The short answer
On a Vesta dryer the ranking below is the answer, and it is not the generic one. Most likely here — Coins or a zip pull loose in the drum. Least likely, and a service call from the first minute — Worn drum support rollers. The checks at the top of the list cost nothing and need no panel off.
What you actually observe
- A regular knock that comes with the load — Something loose tumbling with the clothes.
- A squeal at the start of the cycle — A dry bearing, loudest when cold.
- A rumble that tracks the drum speed — The one that builds and needs attention.
- NEAR MISS: the motor runs and the drum stands still — That is a broken belt, and it needs a different page.
Causes, most likely first on this build
- Coins or a zip pull loose in the drum — Anything left in a pocket ends up loose in the drum or behind the lint trap, and it tumbles with the load. The sound is a regular knock that appears with the load and vanishes without it. Ranked first on a Vesta: a value build gives you the least margin exactly where the load is highest, so the overloaded case is the normal case.
- The dryer is not standing level — A drum that is out of level runs harder on one side of its supports, and on a stacked or a compact chassis it passes everything it cannot absorb straight into the machine beside it. Second here, because a light cabinet transmits everything it cannot absorb, which turns an installation problem into what sounds like a mechanical one.
- A worn belt — A perished belt slaps or squeals, and eventually breaks. Third, once the two above are clean: it is quick, free and it settles whether anything needs opening.
- Worn drum support rollers — The drum rides on rollers, and worn ones give a rhythmic rumble that tracks the drum speed exactly. Last, and the reason the order above matters: it is the least likely of the four and the only one that is a service call from the first minute.
Check in this order, and why
- Turn the drum by hand and listen for something loose — Free to find and free to fix.
- Push each top corner and adjust the feet — Level first, then judge what is left.
- Check whether the drum turns at all — Motor running with a still drum is a broken belt.
What an owner can safely check
- Check how the machine stands and what it is standing on before anything else — A compact machine on a flat floor behaves; the same machine on an uneven one produces most of the complaints on this list.
Tools: an adjustable spannerAbout 15 min
- Empty the drum, turn it by hand and listen for anything loose — Coins and zip pulls are the single commonest cause and they cost nothing to find.
About 10 min
- Clear the lint filter completely and check the housing below it — A filter left partly blocked changes the airflow and the sound with it.
Tools: a vacuumAbout 10 min
- STOP HERE if the noise needs the drum out or the cabinet open — That is where an owner check ends and a service call begins.
Before you open anything
Safety
Switch the machine off at its breaker or unplug it, and shut both taps, before opening any panel or filter. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off.
When to call a technician
Call when the noise is a rumble that tracks the drum and builds week by week, or a squeal that is there from the first minute of every cycle. Both mean the cabinet comes off.
Where to go next in this class
What is deliberately not on this page
This page is written for the Vesta dryer as a class, not for one family or model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists for your machine it is linked above, and it is the more specific answer. Deliberately not here: error-code tables, motor and board part numbers and belt routings, all of which differ by family.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
