How to Troubleshoot & Replace Whirlpool AP3094224 / 279769 Dryer Thermal Cut-Off Kit

Replaced open thermal cut-off sensor and original 30 year old cycling thermostat as a precaution as it might have been the reason for the overheating. Your video was helpful in explaining this. 

Watched a YouTube video and it explained exactly the problem I was having and exactly what to replace. Just make sure you !!!UNPLUG!!! the dryer first before removing or touching wires. And plug it back in after completion and final repositioning of the dryer. 

Check with You Tube and ordered the parts from you. Easy repair replacing the parts and the dryer works great... 

Replace heating element. Since this dyer is old I also replaced the Hi-limit thermostat and thermal cut off. 

II turned off the breaker at the panel for power to the dryer. I then removed the screws on the back panel of the dryer, removed the wires from the thermal cutoff, removed the screws from the thermal cutoff. Then replaced the thermal cutoff, reconnected the wires, put on the back panel. Connected the vent, turned on the breaker, turned on the dryer and we have heat, only took 10 minutes. 

Replaced high limit cut-off and thermal fuse. 

Put in the heating element, thermal fuse, & a couple of other parts that was advised that I may need. 

I first watched a YouTube video that showed how to replace the thermal cut-off fuse for my model Kenmore dryer. The AppliancePartsPros.com video appeared to be for a different model where the back of the dryer has a removable panel, which my dryer does not. Replacement of the two parts provided in the kit was easy once the heating coil enclosure was removed from the dryer. The only tricky part for me was aligning the heating coil enclosure with the internal ductwork when putting things back together. The dryer now runs fine. Although not in the list of tools shown for this review, having a continuity tester verify which parts are not working is very valuable. 

The heater element was not glowing/heating up. The thermostat was a short which is normal, the thermal fuse was open, which is not normal. Bypassed the fuse to make sure the element was working. Ordered the stat/fuse kit. Replaced the thermostat and fuse in the heater tunnel. Buttoned it back up and the element heated up. It was nice that the thermostat and fuse came as a kit. As it ages the thermostat could stick shut, or was already stuck closed and would have just blown the new fuse. Best to change them both. I'm impressed by the serviceable design of these Kenmore Elites. I only had to pop the bottom cover off to do the repair. Other machines have to be totally disassembled to replace these parts. 

I used an ohm meter and the schematic on the back of the dryer to find the open component in the circuit to the heater wire. I found the open and ordered the part from AppliancePartsPros.com. The parts came fast and I put them in and the dryer dries. I was able to resurrect a 45 year old dryer.