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Replacing the Door Bellow on Kenmore Elite Front Loaders
This advice is for the Kenmore Elite and Whirlpool Duet FRONT LOADER style washing machines. A lot of concerns have been raised about door bellows molding, mildewing, and/or ripping and needing replaced. A replacement bellow isn’t cheap (prices vary, but are around $75-80), so hopefully these helpful steps will eliminate the need to call a repair service and pay the additional labor charges. This is a repair of MODERATE difficulty. Just follow these steps:
1. Unplug the washer.
2. Remove the washer top panel by removing the three torx-type screws (or 7mm) where it attaches in the rear of the washer. The panel should slide back, and then lift off.
3. Remove the operator console by removing the dispenser and the scew(s) behind it. Take a putty knife and insert it under the console seam right above the door. If you push in slightly while pulling outwards the panel pops off. Use care not to pull or damage any of the wiring. You can leave the wires attached and simply lay the console across the top of the washer out of the way.
4. Locate the wire hoop retainer around the rubber door boot. It is located behind the rubber seam where it attaches to the door frame. Follow this hoop around to the bottom of the door opening and locate the wire tension spring. Gently pry this spring apart and pull the wire hoop from the groove. Pull the rubber boot from the frame and push it inside towards the wash tub. You will also have to remove the door boot from the fill tube on the left hand side of the door opening. There is a small wire clamp holding it in place.
5. Remove the three screws that hold the door latch assembly in place. This is on the right hand side of the door opening. You can leave the latch in place as long as you remove the screws and push it inside slightly to remove it from the front casing of the washer.
6. Remove the door by removing the screws holding the hinges in place. Use care to support the door hinges when loosening. They can bend. Set the door aside in a location where it will not get stepped on or broken.
7. Remove the lower kick panel under the door. There are 3 screws under the bottom edge holding it in place. Sometimes the panel can stick. A slight tap on either side will knock it free.
8. Remove the front washer casing by removing the four remaining screws that are holding it in place. There should be two at the top and two at the bottom. Set the front casing aside.
9. Remove the old door boot by locating the large clamp that attaches it to the wash tub. Loosen the 7mm nut and the boot will detach from the tub. Also remove the boot from the fill tube coming from the dispenser.
10. Install new door boot on the wash tub and install clamp. There should be instructions that come with the door boot with guide marks to ensure you align it correctly. Once you have the boot in place, tighten the clamp enough to where it is snug. DO NOT over-tighten or you may damage the tub and or clamp. In most cases the clamp will break.
11. Once you have the boot in place, re-install everything in the reverse order of how I explained to disassemble. Make sure you connect the door latch assembly BEFORE you re-install the outer portion of the door boot. Also, make sure you install the boot completely over the fill tube. There should be a ridge on the tube where to stop. Sometimes the tube is not inserted all way into the boot and water will leak behind it. The clamp is always difficult to get back in place. If you cannot get the clamp to go back over the tube, you can live without it. Some newer models do not have them installed. Just make sure it is a snug fit where the rubber boot fits ALL the way back to the plastic ridge on the tube.
12. When you get the point where you are ready to install the door boot back over the frame of the door opening ensure you fit it snugly all the way around the door. Beginning at the top of the door, start inserting the wire hoop back into the groove. Make sure to wire spring points towards the bottom. As you work your way around the door to the 4 and 8 o'clock positions, you will need to maintain some constant downward pressure while pulling the spring apart in order to snap it back into place. It would be advisable to use a second set of hands to hold the wire hoop in place while doing this as it has the tendency to want to come out of the groove.
13. Once the door boot is back in place, re-install the operator console and washer top.
14. At the operator console, select DRAIN SPIN, NO SPIN and press any button under OPTIONS 4 times (has to be the same button, though). This will place the washer in diagnostics mode. You should hear the door latch lock and "C00" will be displayed on the console. The washer will run through a series of tests filling the tub, tumbling, draining, and then a final spin. If you do not wish to wait for the test to complete you can press CANCEL at any time. The test checks out everything and takes about 15 minutes. Look for any leaks.
I hope you find these instructions helpful and good luck to you.
1. Unplug the washer.
2. Remove the washer top panel by removing the three torx-type screws (or 7mm) where it attaches in the rear of the washer. The panel should slide back, and then lift off.
3. Remove the operator console by removing the dispenser and the scew(s) behind it. Take a putty knife and insert it under the console seam right above the door. If you push in slightly while pulling outwards the panel pops off. Use care not to pull or damage any of the wiring. You can leave the wires attached and simply lay the console across the top of the washer out of the way.
4. Locate the wire hoop retainer around the rubber door boot. It is located behind the rubber seam where it attaches to the door frame. Follow this hoop around to the bottom of the door opening and locate the wire tension spring. Gently pry this spring apart and pull the wire hoop from the groove. Pull the rubber boot from the frame and push it inside towards the wash tub. You will also have to remove the door boot from the fill tube on the left hand side of the door opening. There is a small wire clamp holding it in place.
5. Remove the three screws that hold the door latch assembly in place. This is on the right hand side of the door opening. You can leave the latch in place as long as you remove the screws and push it inside slightly to remove it from the front casing of the washer.
6. Remove the door by removing the screws holding the hinges in place. Use care to support the door hinges when loosening. They can bend. Set the door aside in a location where it will not get stepped on or broken.
7. Remove the lower kick panel under the door. There are 3 screws under the bottom edge holding it in place. Sometimes the panel can stick. A slight tap on either side will knock it free.
8. Remove the front washer casing by removing the four remaining screws that are holding it in place. There should be two at the top and two at the bottom. Set the front casing aside.
9. Remove the old door boot by locating the large clamp that attaches it to the wash tub. Loosen the 7mm nut and the boot will detach from the tub. Also remove the boot from the fill tube coming from the dispenser.
10. Install new door boot on the wash tub and install clamp. There should be instructions that come with the door boot with guide marks to ensure you align it correctly. Once you have the boot in place, tighten the clamp enough to where it is snug. DO NOT over-tighten or you may damage the tub and or clamp. In most cases the clamp will break.
11. Once you have the boot in place, re-install everything in the reverse order of how I explained to disassemble. Make sure you connect the door latch assembly BEFORE you re-install the outer portion of the door boot. Also, make sure you install the boot completely over the fill tube. There should be a ridge on the tube where to stop. Sometimes the tube is not inserted all way into the boot and water will leak behind it. The clamp is always difficult to get back in place. If you cannot get the clamp to go back over the tube, you can live without it. Some newer models do not have them installed. Just make sure it is a snug fit where the rubber boot fits ALL the way back to the plastic ridge on the tube.
12. When you get the point where you are ready to install the door boot back over the frame of the door opening ensure you fit it snugly all the way around the door. Beginning at the top of the door, start inserting the wire hoop back into the groove. Make sure to wire spring points towards the bottom. As you work your way around the door to the 4 and 8 o'clock positions, you will need to maintain some constant downward pressure while pulling the spring apart in order to snap it back into place. It would be advisable to use a second set of hands to hold the wire hoop in place while doing this as it has the tendency to want to come out of the groove.
13. Once the door boot is back in place, re-install the operator console and washer top.
14. At the operator console, select DRAIN SPIN, NO SPIN and press any button under OPTIONS 4 times (has to be the same button, though). This will place the washer in diagnostics mode. You should hear the door latch lock and "C00" will be displayed on the console. The washer will run through a series of tests filling the tub, tumbling, draining, and then a final spin. If you do not wish to wait for the test to complete you can press CANCEL at any time. The test checks out everything and takes about 15 minutes. Look for any leaks.
I hope you find these instructions helpful and good luck to you.
Yes
No
Comment #1
posted on Nov 07, 2009
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for posting the repair instructions for this item. We followed the "easier" directions. However, because we are "repair challenged", it took us a bit longer than expected. The "giant hose ring" was a bit challenging to put on. Once we figured out that we needed to open it wider in order to get it back on, we were done relatively quick. My husband does not have that much patience also, so that contributed to the long process as well. As I type, the washer is running and my floor is dry. The rip was so big no wonder why the water was running all over the floor! LOL!
Comment #2
posted on Sep 05, 2009
I followed the short-cut in Comment #2.
took about 10 minutes, and laundry is being done as I type.
THANKS DGBG and fixya.com!
I will surely find something interesting to spend the $375.00 repair fee I would have had to pay.
took about 10 minutes, and laundry is being done as I type.
THANKS DGBG and fixya.com!
I will surely find something interesting to spend the $375.00 repair fee I would have had to pay.
Comment by GoolGaul, posted on Sep 05, 2009
OK comments move down when new comments are added...
One thing I did do that probably helped a bit was to take off the bottom kick plate.
The nice thing about that is when you take the kickplate off, you have the filter right there in your face - which you should clean out when you're in there...
Comment #4
posted on Aug 31, 2009
Ya'll are going through a lot of work. This is a 5 minute job tops. Try this.
***(Tip washer back 45 degrees or so which makes room by having drum drop back)
1.Open the door.
2.Locate the ring and spring that fits the front of the bellows to the front of the machine and remove it.
3.Push the old bellows inside the washer after removing the 2 ports(Left side) and top.
4. locate hex nut (Usually 2-o-clock) and loosen the giant hose clamp that hold the back of the bellows to the machine.
5. Remove bellows and discard.
6. Put new on on reverse order 5...1
The guy at Sears repair depot gave me the (tip it back) pearl. WOW was it easy.
***(Tip washer back 45 degrees or so which makes room by having drum drop back)
1.Open the door.
2.Locate the ring and spring that fits the front of the bellows to the front of the machine and remove it.
3.Push the old bellows inside the washer after removing the 2 ports(Left side) and top.
4. locate hex nut (Usually 2-o-clock) and loosen the giant hose clamp that hold the back of the bellows to the machine.
5. Remove bellows and discard.
6. Put new on on reverse order 5...1
The guy at Sears repair depot gave me the (tip it back) pearl. WOW was it easy.
Comment #9
posted on May 16, 2009
I completed the job successfully following the instructions above. A few clarifications would have made it a bit easier:
- In Step 3: It wasn't clear to me whether the "operator console" that was to be removed was just the front plastic part (black in my case) or also the associated (white) plastic bracket or also the underlying metal bracket. It turns out it was just the front plastic part, and only ONE screw needed to be removed (the one inside the dispenser compartment). I think the reference to possibly multiple screws threw me off. I also broke a plastic tab on the console when pulling it off, perhaps because I didn't use the recommended putty knife technique (suggestion: read through each step's instructions entirely before starting the step!)
- In Step 4: for some reason I was assuming this wire hoop was INSIDE the washing machine. Instead, of course, it's readily visible (a tiny little millimeter diameter wire) on the OUTSIDE of the machine, where the boot wraps around the outer part of the front/ouside of the machine. Also, there was no wire clamp holding the larger fill tube to my boot (something noted in a later step, but would have been helpful to note here). Also, there are two different "fill tubes" referenced in the instructions; the one in Step 4 is the LARGE one on the left, around 10 o-clock, and the one in Step 9 is the SMALL one at 12 o-clock.
- In Step 9: after removing the small fill tube I also needed to remove a plastic connector for that tube from the old boot by simply pulling it through its hole in the boot. This connector needed to be reinstalled in the same hole in the new boot, but required separating the two pieces of plastic that make up the connector, and snapping them back together around the new boot.
- In Step 9: Note where the small tab on the edge of the old boot is (mine was at 12 o-clock, lined up with a bolt on the drum.
- In Step 10: No installation instructions came with my new boot (ordered from Sears parts), but there was a small tab on the edge of the new boot that seemed intended to line up with a bolt at 12 o-clock on the drum (this is where the same type of tab on the old boot had been lined up).
- In Step 14: I finally figured out that to get the diagnostics mode, you need to press DRAIN SPIN, then NO SPIN, then *START*!, then any button under OPTIONS 4 times (I had been omitting the START button!)
Thanks for the instructions -- no more leaking all over our floor!
- In Step 3: It wasn't clear to me whether the "operator console" that was to be removed was just the front plastic part (black in my case) or also the associated (white) plastic bracket or also the underlying metal bracket. It turns out it was just the front plastic part, and only ONE screw needed to be removed (the one inside the dispenser compartment). I think the reference to possibly multiple screws threw me off. I also broke a plastic tab on the console when pulling it off, perhaps because I didn't use the recommended putty knife technique (suggestion: read through each step's instructions entirely before starting the step!)
- In Step 4: for some reason I was assuming this wire hoop was INSIDE the washing machine. Instead, of course, it's readily visible (a tiny little millimeter diameter wire) on the OUTSIDE of the machine, where the boot wraps around the outer part of the front/ouside of the machine. Also, there was no wire clamp holding the larger fill tube to my boot (something noted in a later step, but would have been helpful to note here). Also, there are two different "fill tubes" referenced in the instructions; the one in Step 4 is the LARGE one on the left, around 10 o-clock, and the one in Step 9 is the SMALL one at 12 o-clock.
- In Step 9: after removing the small fill tube I also needed to remove a plastic connector for that tube from the old boot by simply pulling it through its hole in the boot. This connector needed to be reinstalled in the same hole in the new boot, but required separating the two pieces of plastic that make up the connector, and snapping them back together around the new boot.
- In Step 9: Note where the small tab on the edge of the old boot is (mine was at 12 o-clock, lined up with a bolt on the drum.
- In Step 10: No installation instructions came with my new boot (ordered from Sears parts), but there was a small tab on the edge of the new boot that seemed intended to line up with a bolt at 12 o-clock on the drum (this is where the same type of tab on the old boot had been lined up).
- In Step 14: I finally figured out that to get the diagnostics mode, you need to press DRAIN SPIN, then NO SPIN, then *START*!, then any button under OPTIONS 4 times (I had been omitting the START button!)
Thanks for the instructions -- no more leaking all over our floor!
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