or the motor. On a Splendide dryer the cause that ranks first is machine not level, or standing on a flexible floor.
What you observe
- The whole machine walking or drumming on the floor — Stance, not a failed part.
- A rhythmic thump, once per drum revolution — Support wear — rollers at the back or glides at the front.
- NEAR MISS — a whistle from the vent rather than the cabinet — That is airflow, and it belongs with the vent and heating checks.
Causes, most likely first on a Splendide dryer
- Machine not level, or standing on a flexible floor — An unlevel machine drums against the floor and walks, and the sound is the floor as much as the appliance. It ranks first on a Splendide dryer because life in a coach means vibration, movement and a hookup that changes from one park to the next.
- Something loose inside the blower wheel — Coins, buttons and pen caps find their way past the lint filter into the blower housing and rattle furiously against the wheel. Second on this platform: it is the one cause that starts suddenly rather than gradually, and it is often free to fix.
- Drum support rollers or front glides worn — The drum rides on rollers at the back and slides on felt or plastic glides at the front, and both wear flat, giving a rhythmic thump once per revolution. Ranked here because they carry the full weight of the drum and the load on every single revolution.
- Idler pulley bearing dry — The tensioner that keeps the belt tight spins on a small bearing, and when it dries out it squeals — loudest on start-up and when the drum is loaded. Last, and the reason to work down the list rather than guess: it is a small, unlubricated bearing doing continuous work, so it is the part that squeals first.
Check in this order, and why
- Push each top corner in turn and see whether the cabinet rocks — A cabinet that rocks is producing some of the noise itself.
- Listen for whether the noise stops the moment the drum stops turning — A rattle that dies instantly with the airflow is in the blower.
- Turn the drum slowly by hand and listen for a once-per-turn thump — A noise that repeats with drum position is support wear, not the blower.
What an owner can safely check
- Level the machine on its feet until no corner rocks under hand pressure — On a suspended floor, a sheet of ply under both feet helps more than the feet do.
Tools: spirit level, spannerAbout 20 min
- Check the lint filter housing and the pockets of the last load for what is missing — Anything small and hard that went in with the wash is a candidate.
Tools: torchAbout 10 min
- Spin the empty drum by hand and note whether the thump repeats at the same point — A flat spot you can feel through the drum is the answer.
About 10 min
- STOP HERE if the next step needs a meter on live terminals or a panel off — That is where an owner check ends and a service call begins, whatever the ranking above says.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the dryer or switch off its breaker before removing any panel, and if it is a gas machine, shut the gas valve at the appliance before moving it.
When to call a technician
Call once the stance and the blower are ruled out and the noise is still there under power, and stop using the machine immediately if you smell hot metal. In a coach or a boat, mention the installation when you book: the hookup, the access and the mounting are all part of the diagnosis, and not every technician works on them.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page is written for the Splendide dryer as a class, not for one family or model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists for your unit it is linked above, it is the more specific answer, and it is the one to read first. Deliberately not here: part numbers, wiring colours, panel removal order and torque figures, all of which differ between families under the same nameplate.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
