Reading a Kenmore Washer Model Label: What the Digits Before the Dot Tell You

Kenmore is a brand name, not a single product line, so two washers that look alike can be built on different platforms. The digits before the dot in the model number tell which one you have. A number starting with 110. is a Whirlpool-built washer, and one starting with 796. is LG-built. Those two families use different parts and read their codes differently.

Where to find the label

• Top-load washers: inside the lid, on the front or side of the cabinet rim, or on the back panel.
• Front-load washers: inside the door opening, on the frame beside the glass, or behind the detergent drawer.
• Older units: a metal plate on the back, sometimes painted over or worn smooth.

Photograph the whole label, not just the model line. The serial number and any letters after the model give us extra detail on the revision.

What the prefix changes

The prefix decides which drain pump, lid switch, door lock or control board fits the washer. It also decides what a display code means, since a code that points to the drain on one platform can point somewhere else on another. A guess from the outside of the cabinet is not reliable, and ordering parts from the marketing name alone is how people end up with a pump that does not fit.

What the label cannot tell you

A model number gives the platform, not the cause. It does not say whether a washer that will not spin has a worn belt, a failed lock or a tangled hose. It simply narrows the list of what we look at first.

Before you book

Send the model line when you request a visit and we will read it before we arrive, so the right parts are in mind from the start. If the label is unreadable, tell us the age and style of the washer and we will work it out at the door. Our washer repair page lists what we handle, and the service area page shows the Houston counties we cover.