No, not that “bad” necessarily, but I’m baffled. This morning, there is a loud rustling in the area right behind my dryer machine, like some animal is moving around and rustling a big sheet of plastic in the dryer vent tubing in the walls (although that would be rather absurd.) Sound was intermittent. The whole time, the dryer was lying quiet and dormant, unused.
This afternoon, I try to run a load of wet laundry, and there is a Bang! sound and then a burnt odor. I immediately shut the dryer off, but still have no clue what happened.
Sent messages to the appliance company, but wonder if anyone has any clues?
Is there a reason you don’t think it was an animal? If it was making noise while not being used (assuming it wasn’t really windy out), it sounds reasonable.
Is it still making noise?
Are you comfortable taking the outer cover off?
Are you comfortable disconnecting the exhaust duct and pulling it away from the wall?
Actually, popping the top off (they usually have a few clips and then flip up like a car hood), will likely give you enough access to see inside while preventing anything still living, from getting out.
Also, keep in mind, if it is still living, if it came in through the vent from outside, it’s going to be (likely) somewhere between that vent and the lint trap. If it’s still alive you can either drop a chain (or something it can climb) down the vent and hope for the best. The other option is to get a few pieces of cardboard, separate the dryer from the wall and put the two pieces of cardboard in between them. Then you can move them away from each other and figure out which side it’s on. However, you’re going to have the next few steps planned out for containing and dealing with it.
If it was in your house, it likely just found a way in…and it can get itself back out.
Having said all that, if you smelled burning, it’s probably dead (electrocuted or burned). If you haven’t heard any movement, just pop the top off and I’ll bet you can figure out exactly what happened.
Thanks, having apartment maintenance come by to look. I doubt it was an animal since there are gratings/grill things that ought to keep the animals and birds out, but can’t think of what else it could have been; let’s see in an hour.
Is it a gas dryer? If so it’s a good idea to turn off the gas line behind your Automated Clothes Drying Apparatus while waiting for the maintenance guy.
