Your serviceman should be aware of it, or be able to check with F&P about coverage if the bearing is the cause. The drum bearing is on the right side, creaking noises are a possible indicator of the problem. Rumbling could be something else.

Hi all , the repairman was here today and my three year old F&P drier that has done about three loads a week for a retired gentleman has a bad motor. Actually a motor bearing. Does this seem that the top load driers have stressed bearings because of a quality issue? I don't dry anything heavy nor do I do large loads.

My repairman had no idea who to contact at F&P . Can anyone tell me who to call or write to ? Thanks David.

The service issue regarding the drum bearing is a completely different thing from the motor. Most likely your motor is a luck-of-the-draw situation. I wouldn't expect F&P to cover it at 3 years old on a 2-year warranty, but it couldn't hurt to ask. Maybe there was a small batch of bad motors that's known ... maybe not. If your repairman is an authorized F&P servicer, his company should have a contact at F&P. I don't know any number other than the published customer service number on F&P's web site.

Hi everyone,
just to bring this problem up tp date. Repair returned with unopened box new motor today, we opended box and motor came with fan blade, blade was cracked,but the box showed no sign of damage. So we decided to use my old blade because it was in good shape and not out of balance. He said this has happened befor. Motor was installed and dryer works fine for now. I kept old motor and inspecter rough bearing on belt drive end,motor shaft was rusty at this end no other signs of rust on motor or dryer cabinet. The bearing is easily replaceable its a SKF brand bearing and my local supplier has a match in stock for $ 9.25 cost. I pulled grease seal on bearing and it is lubricated, so it did not fail from lack of lube burnout. It is only noisy under belt tension. To sum up $ 70.00 for house call, $ 170.00 for new motor, and $ 50.00 for labor and tax . Ok so $ 300.00 I got it fixed and an education and a spare motor to put in if it happens again. Must add it is really neat how it opens up, don't have to move it from position, it unfolds like a flower. Maybe they all do this now, my 17 year old Kitchen Aid dryer is still in its same spot also, never needed a repair. But the F&P is a better dryer. My special thanks to DADOS I enjoy reading all the information you supply, David

David1217 --

I too have been having a problem with my F&P TL Dryer....

If you click on my YouTube links below, you will hear the noise my dryer is making. I have had the bearing replaced but it is still making the creaking noise intermittently. I haven't been able to determine the rhyme or reason why the dryer sometimes makes the noise, and other times it won't.

So if you wouldn't mind, could you listen to my video clips and tell me if the noise you were having is similar to the one mine is making.....then maybe I can try the same repair you did.

Thanks.
Links are below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71TH5LTVGfI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jlKwugfSIg

mrmichaeljmoore

Hi Mike, I would like to help you but I do not have audio hooked up to my computor, maybe this will help. The same motor is used to run the blower and the drum, it is located at the right rear corner, looking from the fromt, it is also used to open and close the door on the drum. My noise was definately from the rear, I thought it was the blower bearing, just didn,t know blower was run by extension of motor shaft. My noise was in either drum dirrection of drum rotation. If you pay attention you will notice as dryer stops and positions itself to unlock lid it rotates to position drum door, this process is fairly fast but I could also notice a clicking noise as drum rotated to stop position, this was a kind of click, click, click some what like a bicyle chain rotating on a sproket. This was the magnified sound of the worn motor bearing on the shaft side that drives the drum belt. The other end is splined to hold the fan. I hope this helps. If not let me know and I will go to a friens house to hear the noise , David

mrmichaeljmoore

Hi Mike , I listened to the dryer noise at a friends house and this is not the noise I had. I did find out when my repairman was here that the left side of the drum rides onwhat he called a teflon strip. I think your sound is like a rubbing noise. Maybe DADOES will offer some suggestions he seems to know these products quite well. Good luck David.