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Replacing the Door Bellow On Whirlpool Duet Front Loader
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
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Comment #1
posted on Nov 19, 2009
JSROCK saved the day....I can usually find parts on the internet, but taking appliances apart without using a wrecking bar is where I run into trouble. We live 80 miles from any kind of repair person, so we end up fixing everything ourselves. Thank You so much for such a detailed description on how to install the door bellow....if you are ever in Western ND you have a free night on the house at our farm and ranch B&B
Comment #3
posted on Oct 14, 2009
Great instructions! I consider myself pretty handy and using these instructions made this a pretty simple repair.
I agree that it is just about impossible to get the spring clamp on the door frame without the use of a helper. I probably spent 10 minutes trying to do so by myself before I called my wife over to help. With her help it went on in a minute or less. The whole process took about an hour and fifteen minutes, and as stated a lot of that was wasted time trying to do the impossible!
Also to get the door off the frame, I had to loosen two trim screws on the inside of the door to give me room to slightly separate the trim ring from the frame, and then slide the hinge out of the door. Once I was done however, I sort of questioned why the door needed to come off at all? It seems to me that since you are removing the door frame, if you are careful you could remove the frame with the door attached and save yourself a few minutes of labor. Regardless, these instructions were incredibly helpful.
I agree that it is just about impossible to get the spring clamp on the door frame without the use of a helper. I probably spent 10 minutes trying to do so by myself before I called my wife over to help. With her help it went on in a minute or less. The whole process took about an hour and fifteen minutes, and as stated a lot of that was wasted time trying to do the impossible!
Also to get the door off the frame, I had to loosen two trim screws on the inside of the door to give me room to slightly separate the trim ring from the frame, and then slide the hinge out of the door. Once I was done however, I sort of questioned why the door needed to come off at all? It seems to me that since you are removing the door frame, if you are careful you could remove the frame with the door attached and save yourself a few minutes of labor. Regardless, these instructions were incredibly helpful.
Comment #4
posted on Oct 04, 2009
Great advice. Before I got started, I opened the washer door, and ran my hand around the inside of the bellow just to see if I could feel a tear. Surprise, stuck inside the bellow was a dog collar that I'd stuck in with a load of jeans. The repairman was scheduled to come tomorrow. Now cancelled, and I saved a service call. Excellent instructions.
Comment #5
posted on Sep 26, 2009
jsrock516 - you rock!!!! We just finished installing the new bellow on our Kenmore Washer and we followed your instructions to a "t" and we could never have done it without your tips. We would probably still have the machine all apart. Someone at the store where we bought the part told us that we had to take out the drum and everything. We are from Canada and had to pay $150.00 for the part, which we would have ordered from the US on line if we had of had more time, and you can only imagine how much the labor from Sears would have been. We were told that they send in two technicians and you have to pay the labor at $1.00 per minute per technician.
Lucky for me (I am the wife) the printout of the instructions were small so I had to help my husband with the reading and that way he had to follow step by step..lol...The smallest details were excellent and I am very impressed. It is the first time we managed to complete a task of this magnitude without me "quitting" being his apprentice. You saved an argument and fixed the problem of my washer leaking and now it no longer smells like mildew in the basement.
Thanks a million once again.
Lucky for me (I am the wife) the printout of the instructions were small so I had to help my husband with the reading and that way he had to follow step by step..lol...The smallest details were excellent and I am very impressed. It is the first time we managed to complete a task of this magnitude without me "quitting" being his apprentice. You saved an argument and fixed the problem of my washer leaking and now it no longer smells like mildew in the basement.
Thanks a million once again.
Comment #7
posted on Aug 11, 2009
Yay! Just replaced the bellow myself thanks to these clear and detailed directions -- the directions I've seen on other sites are way too general. You rock, jsrock516! The repairman wanted $150 for the part and $160 for the labor to do this fix. My cost was $80 for the part and 2 hours of my time, at most.
Also, thanks to arletteb -- my door also had the hinge cover and hidden screw as you detail in you additions to step 6.
As noted for step 12 -- you really do need a helper to get that springed hoop back on.
Again, excellent instructions. The only thing I would've loved to have had were accompanying photos.
Now I've got to make sure to zip up all the zippers in my washer loads so I don't have a bellow tear again.
Also, thanks to arletteb -- my door also had the hinge cover and hidden screw as you detail in you additions to step 6.
As noted for step 12 -- you really do need a helper to get that springed hoop back on.
Again, excellent instructions. The only thing I would've loved to have had were accompanying photos.
Now I've got to make sure to zip up all the zippers in my washer loads so I don't have a bellow tear again.
Comment #9
posted on Apr 30, 2009
jsrock516------awesome on r&r whirlpool bellow . can't thank u more than enough. Everything went well until i had to put the bellow spring ring back on. it took me 2 hrs. after my wife came and helped me. i could not have done it without her. I was wondering if there is a special tool to get that ring on?
Anyway i called a repairman and he never called me back, so his loss was my gain!!! again thanks for your clear and precise instructions, an GOD BLESS YOU, see ya Greg, Ellicott City Md.
Anyway i called a repairman and he never called me back, so his loss was my gain!!! again thanks for your clear and precise instructions, an GOD BLESS YOU, see ya Greg, Ellicott City Md.
Comment #10
posted on Apr 05, 2009
This was a GREAT explanation of how to replace the bellow on the Whirlpool Duet washer. I have never repaired a large appliance before and I did it successfully with these instructions. I just have a few notes to add to the step-by-step instructions:
Step 6--Removing the door. After you remove the three screws in Step 5, there is only one screw to remove in step 6 on my model. It was hidden behind a plastic cover that makes the hinge look pretty. You'll see on the inside of the door that two plastic prongs/tabs extend into holes in the hinge. If you push on them laterally and pull out, the tabs will pop out. Outside the door on the left side of the machine, you'll see the plastic cover that is connected to those plastic tabs and is hiding the hinge. On the outside cover piece, there is a flat tab that extends up into the plastic housing above it. If you gently pull the cover downward and out the whole plastic cover will come off revealing the one screw that needs to be removed to take the door off.
Step 7--Removing the Kick Panel. The middle screw is more difficult to reach than the sides. You may need an extension for your screwdriver and/or shims or a helper to prop up the washer while you remove the middle screw.
Step 8--Removing the washer casing. The step says to remove the screws and set the casing aside. My model (2005-ish) has wires connected to it. Rather than being able to remove it, it swings open like a door with the wires as the hinge. I simply used a box to prop up the outside part of the door so it did not sag and stress the wires.
Step 9--After you remove the old rubber bellow, you will likely see a lot of dirt, mold, and junk where the bellow was. Clean that stuff off with a cloth sprayed with a gentle cleanser before installing the new bellow. We replaced our bellow because of mold and mildew and bad smelling stuff. That dirt and junk is part of the problem. Clean it up before you install the new clean bellow.
That's it! Great instructions. I would rate this with an easy to moderate difficulty but definitely leaning toward easy. It saved us a ton of money. Thanks for the help!!!
Step 6--Removing the door. After you remove the three screws in Step 5, there is only one screw to remove in step 6 on my model. It was hidden behind a plastic cover that makes the hinge look pretty. You'll see on the inside of the door that two plastic prongs/tabs extend into holes in the hinge. If you push on them laterally and pull out, the tabs will pop out. Outside the door on the left side of the machine, you'll see the plastic cover that is connected to those plastic tabs and is hiding the hinge. On the outside cover piece, there is a flat tab that extends up into the plastic housing above it. If you gently pull the cover downward and out the whole plastic cover will come off revealing the one screw that needs to be removed to take the door off.
Step 7--Removing the Kick Panel. The middle screw is more difficult to reach than the sides. You may need an extension for your screwdriver and/or shims or a helper to prop up the washer while you remove the middle screw.
Step 8--Removing the washer casing. The step says to remove the screws and set the casing aside. My model (2005-ish) has wires connected to it. Rather than being able to remove it, it swings open like a door with the wires as the hinge. I simply used a box to prop up the outside part of the door so it did not sag and stress the wires.
Step 9--After you remove the old rubber bellow, you will likely see a lot of dirt, mold, and junk where the bellow was. Clean that stuff off with a cloth sprayed with a gentle cleanser before installing the new bellow. We replaced our bellow because of mold and mildew and bad smelling stuff. That dirt and junk is part of the problem. Clean it up before you install the new clean bellow.
That's it! Great instructions. I would rate this with an easy to moderate difficulty but definitely leaning toward easy. It saved us a ton of money. Thanks for the help!!!
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