The short answer
Most noises from the Arctic Wind AGDG dryer are cheap to fix and none should be left long, because a drum running on a failed support wears its seals and can scorch a load. Start by emptying it and turning it by hand.
What you see on the AGDG line
- A continuous squeal that rises with drum speed — Belt or idler rather than anything in the drum.
- A hard scrape that gets worse with a heavy load — The front drum support rather than the rear.
- A rattle that continues while the machine coasts to a stop — Something in the blower housing rather than in the drum.
- NEAR MISS - a noise with scorch marks on the load — Stop using the machine: that combination needs a technician before the next cycle.
Ranked for the AGDG line
- Coins, buttons or a wire in the drum or blower — Most likely here: Small items pass the drum seal and land in the blower housing, where they are thrown round at speed and sound far more serious than they are. The prefix on these models is the gas designation in this catalogue, with a companion line differing by a single letter; the ranking below assumes the gas heat train, and the other line ranks its own heat source first.
- Machine not level, or walking on its feet — Second: It is the cheapest cause and the fastest check, and it also explains noise that appeared right after the laundry was rearranged.
- Blower wheel loose or clogged — Third: A wheel packed with lint is out of balance and drums against its housing, which sounds like something far more serious than it is.
Check in this order, and why
- First - Empty the drum, check the lint trap housing, and listen as the machine coasts to a stop — A rattle that continues after the drum stops is in the blower rather than the drum. That is the order the roster on this page dictates, not a generic sequence.
- Second - Push each top corner and check the clearance all round the cabinet — Rock at a corner, or a cabinet touching a wall, is the noise and nothing inside the machine is at fault.
- Third - Note whether the noise changes character as the machine coasts down — A note that changes pitch smoothly as the drum slows is on the motor shaft rather than in the drum.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before reaching into the drum, the lint housing or any panel - a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off and a dryer drum can coast for some time after the door is opened. On a gas machine close the appliance valve before anything is moved, and if you ever smell gas, do not switch anything on or off: leave the building and call the gas utility or your local emergency number from outside. Never run the machine with a panel off to locate a noise.
Models in the AGDG family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| AGDG70U | arctic-wind:dryer:agdg |
When to call a technician
The line here is the cabinet panel: what you can reach with the power off - the drum, the lint housing, the feet, the clearance - is yours, and everything behind the panel is not. Call the same day for a burning smell, and stop using the machine rather than running one more load to see whether it gets worse.
Nearest pages of this class
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
