Dryer Smells Like Burning? How to Fix It

If your dryer is emitting a burning smell, you’re in the right place.

In this guide, we will give you step-by-step instructions on how to find the cause of the burning smell and then fix it.

Thankfully, most of the time it’s something simple causing the smell, so it’s easy to fix yourself.

Let’s get started.

Step1 – Check the Lint Filter

The first step is to check for any buildup of lint in your dryer. When the lint filter gets clogged, your dryer can start to emit a burning smell. It’s also very dangerous, as it can cause a fire to start.

Here’s how to check for a buildup of lint:

1. Locate the lint filter. If it’s full, give it a good clean, and then put it back in place.
2. If you have any lint around the door or inside the dryer drum, use a vacuum cleaner to suck it all up.
3. Once you’ve cleaned all of the lint out of your dryer, turn it on and see if the problem has been solved. If not, move on to the next step.

Step 2 – Check the Thermostat

The purpose of the thermostat is to measure and control the temperature inside your dryer. If it becomes faulty, your dryer may overheat and not turn off when it should. This will then cause a burning smell to emanate from your dryer.

To check the thermostat, you need to:

1. Turn the power off to the dryer.
2. Remove the top and side panels of the dryer so you can access the internal components (check your manual if necessary).
3. Locate the thermostat (check your manual if necessary).
4. Use a multimeter to check the thermostat for continuity.
5. If the thermostat has continuity, it is working fine, and you can move on to the next step. However, if it doesn’t have continuity, it will need to be replaced.
6. Once replaced, turn your dryer on and check if the problem has been solved. If not, move on to the next step.

Step 3 – Check the Drive Belt

The next step is to check the drive belt. The drive belt goes around the dryer drum and helps it to rotate around when it’s turned on. Sometimes it can slip out of place and start to melt if it comes in contact with the heating element. This will cause a burning smell to emanate from your dryer when it’s operating.

To check the drive belt, you need to:

1. Make sure the power to the dryer is still turned off.
2. If you haven’t already, you’ll need to remove the top and side panels (check your manual if necessary).
3. Locate the drive belt (it goes around the dryer drum).
4. Check that the belt goes around the drum correctly and that it doesn’t have any signs of wear and tear. The belt should be on the drum firmly but not too tight.
5. If it’s damaged in any way, it will need to be replaced. If it has just come out of position, you can reposition it and then check if that solves the problem.
6. If the drive belt isn’t damaged, check that it goes around the pulleys correctly. If not, you will need to repair or replace the pulleys or replace the drive belt.
7. If the drive belt is working correctly, you can move on to the next step. If you do replace the belt, turn your dryer back on when you’ve replaced it, and test if the dryer now works correctly. If not, move on to the next step.

Step 3 – Check for Lint in the Back of the Dryer

Sometimes lint can get into the back of the dryer and come in contact with the heating element, which causes a burning smell to emanate from the dryer.

Here’s how to check for lint in the back of the dryer:

1. Make sure the power is still switched off.
2. If you haven’t already, remove the top and side panels of the dryer.
3. Check for any signs of lint in the back of the dryer, and if you find any, use a vacuum cleaner to suck it all up or a cloth to wipe it up. If there isn’t any lint in the back of the dryer, move on to the next step.
4. Once cleaned, check if the problem has been solved. If not, move on to the next step.

Step 4 – Check the Motor

The next step to finding out why your dryer smells like burning is to check the motor in your dryer. Over time, the motor can burn out, and this will cause a burning smell to emanate from your dryer.

Here’s how to check the motor:

1. Plug the dryer back into the power socket if it’s unplugged.
2. Turn your dryer on to a cycle.
3. Check to see if you can hear a loud noise coming from the motor while it’s running.
4. If you can hear a loud noise, this means the motor is faulty and will need to be replaced.
5. To replace the motor, you will need to remove the old motor and then attach a new motor and plug back in all of the connections.
6. Once you’ve replaced the motor, turn your dryer back on, and check if the problem has been solved.