Whirlpool WP33001762 Thermal Fuse OEM Part

Through 15 years of vibration, the Cycling Thermostat evidently had degraded to the point where one electrical connection or more came loose and caused a short. There is also a possibility that the Bakelite section of the Dryer Cycling Thermostat body separated from the metal base, simultaneously exposing all four connections to a short. The thermostat literally exploded into chunks and dust. There was a heavy arcing and then, thankfully, the thermal fuse blew and shut down power to the short before a fire could begin. It smelled pretty bad. There was a good bit of soot on the strategically placed heat shield surrounding three sides of the thermostat. Now we know why that shield is there. Some small portions of steel shielding were eroded by the short, just gone. I studied some online tutorials to be sure of what I needed. The Appliance Parts Pro brand specific tutorial for changing out the thermostat was very helpful. It was an easy job for someone with all the necessary tools at hand. I confirmed that the Thermal Fuse was bad by doing a continuity test with a multi meter. Dead as a doornail. Tools needed: a Phillips #2 screwdriver, a T-15 Torx driver, a 1/4" nut driver, needle nose pliers, headlamp. I also used a 5/16" nut driver to remove the band clamp on the flexible dryer duct connection in back, so I could clean out the dryer duct work with a vacuum. Don't pass up a chance to do that. I applied a little dielectric grease to all connections. A Milwaukee cordless electric screwdriver with adjustable clutch really speeds up the work. The two T-15 Torx screws that hold up the control panel are a little tricky to engage, because of interference by brackets that hold the panel directly below. I ordered a new Dryer Cycling Thermostat and Thermal Fuse. Parts arrived in two days time. It took a couple hours to repair, mainly because the wiring harness was damaged from the short and I had to slip shrink tube insulation down over the four blade connectors to replace some of the burned off wire insulation. Gotta love a handy insulating shrink tube selection. Make sure the four blade-type connectors fit tightly to the thermostat connections. One can tune the female portion of the connectors with a needle nose plier. Make the fit as tight as possible. There is a lot of vibration from the front loading washer below and we now all have a better understanding of what happens when the connections come loose and cause a short circuit.

Replace thermal fuse and door switch.

We ordered parts thought were bad. changed gas valve coil first did not fix it. then changed thermal fuse did not fix it and then changed igniter and it worked.

Cleaned exhaust duct, but only from the dryer/laundry room side. Replaced thermal fuse. Unit worked for about two loads and thermal fuse blew again. This time I cleaned the exhaust vent on the roof of my 2-story house. It was found to be partially obstructed and I was able to remove a significant amount of lint from it. Also, I researched the problem and followed someone's advice to replace the cycling thermostat together with the thermal fuse if the thermal fuse blows. So far it has been working, but my wife and I both feel that it is for some reason operating a little hotter than it used to. It is working so I am leaving it alone for now. If it should blow again I will have to look into the rest of the parts in the heating system. i.e. temperature control, dryer timer, heating element and dryer control board.

Replaced jump wire and thermostat.