Kenmore Appliance Parts
Welcome to Kenmore Washing Machine Parts Resource Center
RepairClinic.com Help Video
- Kenmore Washing Machine Parts
- How Kenmore Washing Machine Works
- Tub
- Central Agitator
- Motor and Pump
- Fill Valve
- Timer and Selector Switches
- Clutch and Brake Mechanism
- Motor Coupler and/or Belt
- Maintenance Tips for Kenmore Washing Machine
Kenmore Washing Machine Parts
It is the Thanksgiving holiday. Your daughter comes back from college. She has been away for four months and has a lot of laundry to catch up on. Your son comes back home from Texas. He brings a girlfriend. They are stopping at your house on their way to South America. They have a lot of laundry to do. Your Kenmore washing machine is going to be very busy for the next few weeks.
What if your Kenmore washer is not working as it should be? What if it breaks? If it did break, how would you fix it? Could you fix it yourself? Visit RepairClinic.com for all your Kenmore washing machine questions. If the machine is broken, RepairClinic can help you with its powerful search tool, the PartDetective, find the exact part for your model.
RepairClinic.com has an extensive diagnostic library and can assist you in figuring out what is the problem you are having with your washer. Whether your washer is having electrical, plumbing, or hardware issues, www.repairclinic.com has all the information that you are looking for. And if the washing machine is too old to fix, or if the job of fixing it is too complicated, RepariClinic technicians will inform you of that as well.
How Kenmore Washing Machine Works
Washing machines come in two major styles, front and top loaders. The two styles have similarities and differences in the way they function.
Tub (or Inner Tub)
Clothes are loaded to be washed into a tub. The inner tub has lots of small holes that allow the water to flow through to the outer tub. Outer tub is solid and holds the water. Top loading machines have an agitator which is located at the center of the inner tub. In front loading machines, the clothes tumble and bounce and allow spin and gravity to do the work of washing. Front loaders have no agitators.
Central Agitator
This is how an agitator, on top-loading washers, works. It pivots clockwise and counterclockwise, plunging the clothes through the water so that they will be washed as cleanly as possible. The clothes move from top of the tub to bottom and then back to top once again. This motion allows the detergent and the water to reach every part of dirty clothing and to loosen the dirt and wash the clothes clean.
Motor and Pump
In top loader washer, the motor is what creates the movement during the wash cycle and drives the agitator. The pump removes the water from the tub and lifts it out to the drain. This is true for both front and top loaders.
Fill Valve
The fill valve is also called a "water inlet valve". It is a part about the size of a coffee cup in size. This valve controls the entry of hot and cold water into the washing machine. This part has 3 major components: 1. hot-water solenoid, 2. cold-water solenoid, 3. mixing valve body. The water inlet valve is located at the spot where the hot and cold water from the house is hooked up to your washer.
Timer and Selector Switches
The timer switch is usually the the largest dial on your washer's main control panel. On some washer's, the switches are mechanical devices similar to a simple clock. On others, switches are electronic devices with a digital readout. The timer provides electricity to all the different components of your washer at the right time and for the right length of time.The Start switch is the part of the timer knob that breaks most often. Different washing machines have different knobs/selector switches. Kenmore selector switches allow you to adjust your washer to a number of different settings. These are some of the settings: water temperature, spin speed, timer cycle, etc. In general, the washing machine completes the cycle that you selected on the timer, regardless of how you set switches and knobs.
Clutch and Brake Mechanism
Kenmore washer motor can start and reach its full speed in a second or less. This can be a bit too fast for some of the components the motor drives. For this reason most washing machines use an automatic clutch - to dampen the effect of motor starting up.
On some washers, the clutch is designed like this: as a combination of a drive belt slipping temporarily on a pulley and then gradually tightening up; on others, the clutch uses a drum-and-pad combination of components, more like something that you could find in a car. On a top-loading washer some functions cease to operate when the lid is raised. Because the drum is brought to a rapid halt, the spin cycle stops on all washing machines.
Motor Coupler and/or Belt
Some Kenmore washers connect the motor directly to the transmission. They do this by using a coupler connection, without a need for a belt. The coupler looks like a rubber disc that is placed between two plastic sprockets. It's size is is half-an-inch thick by one-and-a-half inches in diameter. Other washers use belts to connect the motor to the transmission or to connect it to the pump. A belt is black, rubber, rope-like component. It is often a loop of about 24 to 30 in. long. This belt provides a "weak link" in a washer. If the tub or the agitator become jammed, the belt is likely to fail in its function. The belt failing is purposeful so that the transmission and other critical components would be preserved.
Maintenance Tips for Kenmore Washer
Water-Fill Hoses
The rubber water hoses that usual lay come with your washer may leak or burst as they get older. A good preventive practice is to check the washer hoses for any sign of wear. A small blister could form in the rubber of the hose, and this could cause it to weaken and eventually rupture. Kenmore manufacturers recommend replacing hoses every 5 years or so. RepairClinic.com recommends replacing the rubber hoses with stainless steel fill hoses. Staleness steel is higher quality, more durable and longer-lasting.
Leveling
If your washer is not level, it can move back and forth, bang loudly, and even begin to dance across the room. This is not a good thing for your washer's long term health and durability. When this happens, he washer can also damage things that are close to it (like the dryer). This problem can be remedied by adjusting the front and/or back leveling legs on your washer so that unit will be at its proper height. Once you have your washer in the right position, tighten the lock nut against the body of the washing machine to keep the leg from rotating.
Most washers have self-adjusting rear legs. The rear legs can be set by tilting the entire washing machine forward onto its front legs, then setting the machine back down. Most of the time the legs will automatically adjust. If they don't, you may need to tilt your washer forward again and hit the rear legs with the handle of a hammer to loosen them. This procedure is much easier to accomplish if you have a strong helper.
Surface Cleaning
Washer surface usually has either a painted steel or a porcelain-coated steel cabinet. To clean the surface, it is safe to use a bit of dish detergent and a damp rag . For stains that are more stubbern and more difficult to wash, you can safely use some non-abrasive cleanser, especially if the surface is porcelain.
You can find parts, accessories, help and technical advice on how to fix your Kenmore washing machine at RepairClinic.com.
Maintenance Calendar
To keep your washing machine in excellent shape, check water fill hoses for cracks, blisters, corroded fittings and leaks.
Cracks are a sign of aging and breakdown of the rubber. Blisters signal disintegration in the inner lining of the hose, which means the hose may burst at any moment. This can cause flooding and damage to your home.
Corroded fittings mean that the hose has leaked or is leaking now. If you don't replace the faulty hose, you may find the corroded fitting is virtually impossible to remove from the faucet because of rusting and decay.
Replace the hoses if they have any of these conditions. Washer water fill hoses generally need to be replaced every 3 to 5 years, regardless of whether there is a visible defect.
For even more peace of mind, use stainless steel fill hoses.
Make sure to check that your washer is level and sitting on a well-supported sub-floor. A leading cause of washer failure is a unit that bangs around unbalanced by multiple loads.
Check to be sure that no water is dripping into the washer when it is turned off. If water is dripping in, even just a little bit, it is a sign that the water inlet valve is defective. It should be replaced immediately.
