The short answer, at family level
On the Criterion CLTG dryer family a drum that turns without heat is an airflow question first and a heat-source question second, because one blower pulls air through the burner tube, through the drum and out to the vent, and the burner itself will cycle off on restricted airflow long before anything else complains. This is the gas variant of the line, so the heat source is a burner sequence: igniter, flame, sensor. Clear the vent before condemning anything. The spine carries a single model number here.
What you observe on these models
- The dryer, the laundry room or the load smells hot — Heat that is not leaving the cabinet. Stop using it until the vent is cleared, because this is the state in which lint fires start.
- Clothes are warm but take two or three cycles to dry — Heat is being made and not carried away. That is restricted venting, not a failed heat source, and it is the more common of the two by a wide margin.
- The outside vent hood barely moves when the dryer runs — The clearest test there is, and it needs no tools. A hood that does not open means the machine is running against a closed duct.
- NEAR MISS: the drum does not turn at all — That is a start or drive fault with its own list: belt, motor, door switch, thermal fuse. Read that page instead of this one.
Ranked causes for this family
- The burner sequence is failing to light or to hold — On this gas variant the sequence is igniter, flame, then the sensor holding the valve open, and a fault anywhere in it gives the same no-heat symptom. Where it fails in that sequence is what names the part.
- The vent duct or the lint filter is restricted — First on every dryer and especially here, because one blower pulls air through the burner tube, through the drum and out to the vent, and the burner itself will cycle off on restricted airflow long before anything else complains. A blocked vent both stops the load drying and trips the thermal devices that then look like the fault.
- A thermal fuse or high-limit device has opened — Ranked high because it is the consequence of the first cause: restricted air overheats the housing, the device opens to protect it, and replacing it without clearing the vent simply repeats the failure.
What to check first, and why in this order
- Clean the lint filter and check the vent hood outside — Run the dryer and put a hand at the outside hood. Weak or no flow there is the answer to most no-heat and slow-dry complaints, and it needs no tools. Work down in order rather than jumping to the likeliest cause.
- Confirm the setting is not an air-only cycle — Air fluff, refresh and some delicate cycles run the drum without heat by design. It costs nothing to rule out and it is more common than anyone admits.
- Watch the burner or listen at the heat housing — With the lower panel off and the power on only if you are competent to do it, the igniter should glow, the flame should light, and it should stay lit. Where it fails in that sequence names the part.
Before any panel comes off
Safety
If you smell gas: do not switch anything on or off, leave the building, and call the gas utility or 911 from outside. Do not look for the leak yourself. Unplug the dryer or switch off its breaker before removing any panel; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Never run the machine with the vent duct discharging into the room for longer than the few seconds of a test, because a gas dryer vents combustion products as well as moisture. Clear lint from the duct rather than pushing it further in: lint in a hot duct is how dryer fires start.
Models in the CLTG family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| CLTG70N2BG | criterion:dryer:cltg |
When to call a technician
Where the line falls here is worth stating plainly. Cleaning the filter, clearing the duct and checking the setting and the supply are owner work. Call once the vent is proven clear and there is still no heat, because what is left is the burner, the valve coils and the sensor. On this platform any work at the burner, the valve or the gas connection is licensed work, and it is not a place to learn.
Other problems covered for this family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
