What Is a Painted Drum Dryer?

Painted Dryer Drum

• A painted dryer drum is one that has been refurbished using acrylic appliance paint. The paint can be purchased through an appliance repair company and usually comes in white or gray. As of 2011, a can of acrylic dryer drum paint cost approximately $20. The cost savings of refurbishing a dryer drum versus replacing the dryer is significant.

Conditions

• Over time, the interior acrylic coating of a dryer drum will start to peel because of constant exposure to the dryer heat, the friction of the clothing rubbing against the drum lining and the damage caused by zippers and other metal objects attached to clothing. Dryer drums also start to experience surface rust that appears as small brown spots on the interior of the drum lining. You can repair both of these conditions by painting your dryer drum.

Preparation

• Refer to the manufacturer's instructions on removing the dryer drum. Be sure to unplug the dryer from its power outlet to insure your safety. With most dryer models, the drum can be removed by lifting the top of the dryer and then slowly removing the front panel. Once the drum is out of the dryer, you can sand the interior surface down using a fine-grit sandpaper of 100 or greater. Wipe the sanded surface down with mineral spirits and allow it to dry for an hour or two. Once the interior drum surface is dry, apply one coat of the acrylic paint. Allow the paint to dry until it is completely hardened before using the dryer again. You can allow the drum to sit in the sun all day to dry before putting the drum back in place, or you can put the drum back in place while the paint is still slightly wet and run the dryer for an hour or two to dry the paint.

Warnings

• Do not sand and paint the drum while it is in the dryer because you will damage the other parts of the dryer. Only paint the inside of the drum. The outside needs to remain coarse so that the dryer belt can spin the drum. Do not allow the holes in the dryer drum to be covered by paint. Remove any paint that is covering the dryer basin holes.