David reported a problem from the nether regions of the house, a frightening space where anarchy and chaos reign.
The agitator on the washer wasn’t agitating, much as an aging Yippie slows down, plants wine grapes and mellows out. So we went looking online for help, and found several intriguing but daunting methods for fixing the washer. Even with the helpful step-by-step photos I found, it seemed a little beyond our maximum allowable levels of patience and frustration.
So then we wondered if it was worth running around trying to find the agitator/cam dog repair kit our diagnostics indicated, and we concluded that no, Socrates, it was not:
This page may help you find out the manufacturing date of your Whirlpool built appliance
You will need to write down the model number and letters from your model/serial tag.The date code is in the letter on your model number.
Example model numbers:
UPDATE: Fixed formatting so you can see how to
determine your model year. Sorry for the delay!! You have to look at the letter that is the third-to-last character on the model number. The original website had this formatted in bold red, which a very stupid blogger girl who shall remain clueless (sigh…me) had omitted. On our own model number, the second-to-last letter is a TExample model numbers:
LRS6233BW1= 1994
SF367PEYW1= 1992
LE6685XPW1= 1985
ET22PKXXW0= 1991
EV150CXKW0 = 1982K = 1982 or 2001
L = 1983 or 2002
M = 1984 or 2003
P = 1985 or 2004
R = 1986 or 2005
S = 1987 or 2006
T = 1988 or 2007
V = 1989 or 2008
W = 1990 or 2009
X = 1991 or 2010
Y = 1992 or 2011
A = 1993 or 2012
B = 1994 or 2013
D = 1995 or 2014
E = 1996 or 2015
F = 1997 or 2016
G = 1998 or 2017
H = 1999 or 2018
J = 2000 or 2019
Whoops, T stands for “time for a new washer” (and dryer, as they’re a matched pair). Our washer was built in 1988, and is original to the house.
So we bought a fancy-schmancy new set at Sears that has all kinds of electronic buttons and a timer that tells you how long until the clothes are dry – it’s got a sensor that knows if they’re still damp or just right. Huzzah, etc. To be delivered tomorrow. We bought the 5-year service contract, because you never know about these things. They’re front loading Kenmores (built by Whirlpool) with a left-hand door on the washer, and a right hand door on the dryer, so transferring the clothes will be convenient. We did not opt for the fancy pedestals or the optional work surface for the top – we can actually make one from MDF/melamine shelving and LRF (little rubber feet).
email me the answer:
I have a Whirlpool washer Model number LLV7233AWO, Serial # CC2303224; How old is my washer?
I have a Whirlpool dryer,
Model # LET7646E2O (not sure if it’s 0 or O at the end)
Serial # MF2801330
I am looking for age of this dryer because I can’t find the receipt.
Thank You
Mark, if you see this, your answer is: A = 1993 or 2012
Vickie, hope you see this, your answer is:
E = 1996 or 2015
So sorry to neglect answering.
MY WHIRLPOOL DRYER IS 1983 MODEL. WHILE CLEANING LINT FILTER, HANDLE FROM BRUSH DROPPED DOWN INTO THE WELL THAT HOLDS THE FILTER. HOW CAN I REMOVE THIS 4 X 1 INCH PLASTIC HANDLE OR CAN I USE DRYER ANYWAY.
Wow. Well, turning off your caps lock would be a good start if you don’t want Internet meanies to mock you. I did the same thing my first time out, it’s kind of a rite of passage.
Next, I’m not a washer repair person at all, I just quoted the other site. But you might be able to get it out if you put something sticky but not messy, like modeling clay, on a dowel and “fish” the handle out.
If there’s any metal on it, you might be able to use a magnet. Otherwise, call a repair person via your local Yellow Pages and ask them (that could be an expensive repair call).
Seriously, though, a 1983 washer is 25 years old. Is it really worth paying somebody to fix it?
thanks for the knowledge.
More accurate dating:
You can use the following link to determine the exact manufacturing date (not just the model year – I have a 2005 model car but was made in 2004) using the serial number:
http://www.appliance411.com/service/date-code.php
JFYI
Dan O.
Thanks much, Dan – I think that for any major appliance over… fifteen years old, it’s probably time to replace it rather than try to repair it. That said, we made do with a new stove top when we sold our previous condo, because we were selling it pretty much “as is” and there was a blemish on the stove top. Fortunately, a local repair firm had the exact part in stock for that particular item, which was lucky as it was pretty outdated.
It amazes me that this post STILL gets multiple hits per day. Welcome, readers! Hope this was helpful.
How oldis my washer the model # is lxr6432jqo serial ck3520516 type 107
Third to the last letter in the model number is a J, so it must be from 2000.
my washer model is model/ stock no. is 86071110.
I have had my washer for the last 10 years, I know it is old (its marigold in color). I am just wondering just how old it is. Its a great washer, its solid steel and the only thing I have ever replaced on it is a belt. Its a KENMORE, Model# 110.7204630, Serial#j21490574
Ah, well, the instructions I found were for finding the age of a Whirlpool washer, sorry I can’t help you there.
On a related note, the current washer and dryer are nearly two years old, yet I still think of them as “new.”
Maybe I ought to do laundry more often.
Our Whirlpool washer and dryer were manufactured in 2004, but we bought new from appliance store in 2006, so that would make them 4 years old since that is the number of years in use….is that accurate?
Well, if they were manufactured in 2004, they’re 6 years old – it doesn’t matter if they were bought new 2 years later if you’re talking about replacement parts… what matters is the model number and the year of manufacture, so you know you’re getting the right replacement part.
Does that help?
Wow…I have to totally disagree with most of the posts here. In my opinion those old washer/dryers were built like tanks (especially the old Whirlpools) and seldom break down. That’s why you see so many old ones! When they do break, it is usually a simple fix and can last indefinitely after that. The newer ones do NOT have anywhere near the same reliability.
Replace it because it’s old? Why? The only logical reason to do this would be to get a more energy efficient front loader, but don’t forget to weigh the environmental cost of your old one ending up in a landfill.
Better yet, donate it to me, I’ll fix it for a few bucks, and it will STILL be working when your new one starts breaking down 5 years from now.
Back when I was looking up the kit for replacing the cam dog doowhanguses in the old washer, and had to know what model year we had, we were going to replace the parts and keep it running. After finding out what was actually involved, and knowing that a 20-year-old pair of appliances was likely to break down, buying new was the smart decision. The old parts were plastic and had worn out; it seemed inevitable that some other part would break or wear out.
M
Actually, the cam dog kit is $11 and are made to wear on the Whirlpools if they are constantly overloaded, saves the transmission! It’s a really easy repair, 20 minutes and inly a socket to remove the nut…!!! Never throw away an old Whirlpool, they are the best toploaders and dryers EVER built! Usually the cam dogs, or a $25 pump will leak, and that’s a 15 minute repair.
Well, it’s much too late, Mark, but thanks for the comment. I can’t believe how many hits this post STILL gets – every day, someone lands on this post. Hello! Try Mark’s suggestion if you think it’s worth your while, visitors!
For us, it wasn’t worth our while, because with 20-year-old appliances, the chances were something more difficult and expensive to fix would wear out pretty soon, as I mentioned above.