Been lurking for a bit, nice site. :) Thought I'd see if you guys had any ideas.
We've got a SpeedQueen AES17AWF dryer that we bought a few months back. Recently it's developed a random "whine" noise (which conveniently would stop by the time I could get close to the dryer to find out what it is!) It usually only lasts a few seconds and then goes away.
Last night I was able to capture it in the act (video linked,) it was making the noise for longer than usual. I found it seems to be tied to the heating element. If you switch it over to fluff, the noise goes away. Switch it from low to high the noise changes slightly.
Also should add that about a week ago when running the dryer, something set off our smoke detector in the utility room. Shut off the dryer and the smell gradually went away. Wasn't sure what to do, so in the event it was related to lint buildup we removed the lint trap and exhaust, vacuuming it out the best we could. Also blew out the vent pipe with a leaf blower. Didn't want to take anything apart in the event we needed warranty service... Haven't smelled anything since.
If someone could shed some light on what might be going on here it would be appreciated!
That is electrical noise. Possibly a loose connection at the outlet or terminal block. Other than that, have your service company come look at the machine.
When the installers came out to put it in, they used some old screws (5/16" head) on the terminals instead of the 1/4" that were in the package with the manual. Wasn't sure if that would really make a difference, but I went ahead and swapped those out with the supplied screws anyway. The connections are all tight.
I'm standing behind the dryer as I type this as I wanted to see if it was something with the electrical supply from the wall or from the dryer. It has made the noise twice now and appears to be loudest in the area right around the terminals where the cord attaches on the back of the dryer.