If a Samsung DVE45T6000 smells of burning, stop the cycle first and open the door to let the load cool, because Samsung's manual lists fire hazards you can act on: a clogged lint screen, a blocked or crushed duct, clothes soaked with cooking oil or vegetable oil, items with foam rubber dried on heat, and anything that has met gasoline, solvents or other flammable liquids. Household odors such as paint or varnish drawn in from the room air are a different, harmless case that the manual describes as normal. Clean the lint screen, check the vent, and check the load before running the dryer again.
Differential
Likely causes of “Samsung dryer smells hot, scorched or like burning”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A load with cooking oil, vegetable oil or a flammable substance on it
What separates it The smell is sharp or chemical and started with a specific load such as kitchen towels or gym clothes
How to confirm Re-wash the item; do not dry anything that gasoline, solvents or oils have touched until every trace is gone
- 2
A clogged lint screen or restricted exhaust duct
What separates it The dryer runs long, the exterior feels hot and the drum smells hot but not chemical
How to confirm Clean the lint screen and run the Vent Blockage Test to see Clg, C80 or C90
- 3
Foam rubber, latex foam or rubber-backed items dried on a heat setting
What separates it A rubbery smell starts partway through the cycle because foam rubber, latex foam or rubber backed items are drying
How to confirm Stop the cycle and dry those items on Air Fluff with no heat, or line dry them
- 4
Room odors from paint, varnish or strong cleaners drawn into the drum
What separates it The smell matches something used near the dryer and the load is not hot
How to confirm Ventilate the room, then run the REFRESH cycle the manual names if the smell stays in the items
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether the smell is sharp and chemical, rubbery or like hot dust
- What was in the load and whether any item was near oil, solvents or foam
- Whether an HC, tC or check code appeared and how long the cycle had been running
Try in this order
0 of 5 completedStop the cycle and open the door
ReversiblePress Power, unplug the dryer if it is safe to reach the plug, and open the door so the load can cool. Take the items out and spread them out, as the manual says for loads that may hold heat.
Smell the load, not the dryer
ReversibleCheck whether the odor comes from the clothes: cooking oil, gasoline or solvents, or foam rubber. Samsung says not to dry such items on heat at all, so keep them out of the dryer until they are clean.
Clean the lint screen and drum
ReversiblePull the lint screen, roll the lint off and rinse it if softener film has built up. Wipe any residue from the drum with an all-purpose cleaner, then tumble old towels to remove cleaner traces, as the manual advises.
Run the Vent Blockage Test
ReversibleWith an empty drum and the dryer cool, press Power, then hold Adjust Time and Dryness together for 3 seconds until InS shows, and hold Start. After about 2 minutes 0 means a good vent, while Clg, C80 or C90 mean a blocked one.
Check the outside hood
ReversibleLook at the exhaust hood outside: the flap should open and close freely with no lint packed in it. Samsung says the duct should be inspected and cleaned annually, and that the interior of the dryer and the duct should be cleaned periodically by qualified service personnel.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Tools and supplies
- A flashlight, a vacuum with a crevice tool, a soft brush and a Phillips screwdriver for the duct clamps, plus towels for the floor. Samsung tells owners not to service any part unless the user-repair instructions say so, so these tools are for the checks below, not for opening the cabinet.
- What Samsung says never to dry
- The manual's warnings list items previously cleaned, washed, soaked or spotted with gasoline, dry cleaning solvents, acetone, turpentine, wax removers or other flammable liquids, items with foam rubber or latex foam on a heat setting, fiberglass, woolens unless labeled, and items with vegetable or cooking oil. It also says not to install a booster fan in the exhaust duct or use flexible plastic venting.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit models DVE53BB8700, DVE50BG8300, DVG53BB8700, DVG50BG8300, DVG45T6000, DV45K6500, DV42H5000.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If there is smoke or flame, unplug the dryer if you can do so safely, leave the room and call the fire department
- !If the smell returns with an empty drum after the lint screen and duct are clean, stop using the dryer and contact a Samsung service center
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Is it normal for a new Samsung dryer to smell?+
The manual describes odors from paint, varnish or strong cleaners entering with the room air as normal. A hot, chemical or rubbery smell from the load itself is not normal and means stop.
Can cooking oil on clothes start a dryer fire?+
Samsung says items with vegetable or cooking oil can react chemically and catch fire, which is why the last part of a cycle runs without heat. Do not dry such items.
What is the REFRESH cycle for?+
The manual suggests REFRESH when household odors are in the load; if the odor stays, wash and dry the items again.
Should I stop a cycle early to cool it?+
Samsung says to avoid stopping before the end of the cycle unless you quickly take out every item and spread them out so the heat can leave.
What does the HC code mean?+
HC is a high temperature heating check. Clean the lint filter, and if the code remains, contact a Samsung service center.
Can I dry foam pillows or rubber-backed mats?+
Not on heat. Samsung says heated foam rubber can ignite, and lists foam and rubber items for Air Fluff only.
Why does the drum smell hot with an empty load?+
A restricted vent or a clogged screen stops the heat leaving. Clean the screen and run the Vent Blockage Test before using the dryer again.