After the patio door debacle for my brother-in-law, Divad, I swore off taking on a project for someone else. However, I dove right in when my daughter, Iret, mentioned her dryer was going bad. She said the dryer was making a loud screeching noise. I had a similar problem with my dryer in the past, so I knew this project was too easy not to pass up. Plus, I could prevent Iret from spending money on a new dryer for now.
I usually will shy away from appliance repair. If an appliance stops working, I usually just buy a new one, especially if it is getting old. However, I have tried to work on some appliances in the past, if it is a simple problem. I never was strong in electrical problems, so if it is not as easy as changing out a fuse or replacing a switch, it is time to get a new one.
I have fixed noisy dryers before. In all cases, it was the drum support rollers. These rollers usually wear down and the drum starts to make a banging noise, or the rollers start to squeak loudly. So, when Iret said she had a noisy dryer, I knew right away it was possibly the rollers.
Since Iret lives about an hour from my home, I wanted to make sure I was prepared to take on this project. She texted me a photo of the model number. (That was a smart move. Getting a picture of the model number prevents the mistake of writing it down wrong.)
I started my Internet search of “replacing a support roller on a GE® Profile dryer.” I was not getting the results I thought I would get. I was getting videos and sites about other manufacturers’ models. I thought that was not unusual, since most appliances are made by a couple of manufacturers.
Since the weekend was near, I planned on getting the parts on Friday and fixing her dryer on Saturday.
I called an appliance part store and asked about purchasing a support roller for this model. I gave her the model number and she did her search of the parts for the dryer. Eventually she replied, “Sir, this model does not have support rollers. It has rear and front bearings.” I questioned her response. She said, “Yes, Whirlpool® and Kenmore® have support rollers, but the GE® models do not.” She rattled off the prices for both, but my mind was clouded with worry that I got into some uncharted territory.
My wife, Efiwym, was going to pick up the parts for me. But since, I did not know what to order, I texted her that she was not needed. I did not know what my next steps would be…