Dryer Guide
Dryer Belt Replacement
A dryer drive belt is a thin rubber loop that wraps the whole drum and runs off the motor pulley. When it snaps — and after years of heat, most eventually do — the motor still hums and the drum goes dead still. On most Kenmore, Whirlpool, and similar dryers it's the same design and the same fix.
Signs the belt has broken
- The dryer hums or runs but the drum doesn't turn at all.
- The drum spins freely and loosely by hand, with no belt tension holding it.
- A thumping or dragging noise before it failed — a belt fraying before it snapped.
- A burning-rubber smell, from a belt slipping against a seized roller.
How the job goes
Replacing a dryer belt means opening the cabinet — usually the top and front come off — to reach the drum. The new belt loops around the drum (grooved side against the drum on most models), then routes around the motor pulley and the spring-loaded idler that keeps it tight. Getting the belt path and the idler right is the fiddly part; routed wrong, the new belt shreds fast.
Before assuming it's the belt, it's worth a quick look at the drum rollers and idler pulley. A seized roller is what wears a belt out in the first place — replace the belt without fixing the roller and you'll be back to a dead drum before long.
Rather have a pro handle it?
Our technicians repair this across Toronto and the GTA — same-day in many cases, with clear pricing and a warranty on the work.