Appliance repair glossary.
Every part, tool and piece of jargon a repair technician will say to you, explained in plain English. 94 terms, 58 parts, 7 tools, 29 concepts and measurements. These definitions also appear as tooltips throughout our repair guides, so you can hover any technical word and get the answer without losing your place.
A
A replacement part made by someone other than the appliance manufacturer, quality ranges from excellent to worthless.
The central post that moves laundry through the water. Newer machines often use a low profile impeller plate instead.
The chamber at the base of the tub that traps air so the pressure switch can read water level.
The small chrome cylinder on the sink deck that prevents drain water siphoning back, and clogs with debris.
An adjustable collar controlling how much air mixes with gas before combustion, sets flame quality.
A floor or wall bracket that stops a range tipping forward when weight is put on an open door, a required safety device.
A strapped, stair climbing hand truck for moving heavy appliances safely, and protecting floors and backs.
Visible sparking inside a microwave cavity, usually a charred waveguide cover, metal, or baked on residue.
B
C
A colorless, odorless and potentially lethal gas produced by incomplete combustion in a poorly serviced gas appliance.
A one way flap in the drain line that stops dirty water flowing back into the machine.
The pump that drives water up through the spray arms, weak spray with clean filters points here.
Measures current by clamping around a wire without disconnecting anything, essential for testing gas oven igniters.
A removable filter in front of the drain pump that catches coins, hair ties and lint, and clogs.
The pump at the heart of the sealed system that circulates refrigerant, the most expensive part in a fridge.
Drying dishes with residual heat against a cool stainless tub rather than a heating element, plastics stay damp.
The coil that dumps heat out of the refrigerator, usually underneath or behind, blankets with dust and kills performance.
The fan that pulls air across the condenser coil. A seized one makes the compressor run hot and cool badly.
Whether electricity can flow through a component, the single most useful measurement in appliance repair.
The computer running the appliance, frequently blamed, genuinely at fault far less often than people assume.
D
A periodic heater that melts frost off the evaporator. When it fails the coil ices solid and cooling collapses.
The tube carrying defrost meltwater to a pan underneath. When it freezes shut you get ice on the freezer floor and puddles.
A design where the motor drives the drum directly with no belt, pulley or transmission in between.
The flexible rubber seal between a front loader’s door and drum, the part that goes mouldy and leaks.
The mechanism that both holds the door shut and tells the control it is safe to run.
The pump that pushes waste water out of the machine. Blockages here are the most common drain fault.
The rubber belt that transfers power from the motor to the drum on belt driven machines.
Small wheels the dryer drum rides on. They develop flat spots and cause a rhythmic thumping.
E
The federal certification legally required to handle refrigerants. Household fridges fall under Type I.
A code shown on the display naming the circuit the machine is unhappy with, a starting point, not a diagnosis.
The coil inside the freezer where refrigerant boils and absorbs heat, this is where cold is actually made.
The fan that blows cold air off the evaporator into the compartments. When it dies the fridge warms but the freezer stays cold.
F
G
H
Water high in dissolved minerals, very common in Arizona, and it scales up valves, heaters and screens.
Low foaming detergent formulated for high efficiency washers that use far less water than older machines.
A coil of resistance wire that converts electricity into heat. Fails open and simply stops heating.
A rise in the drain hose fitted up under the counter that stops sink water siphoning back into the dishwasher.
Stores a charge that can kill you, and holds it after the microwave is unplugged. This is why microwave repair is professional work.
Works with the capacitor to double voltage for the magnetron. A shorted one causes a loud hum and no heat.
A ceramic bar that glows red hot to light gas, and must draw enough current to open the safety valve.
I
A spring loaded wheel that keeps tension on the drum belt. A worn one squeals and lets the belt slip.
The bladed wheel inside a pump that actually moves the water.
Switches proving the microwave door is shut before it can run. The most common electrical failure in the appliance.
Electronics that vary power continuously instead of switching full power on and off, smoother, quieter, more efficient.
L
M
The vacuum tube that generates microwave energy. When it fails the oven runs and lights but nothing gets hot.
Measures gas pressure in inches of water column, required to set up or verify any gas appliance conversion.
Tests insulation resistance to ground, finds elements leaking current that trip breakers only when hot.
The unit used to measure how deep a vacuum is when evacuating a sealed system before charging.
Metal strips inside the drum that detect damp laundry. Fabric softener film makes them end cycles early.
The core diagnostic tool, measures voltage, resistance and continuity, turning guesswork into measurement.
N
O
Original Equipment Manufacturer, the part made by or for the appliance brand, as opposed to an aftermarket copy.
A precisely sized hole metering gas flow to a burner. Sized differently for natural gas and propane.
A thermal cut out that protects the compressor by cutting power when it draws too much current or runs too hot.
P
R
The sticker carrying the full model and serial number, the only reliable way to order the right part.
The working fluid that carries heat out of a refrigerator. Modern units often use flammable R-600a isobutane.
A surfactant that makes water sheet off dishes instead of beading, not optional on modern dishwashers.
The spinning magnet assembly bolted to the drum in a direct drive washer, the moving half of the motor.
A small sensor that tells the control board how fast and which way the motor is turning. Its failure causes locked motor errors.
S
The gas valve that only opens once the igniter proves it is hot enough to light the gas safely.
Hard mineral deposits left by evaporating hard water. Chokes valve screens and insulates heating elements.
The closed refrigerant circuit, compressor, condenser, evaporator and drier, that legally requires certification to open.
A cycle that heats the oven cavity to around 900°F to burn residue to ash, and is hard on locks, elements and boards.
A hidden technician menu entered with a key sequence, exposing stored faults and letting components be tested individually.
A small motor under the tub that switches a top load washer between agitating and spinning. The classic no spin fault.
Bolts that lock a front loader’s tub for transport and must be removed before use, leaving them in causes violent shaking.
The front load equivalent of suspension rods, struts under the tub that damp out spin vibration.
An electromagnet that moves a small mechanical part, used in water valves, gas valves, dispensers and locks.
Whirlpool’s combined spring and clutch assembly that engages the wash basket for spin, hence the portmanteau name.
The rotating arms that fling water at the dishes. Blocked jets are a leading cause of poor cleaning.
A small device that gives the compressor the extra kick it needs to start. Failure causes click hum click every few minutes.
The fixed ring of electromagnets in a direct drive motor, the part that stays still while the rotor spins around it.
Excess foam cushioning the drum so it cannot spin, usually from using non-HE detergent in an HE machine.
The recessed well in the bottom of a dishwasher tub where water collects, holding the filter, heater and pumps.
When a manufacturer replaces a part number with an updated one, the old number still works for searching.
Damping struts that hang the wash tub inside a top load cabinet and absorb the movement of an unbalanced load.
T
A one shot safety fuse that blows permanently if the dryer overheats, and it never fails without a reason.
A sensor whose electrical resistance changes with temperature, telling the control board how hot or cold it is.
A temperature operated switch, cycling types regulate heat, high limit types cut power in an overheat.
The thin layered keypad behind the control panel. Fails button by button, usually starting with the most used keys.
The splined hub and wheeled ring the glass plate sits on. Cheap parts behind most non rotating turntables.
U
V
Evacuates air and moisture from a sealed system before charging, the step that decides whether the repair lasts.
Lint build up in the exhaust duct that slows drying, overheats the machine, and is a genuine fire hazard.
Whirlpool’s Vertical Modular Washer design, shared across Whirlpool, Maytag, Amana and Kenmore top loaders.
W
An electrically operated valve that lets water into the machine. Its inlet screens scale up in hard water.
The thin mica panel on the cavity wall that lets microwaves through but keeps food splatter out. Chars and then arcs.
The bundled wiring connecting components. Breaks where it flexes, especially through a refrigerator door hinge.
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