For those of you who prefer to do-it-yourself, I commend you! By repairing your own appliances, you can save money for other, more important things. In this article I’m going to concentrate on teaching you how to access the inside of the new style Whirlpool top load washing machine. Keep in mind that with only a few minor differences, the same procedure applies to Maytag, as well.
For at least half of the repairs on this washer, you’ll need to access the tub area. It’s not difficult, so don’t make it so. Please, don’t pry on anything, no matter what! It’s easy to ruin an otherwise good machine if you don’t follow procedure.
First steps first. Make sure the water is turned off, just in case. Make sure the machine is unplugged from the wall. In fact, double check this. Don’t rely on turning off the breaker.
Remove the console back panel
From the back of the machine, find two ¼” hex-head screws holding the back panel on the console, located to the far right and far left, in the corners. Now remove the center screw from the back panel. The panel should be free. Slide it down and out of the way. Next, remove the plate held by one screw, covering the wiring harness and pressure switch hose. Locate the hinges, which look similar to a strap. Remove the top screws only. This screw has fine machine threads so keep them separate from the others.
Lift up the top of the machine
At this point, you are ready to lift up the top of the machine. Standing in front of the machine, grip the top by reaching to the back of the machine and pulling forward with a snap action. Now, hold each side of the top and work the top free to release it from the locators on the frame. The top will now lift up to allow access to the tub area. Be careful not to move the top too far back. When you put the machine back together, make sure the top is locked into the locators on the frame before replacing the screws.
With the top up, you can access the tub area, the harness for the lid lock and the lock itself. You can also check the pressure switch hose and suspension rods, should the need arise.
Access to underneath
The easiest way to access the bottom of the machine is by pulling the machine out from the wall far enough so the machine will lean against the wall when you tilt it back. To repeat, make sure the unit is unplugged from the wall and the water is turned off.
Underneath you will find the drain pump, gearcase, main drive motor, pulley, drive belt, shift actuator and lower harness. Most of the repairs for these components can be done while the unit is tilted back.
As you can see, this procedure is straightforward and will allow access to the necessary components to repair your machine should the need arise.
