PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT or It's Always Fun 'til You Set the House on Fire: Recently, my dryer stopped working. I don't use it much for three seasons of the year, preferring to hang clothes outside to dry, but with winter coming, this is not a highly desirable option. I replaced the "push to start" switch and the thermal fuse and got it working again, only to have it heat up to near super-nova temperatures before the thermal fuse did its job, melting & stopping the dryer. I then replaced the thermal fuse and thermal cut-off thermostat and the hi-limit thermostat inside the back of the dryer. Fingers crossed--it seems to be working now.
BUT WHAT CAUSED ALL THIS BOTHER? Closer investigation between Fix #1 and Fix #2 revealed a dryer sheet melted to the air vent inside the dryer's drum. I suspect a large load pushed this little booger up against the drum's interior vent, radically restricting air flow and causing the dryer to overheat. There was sticky residue on the air vent -- likely caused by years of accumulation of soap particles or dryer sheet chemicals -- and this sticky residue probably helped the dryer sheet adhere where it became an absolute danger and house-fire risk. I washed/scrubbed the residue off the air vent inside the drum. I also have now completely sworn off dryer sheets, ordering instead a set of Whitmor Dryer Balls which--if the hype is to be believed--will also speed drying time by keeping the clothes from glomming up.
The alarming thing (and the reason I'm sharing) is apparently dryer sheets are known to do this. Please do yourself a favor and clean the air vent inside your dryer with a soft rag and mild detergent from time to time. And seriously consider ditching those chemical-laden dryer sheets!
PS: I will say that the video that accompanies the "Thermal Cut-Off" kit was the first AppliancePartsPros.com video that disappointed me. My kit came with two pieces and the video only shows how to deal with one of 'em. I did figure it out, but it added about 15 minutes to the repair and I was nervous. :)