WHIRLPOOL WARRANTY

Whirlpool is one of the largest companies in the world when it comes to home appliances. It offers products from washing machines to fridges and freezers, and beyond. There is almost certainly at least one Whirlpool product in your home. As such, it is important that you know about Whirlpool’s approach to warranties: what’s covered, what’s not, and how you can mitigate any risk.

The below guide will walk you through the key information so that you can be prepared for the worst, even if you hope for the best. In short, it’s best to explore your options in terms of coverage for your Whirlpool products.

WHIRLPOOL WARRANTY BASICS

The first thing you’ll need to do when it comes to your warranty is to familiarize yourself with the basics. Knowing what is covered is crucial, particularly if something goes wrong. As soon as you buy a Whirlpool appliance, you should make it your job to find out about the warranty (and look into extensions or alternatives). That way, you’re prepared for all eventualities.

REGISTER YOUR APPLIANCE ONLINE

The first thing to do is to register your appliance online. This involves logging your contact information and the product details on the Whirlpool website (LINK HERE). Doing this will allow Whirlpool to contact you with product information – such as a recall or key product updates – and will ensure that your warranty is valid.

It will also make life much easier if anything ever goes wrong with your appliance since you’ll have all the key information at your fingertips.

Logging your appliance with Whirlpool will also act as proof of ownership, which could make life easier if you ever experience theft or if there is flooding and you need to claim from your insurance company. It should take less than 10 minutes to register your appliance, and it’s well worth the time.

CHECKING YOUR WARRANTY

Once you’ve registered your appliance, you’ll need to check on the specific terms of your warranty. To do that – as well as to access the manual for your appliance – you enter your model number on the Whirlpool website (LINK HERE).

The model number can usually be located on a sticker on the reverse of your appliance, although it obviously varies from model to model. You may need to move the appliance to find the sticker.

You should write down the model and serial number for your own personal records – particularly if they are in a tricky spot to locate.

HOW LONG DOES IT LAST?

The length of the warranty naturally varies from appliance to appliance, although generally, your product is covered under a limited warranty for one year. Specific parts are covered when it comes to things like refrigerator sealant and the like. However, these terms are rare and come with a number of caveats.

For more information about coverage, see the sections below (‘What is covered’ and ‘What is not covered’).

CAN I BUY AN EXTENDED WHIRLPOOL WARRANTY?

Whirlpool sells Extended Service Plans that begin the day the initial warranty ends. These plans function more like insurance packages than warranties since they can cover components beyond their traditional lifespan. The cost of the plan varies depending on the appliance you buy but costs upwards of $34.95.

Under these plans, if a component – or the entire appliance – malfunctions, then you have 100% of your costs for materials and services covered. According to Whirlpool, if a refrigerator compressor breaks, this can cost more than $800 to repair, making a $34.95 Extended Warranty a more attractive proposition.

Whirlpool also offers payment plans to help spread the cost. However, as with anything warranty-related, you need to calculate the cost in comparison to a homeowner’s insurance policy in terms of premium and coverage. A $35 Extended Warranty covering one appliance may not compete so favorably with an entire home insurance premium.

WHAT IS COVERED UNDER MY WHIRLPOOL WARRANTY?

Under the Limited Warranty, you’ll get one year of coverage for your appliance. Most home appliances tend to last around eight years before they start to break down (and some can last far longer). Therefore, you’re really only covered in case a part is exceptionally defective.

The basic warranty states the following:

Your product is covered for one year from the date of installation (importantly, not the date of purchase).

Assuming you have maintained the product properly, and it has been properly installed (for more information on exemptions, see ‘What is not covered,’ below).

Whirlpool will pay for ‘Factory Specified Replacement Parts’ as well as the repair labor to correct defects caused by materials or workmanship – as long as the defect existed when the product was purchased.

Whirlpool reserves the right to replace the product if it deems it to be a better option than repairing it. Importantly, if your product is replaced, the warranty does not reset – it remains one year from the initial (i.e., defective) product’s installation.

For information on how to claim under your warranty, see the section below. You’ll need to demonstrate proof of purchase, which is why it is beneficial to register your product online.

WHAT IS NOT COVERED UNDER MY WHIRLPOOL WARRANTY?

On each individual manual is a list of specific items and scenarios that are not covered by the Whirlpool warranty. However, there are also general items that are not covered regardless of the appliance type. These are listed in each manual as well as on the Whirlpool website.

The following are explicitly NOT covered:

Appliances used in anything other than a single-family setting (i.e., commercial, non-residential, or multiple-family uses)
Installation, or any sort of training or education on how to install and use your product
Any repairs or servicing that are the result of improper installation
Any repairs or servicing of any appliance not done to local electrical or plumbing codes
Any damage caused by accidents, misuse, or any natural disasters
Any superficial damage (i.e., damage that does not prevent the appliance from working in an optimal manner by itself)
Any repairs required as a result of modifications made to the appliance
Rusting, oxidation, or discoloration caused by corrosive environments
Pickup expenses or delivery costs
Conversion of any products from gas to electricity
Removal or replacement of any fixtures that interfere with repairs or services to the appliance

And, to be clear, this is not an exhaustive list of exemptions under the warranty. Instead, these are the items that are not covered across all Whirlpool appliances; each individual appliance has a further list of exemptions. In addition, these exemptions apply, in most cases, to the first year of the appliance’s operation. Outside of that time period, the warranty is no longer active, and therefore nothing is covered.

WHAT TO DO IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG

If something does go wrong with your Whirlpool appliance, the first thing to do is to attempt to troubleshoot the item yourself. Most manuals will contain a troubleshooting page, which deals with the most common problems. However, if you still can’t make your appliance work as it should, then you may need some professional help.

Submitting a Warranty Claim

To submit a warranty claim, call the Whirlpool Customer eXperience Center (cXc) on 1-800-253-1301. You’ll need to have the following information handy:

The experience center will be able to advise on whether you are covered under warranty. Assuming you are, you will be able to get a professional to come and service or repair your appliance.

Scheduling a Service or Repairs

To schedule a repair or service, you can either call the eXperience Center number listed above or book it online using the Schedule Service Page (LINK HERE). Once you’ve done this, a registered Whirlpool Service professional will come and look at your appliance, and assuming you’re covered by the warranty, you will not need to pay for materials or labor.

Although Whirlpool has some of the better customer service options when it comes to warranties, the warranties themselves – and the coverage they provide – are extremely limited. Since the majority of household appliances last for around a decade, a one-year warranty (from the date of installation) really covers only extremely defective materials and workmanship. After that, there’s really no coverage to speak of, apart from a couple of key parts on select appliances.

In reality,

you shouldn’t rely on a warranty to provide any sort of peace of mind. Instead, that should come from either a home insurance policy or a third-party warranty. Either of these will provide more coverage even than an extended warranty (and at a comparable price).

You’ll need to price up your own options, but a limited warranty covers such a narrow range of circumstances – and no secondary damage – that you’ll almost certainly end up out of pocket in some way if something goes wrong.