Independent repair

Kenmore Appliance Repair in Northern Virginia, DC & Maryland

Kenmore never built its own appliances. Every Kenmore washer, dryer, refrigerator, dishwasher or range was made for Sears by another company, and the three digits before the dot in the model number say which one. FixDaddy does Kenmore appliance repair across Northern Virginia, Washington DC and Maryland, and the first thing we ask for on the phone is that model number, because it tells us whose parts and whose error codes we are dealing with before the truck leaves.

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$89 visit, credited to the repair
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FixDaddy is an independent repair company. We are not affiliated with, authorized by or connected to Kenmore, Transformco or Sears. We fix Kenmore appliances because our technicians know the machines behind the badge.

Kenmore lines we see most

Know your Kenmore

Kenmore (the standard line)
The plain Kenmore badge covers the everyday machines: top-load washers, electric and gas dryers, stacked laundry centers, top-freezer and side-by-side refrigerators, dishwashers and freestanding ranges. Who built each one depends on the year and the model prefix, so two plain Kenmore washers bought a few years apart can be completely different machines inside.
Kenmore Elite
Sears' upper tier. The older Elite front-load washers (HE3, HE3t, HE4t) carry a 110 prefix and are Whirlpool-built; the Elite HE3 is the same machine as the Whirlpool Duet. Many later Elite front-loaders and Elite French-door refrigerators carry 796 and 795 prefixes, which means LG built them, with LG parts and LG error codes.
Kenmore Pro
Kenmore's professional line, sold alongside the Elite. The badge changes the trim, not the rule: the model prefix still says who built it, and that decides which service manual and parts list the technician opens.
Kenmore 70, 80 and 90 Series top-loaders
The direct-drive top-load washers with the 110 prefix, built by Whirlpool over decades. Simple, repairable machines: a motor, a plastic coupler, a gearcase and a lid switch. Parts for them remain easy to get, and a rating plate that starts 110.28 or similar tells us it is one of these before we open the cabinet.
Kenmore Oasis and Elite Oasis top-loaders
High-efficiency top-loaders without a center agitator, Whirlpool-built and sold by Whirlpool as the Cabrio and by Maytag as the Bravos. Same washer, three badges. Their weak points are the tub seal and bearing under the basket and the rotor position sensor behind the motor.
LG-built Kenmore (795 and 796 prefixes)
Many Kenmore Elite French-door and bottom-freezer refrigerators and a large share of newer Kenmore front-load washers were built by LG. The refrigerators use LG's linear compressor. Parts, wiring and error codes follow LG, not Whirlpool, so a technician who treats a 795 fridge like a 106 fridge is guessing.
Frigidaire and Electrolux-built Kenmore (253, 417, 790 prefixes)
Top-freezer refrigerators and chest and upright freezers with a 253 prefix, and electric and gas ranges with a 790 prefix, came from Frigidaire and its parent Electrolux; 417 is another Frigidaire code. A Kenmore range with a 790 prefix is a Frigidaire range under the badge, down to the bake element and the oven sensor.

What fails

What actually breaks on Kenmore appliances

1
Front-load washer grinding or roaring in spin
On the Whirlpool-built Elite front-loaders (HE3, HE3t, HE4t, the same machine as the Whirlpool Duet) the drum rides on bearings at the back of the outer tub. When the seal lets water through, the bearings rust and the noise builds through every spin. On one washer repair in Vienna a Kenmore front-loader did exactly that: a grinding noise that got louder at the start of every spin cycle, traced to a worn drum bearing. Whether the part is the bearing alone or the whole outer tub depends on the model, and you get the full price at your home before anything comes apart.
2
Front-loader stops mid-cycle and will not spin
A front-load washer will not spin unless the control reads the door as locked. When the door lock fails, the drum sits still, the cycle stalls, and the Whirlpool-built machines show a door-lock code (FdL on the Duet and HE3 family). A Kenmore front-load washer in Oakton stopped spinning mid-cycle for exactly this reason: the door latch had failed. On the LG-built 796 machines, the ones that follow our LG washer repair page, it is a different lock with a different part number, which is why we ask for the prefix and not just the word Kenmore.
3
Top-load washer fills and drains but will not agitate or spin
On the 110-prefix direct-drive top-loaders (the 70, 80 and 90 Series) the motor turns the gearcase through a small plastic coupler. When the coupler shears, the motor hums along while the basket never moves; sometimes there is a burnt-rubber smell first. A lid switch that no longer clicks stops the spin the same way. Both are common on this machine and both are quick to replace once the cabinet is off. A gearcase that has stripped inside is the bigger job, and that is where the technician talks through repair against replacement with you at the machine.
4
Oasis top-loader roaring in spin or leaking under the tub
The Kenmore Oasis, Whirlpool Cabrio and Maytag Bravos are the same Whirlpool washer, and they share the same weak point: the tub seal and bearing under the basket. Water gets past the seal, the bearing rusts, and you get a roar during spin and sometimes a puddle from the bottom center of the tub during wash. The seal and bearing come as a set and the job means lifting the basket out, so it is a longer visit than most. The same family also throws an F51 code when the connection at the rotor position sensor goes bad, which can look like a dead motor but is usually the connector or the sensor.
5
Electric dryer runs but makes no heat
On the Whirlpool-built 110-prefix dryers, no heat usually comes down to two parts: the thermal fuse on the blower housing and the heating element behind the drum. The fuse blows when the exhaust vent is clogged and the dryer overheats, so a new fuse behind a blocked vent goes the same way in a month. The gas versions have an igniter and a flame sensor instead of the element, and those wear out too.
6
LG-built Kenmore refrigerator stops cooling
Kenmore refrigerators with a 795 prefix were built by LG and use LG's linear compressor, the known weak point we cover under LG refrigerator repair. When it fails, the fridge runs, the lights work, the fans turn, and the box slowly warms. If your Kenmore Elite French-door fridge is warm while the compressor is running, that is the first suspect. A compressor is a sealed-system job, so you get the full repair price at your home before anything is opened, and no pressure either way.
7
Oven will not heat on a 790-prefix range
Kenmore ranges with a 790 prefix are Frigidaire-built, and the usual failure on the electric ones is the bake element: the coil at the bottom of the oven burns open, the bake light comes on but nothing glows, and the oven never reaches temperature. Gas versions lose the oven when the igniter weakens and no longer draws enough current to open the gas valve. Both take Frigidaire parts, not Whirlpool parts, which is why the prefix matters before the truck rolls.

Parts

Kenmore parts are the maker's parts with a Sears label. Kenmore washer repair on a 110-prefix machine uses the same coupler, lid switch and pump as a Whirlpool of the same era; a 795 fridge takes LG parts; a 790 range takes Frigidaire parts. That works in your favor: Whirlpool and Frigidaire parts for the older machines are plentiful, and the common ones are carried on the truck.

A compressor, a control board or a tub assembly is ordered and the technician returns to fit it. Sears PartsDirect still lists Kenmore parts by full model number, and the general parts trade stocks the same items under the maker's own numbers. Whirlpool no longer builds for Sears, so a Whirlpool-built Kenmore is not a new machine, but parts for it are still easy to get.

How to read a Kenmore model number

Open the door or the lid and find the rating plate. A Kenmore model number looks like 110.28812790: three digits, a dot, then the rest. The three digits before the dot are the Sears source code, and they name the company that built the machine.

The pairs that come up most: 110, 106 and 665 are Whirlpool (laundry, side-by-side refrigerators, dishwashers), so a 110 washer follows our Whirlpool washer repair page. 795 and 796 are LG (refrigerators and washers). 253, 417, 587, 790 and 970 are Frigidaire and Electrolux, the machines on our Frigidaire appliance repair page. 401 is Samsung, 630 is Bosch, 363 is GE.

Read us the whole number when you call, including the digits after the dot. With the prefix, the technician arrives with the right maker's parts list and error-code chart instead of guessing from the badge on the front.

What changed when Sears changed hands

The Kenmore name now belongs to Transformco, which licenses it, and new Kenmore appliances are sold through Amazon, Lowe's, Target and other retailers rather than only through Sears. Whirlpool, the maker behind the 110-prefix laundry, no longer builds for the brand.

For you that means two things. First, a Kenmore bought recently is probably not the same machine as the one it replaced, even with the same name on the front, so the fix that worked last time may not apply. Second, support for the old machines did not disappear. Sears PartsDirect still lists parts by model number, and because those parts are Whirlpool, LG or Frigidaire parts underneath, the general parts trade stocks them too. An independent repair does not depend on Kenmore supplying anything.

By appliance

Kenmore appliances we repair

Recent repairs

Kenmore repairs we did recently

All repair stories

Manassas, VA
Kenmore refrigerator repair in Manassas
A white Kenmore side-by-side in Manassas lost its cold slowly over a week. Our technician put gauges on the sealed system, found it low on refrigerant, and located…A white Kenmore side-by-side in Manassas lost its cold slowly over a week. Our technician put gauges on the sealed system, found it low on refrigerant, and located the leak. Once the leak was repaired and the system recharged, both sides were back to temperature by the end of the visit.
Springfield, VA
Kenmore refrigerator repair in Springfield
Frost kept building inside the freezer drawers of a Kenmore four-door refrigerator in Springfield. Our technician found the defrost thermostat stuck open, so the heater never cleared the…Frost kept building inside the freezer drawers of a Kenmore four-door refrigerator in Springfield. Our technician found the defrost thermostat stuck open, so the heater never cleared the coil. A new thermostat went in, and a forced defrost cycle confirmed the fix.
Vienna, VA
Kenmore washer repair in Vienna
A Kenmore front-load washer in Vienna made a grinding noise that got louder at the start of every spin cycle. Our technician traced it to a worn drum bearing.
Great Falls, VA
Kenmore dryer repair in Great Falls
Clothes came out of a Kenmore electric dryer in Great Falls still wet, because the dryer had stopped making heat. Our technician went out to the house to…Clothes came out of a Kenmore electric dryer in Great Falls still wet, because the dryer had stopped making heat. Our technician went out to the house to trace where the heat was being lost.
Great Falls, VA
Kenmore laundry combo repair in Great Falls
The washer side of a Kenmore laundry center in Great Falls was not draining. Clothes came out of the drum soaking wet at the end of the cycle.…The washer side of a Kenmore laundry center in Great Falls was not draining. Clothes came out of the drum soaking wet at the end of the cycle. Our technician was on-site to find where the water was getting stuck.
Sterling, VA
Kenmore dryer repair in Sterling
An almond Kenmore dryer beside its washer in Sterling did nothing when the start button was pressed. Our technician tested the door switch, then the start switch, found…An almond Kenmore dryer beside its washer in Sterling did nothing when the start button was pressed. Our technician tested the door switch, then the start switch, found the start switch dead, and replaced it.

FAQ

Kenmore repair: frequently asked questions

Who actually made my Kenmore appliance?

Look at the model number on the rating plate. The three digits before the dot name the builder: 110, 106 and 665 are Whirlpool, 795 and 796 are LG, 253, 417 and 790 are Frigidaire and Electrolux, 401 is Samsung. Read us the whole number when you book and the technician brings the right maker's parts and code chart.

Do you still repair Kenmore now that Sears has changed hands?

Yes. Kenmore appliances were built by Whirlpool, LG, Frigidaire, Samsung and others, and their parts are still made and stocked under those makers' numbers. We are independent of Kenmore and Sears, so nothing about the brand's ownership changes what we can fix.

My Kenmore Elite fridge is warm but running. Is it the compressor?

On the LG-built 795 models, often yes: the linear compressor is the known weak point, and the fridge keeps running while the box warms. It can also be a failed defrost system or a dead evaporator fan, which are far smaller jobs. The technician tests it at your home and tells you which it is before you decide anything.

How much does a Kenmore repair cost?

Our visit fee is $89. The technician finds exactly what's wrong and gives you the full repair price at your home — no pressure. If you go ahead, the $89 counts toward the repair. We never quote a repair price over the phone, because a Kenmore washer with a 110 prefix and one with a 796 prefix are different machines with different parts, and the price depends on which part failed.

Is a 20-year-old Kenmore direct-drive washer worth fixing?

Often, yes. The 110-prefix top-loaders are simple machines with plentiful parts, and a coupler or lid switch is a quick job. A stripped gearcase or a rusted-through outer tub is where the technician would talk about replacement instead, with the full price in front of you at your home. Every repair carries a 90-day parts-and-labor warranty, including on a washer that age.

What Kenmore error codes should I tell you about?

Any code on the display helps. F02 on an Elite HE3 or HE3t front-loader points to a drain problem, FdL to the door lock, and F51 on an Oasis top-loader to the rotor position sensor connection. Tell us the code and the model number together and the technician knows what to bring.

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