Our Whirlpool dryer has been squeaking quite a bit lately, so I took it apart and cleaned the inside of lint and lubricated all of the moving parts. Upon starting the dryer after reassembly, the squeak was gone, but I noticed a weird smell (almost like a burning smell) and swore I saw glowing orange light coming from the back panel vents. Can't say that I've ever looked at the back of the dryer when it was on, so I'm not sure that this is normal or not... but I know the smell is not normal. I'm assuming that maybe I was a little too liberal on the lubrication and maybe this is creating the burning smell. I'm obviously concerned... don't want to burn my house down or anything. Any ideas/suggestions?

Thank you

The burning orange glow is normal. Gas dryers use an electric ignition device rather than a pilot light to light the gas heater: An element becomes hot and glows like the filament in a lightbulb. As for the burning smell, you have been actually burning lint/dust build up in the very bottom of your dyer where the gas burner is. You will continue to have a burning smell until you get rid of the burnt lint near the dryer drum & under the bottom of your dryer.(near or around the kick plate area). You stated that you took everything apart and lubricated well, this could also be contributing to the smell. If the smell continues, take it apart again and reduce the lubricant buildup and look for any chared pieces of lint. Hope this information was helpful!

Very accurate to a T

One think I failed to mention is that this is an electric dryer. Sorry about that. Does the glowing electric ignition device still apply? Thanks again.

The glowing orange element is still normal on an electric dryer but the electric ignition doesn't apply because there isn't gas to be ignited in an electric dryer. In an electric dryer, the burner assembly consists of a heating element and one or more thermostats. Electricity supplied to the heating element is turned on and off by the timer, as follows:

First, when you close the dryer door, set the timer, and press or turn the start switch, the motor starts. When it reaches full speed in about a second, a switch on the motor turns on. This allows electricity to flow to the heating element through a thermostat.

The heating element then glows red hot,(orange). Air from the blower then flows over the element, through the drum and out the exhaust vent.

When the dryer reaches a pre-set drying temperature, a thermostat turns off the flow of electricity to the heating element.

When the temperature in the dryer falls 20 to 30 degrees, the thermostat turns on the power to the heating element again and the cycle starts over.
I Hope this information was helpful!