Buying appliance spares 5 things you need to know first

If you’re repairing your own appliance, you need to know about buying spare parts. Buying the right part can be straight forward, but it’s often surprisingly difficult to identify the right one (for reasons explained below).

Even people in the trade, with access to repair manuals and spare part breakdowns, can find many parts very difficult to track down. This information will help you source the correct spare part, and tell you what numbers you need and where to find them.

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1: Model numbers often aren’t enough

All appliances have model numbers. But during the period of time that they produce these models, some parts might be modified, or they may change the design in certain areas. When they do ths though, they don’t change the model number. Therefore, 2 appliances with the exact same model number, could have some differences in specific parts.

Examples of this are an Indesit washing machine model with 3 different possible motors, and Hotpoint washing machines with 3 different control knobs that have different markings. Therefore, model numbers alone are often not enough. You may also need one of several other possible numbers from the rating plate.

The only way to tell which part is needed for your appliance is by using a date code, serial number, or production number (it varies between manufacturers). These numbers are not often not put in customer friendly places, and intended for engineers, though these days as manufacturers sell so many spares to the public they should be easier to find.

2: Model numbers on the front of the appliance often aren’t the full model number

Many model numbers on the front control panel of an appliance are not proper (or full) model numbers, and so not much use for identifying spare parts. How to find model and product numbers on appliances

3: Some parts are copies by third party manufacturers

Many spare parts sold online are not made by the manufacturer, and instead may be copies made by unrelated manufacturers. It appears that manufacturers can’t stop them copying their parts, but they may be of inferior quality. For full details, see my article Genuine spare parts advice

4: Numbers printed on actual parts are usually useless

In the vast majority of cases, a number printed on a part is useless for identifying a replacement. Numbers printed on parts are usually just numbers used by the factory who made the actual part for the washing machine manufacturer. But all white goods appliance manufacturer’s use their own part numbers. It’s very rare for the appliance manufacturer’s part number to be printed on a spare part. I can’t remember any number on an individual appliance part being of any use in ordering a new part.

5: You don’t get very good guarantees when fitting your own parts

A new spare part is still covered under the consumer rights act. It must be as described, of suitable quality, and last a reasonable time. However, spare parts are a unique product, and unlike the parts inside a new appliance. Spare parts could be fitted incorrectly or damaged whilst fitting, or fitted OK, but the part did not fix the fault due to a misdiagnosis. Basically it’s more complex when buying spare parts, but you should still have legal rights under the sale of goods act and distance selling regulations.

The problem is, you may not be able to prove a part is faulty, or you may be mistaken in believing it is because you are not a repair engineer. If a part is not as described, or you change your mind and decide not to fit it (maybe you decide to buy a new machine before it arrives) then under the distance selling regulations you can return it for a refund within 7 days of receiving it (undamaged and unopened). Spares sites tend not to mention guarantees, presumably you should get 12 months, but you’d need to check in their terms and conditions. However, if you bought an expensive part, and it didn’t last a reasonable time even if it was out of “their” guarantee, you may still have rights under the consumer rights act.

Where can I buy appliance spares?

You could try my affiliate Spares4Appliances