How to Repair
Your Squeaking, Noisy
Whirlpool
or Kenmore 29" (wide) Dryer
If your dryer squeaks, squeals, rumbles or roars, and it's one of
the great 29 inch (wide) models built by Whirlpool (Whirlpool,
Kenmore, Kitchenaid, Roper, and Estate brands), here's how to
quiet it down and get a lot more life out of it. (If it's a 29",
you pull the lint filter up through the top of the dryer to remove it).
It's not a difficult job to do. You'll need a standard #2 Phillips
screwdriver, a 5/16" socket or nut driver, a small pocket-sized
'straight' (regular) screwdriver and some sewing machine oil or other
good grade of approx 30 weight oil (Please, No WD-40!). A putty knife is
handy too, if you have one, and you'll definitely want to have a vacuum
cleaner handy for the lint.
The best time to do this job is when the squeak first starts. If you
wait very long, you'll probably end up needing a drum roller and/or
idler, and then it's probably just better to buy one of the low priced
repair kits
Note: the parts links on this page direct you to
Ebay, the best place to buy appliance parts these days. Just be sure to
buy an OEM genuine Whirlpool repair kit, NOT a generic one. The generics
have quality issues, and I can't recommend them.
These kits have been a really inexpensive way to buy a set of
drum rollers, new belt, idler, and hardware, all in one package. You
come away with a nicely overhauled dryer that will give many more years
of service after you've done this.
Just unplug the dryer or turn off its circuit breaker, pull out
the lint filter, and remove the 2 Phillips screws under it. Then pull
forward on the top of the cabinet and its front will unhook, allowing
you to pivot it up and back. Tip it all the way up to vertical and lean
it back against the wall.
Note: some really old versions of these dryers have a separate bottom panel. If this
describes yours, you may be able to lube the idler by removing just this
panel to get to the idler (Push on the retaining clips with a putty
knife to remove this panel). I highly recommend that you pull the drum,
though. You'll end up doing a much more thorough job of both cleaning
and lubrication. I'll assume from this point on that yours has only one
front panel, extending from the top all the way to the floor.
Inside the front panel, near the top, you'll see two screws that have
5/16" hex heads, that take a socket or nut driver. These hold the
front panel on.
Remove these and unplug the door switch wires. Tip the cabinet front
forward while holding up on the drum, and the front panel lifts off
retainer hooks on the bottom. Set it aside, carefully letting the drum
just hang there, supported by belt tension.
Looking in the right side under the drum, you'll see the motor, and the
little idler wheel that the belt loops around. That wheel's bearing
usually causes the squeaking, and its shaft is where you'll want to put
a couple drops of oil. If you're not feeling adventurous or don't have
much time, just oil the front bearing that you can reach without taking
out the drum. If you can also get some onto the back side this way,
great (I always just pull the drum out - easier to get to everything).
Just 2 or 3 drops on each side will do it.
At this point, you can put it back together and see if it still squeaks.
If it does, you'll want to pull the drum and go the rest of the way. I
highly recommend you do that, even if it runs quiet, so you can lube the
rear drum rollers and vacuum it all out.
Just push the idler up a bit to take its spring tension off the belt,
and roll the belt off the motor pulley, supporting the drum a bit. (I
use my knee - takes longer to type it than to do it!). Then the drum
just lifts off the rear rollers and out the front. You'll see the
rubber-rimmed rollers mounted to the rear bulkhead. Just a drop or two
of oil on the front and back sides of each roller's bearing will keep
them humming along nicely for years. With the drum out, it's easy to
vacuum all that (flammable) lint out of the machine, paying especially
close attention to the lint in and around the motor.
That's pretty much it. To reattach the belt ( I really have to think
about this - do it without even looking any more <grin>), put the
idler into its slot in the base, and hold a little pressure on it
(again, I support the drum with my left knee while doing this - helps if
you've spent a few years with Ringling Bros as a contortionist!) and
feed a loop of the belt through the little rectangular hole under the
idler roller. Feed that loop around the motor pulley, rolling it onto
the pulley.
Rotate the drum slowly counterclockwise (to the left if you have a
digital clock <g>) making sure the belt lines up on the drum so as
not to pop back off the idler (the grooved side of the belt goes against
the drum).
While holding the drum's front up in place, drop the front panel back onto its bottom supports and lean it back into place. Plug the door
switch back in, run those two screws back into the front panel, and the worst is done!
I like to slowly rotate the drum (CCW) before lowering the 'hood', to make sure the belt's properly tracking around it, and that the rear felt
seal isn't caught on the inside.
If all turns freely, drop the top, replace those two Phillips screws (be
careful not to drop them down the lint filter duct!), power it back up,
and all should be smooth and quiet.
Oh, and the last - and most important - step is to reach back and give
your back a pat - you just saved $100 or more by dong it yourself!
Again, if you should need a repair kit, here's the one your 29" model uses:
WPL
4392065 kit
PS - Here's the
repair kit for the 27" (wide) version
of these dryers. A bit more expensive because this design uses drum
support rollers front and rear, it's still the most economical way to buy
these parts.
If you have any questions on any of the above, please don't
hesitate to contact me.
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Many Thanks! - Dave
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