Whirlpool Warranty: What It Does and Does Not Cover

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When it comes to home appliances, it's no wonder you invested in Whirlpool. The Fortune 500 company has built its reputation over more than a century. Over the years, the brand has become a go-to for kitchen appliances like refrigerators and ranges, and laundry appliances including washers and dryers. It covers a broad range, also offering smaller appliances, like ice machines, trash compactors, and microwaves.

Whirlpool wants you to feel confident in your purchase by offering a factory Whirlpool warranty, which covers repairs and replacements of products that have defects upon purchase or workmanship issues. But in most cases, that warranty expires after just one year. In this review, we'll describe what your Whirlpool warranty covers, what it doesn't cover, and what to do if you're in need of repairs or replacement after it expires.

If your warranty coverage has run out, we recommend getting a home warranty to cover your appliance — and much more.

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Whirlpool Warranty Overview

Whirlpool offers warranties on all of its major appliances sold in the U.S. and Canada. While the majority of products come with a full warranty that extends for one year from the date you purchased your appliance, warranties can vary from product to product.

What Does the Warranty Cover?

For repairs needed for your home products' manufacturing defect from defective materials or workmanship, Whirlpool will cover the cost of replacement parts and labor. The process is simple. A Whirlpool-vetted service provider will come to your home to make the repairs to your Whirlpool product and resolve your issue.

It's important to know the circumstances when repairs will not be covered by your Whirlpool warranty:

  • Damage caused by abuse, accidents, floods, and fires

  • Non-residential, commercial, or multiple-family use

  • Use inconsistent with operator or installation instructions

  • Use with products that aren't Whirlpool-approved

  • Repairs to systems or parts caused by service, modification, and alteration that isn't Whirlpool-approved

  • Improper product maintenance or installation, i.e., installation that doesn't conform to electrical or plumbing codes

  • Consumable features like batteries and lightbulbs

  • Cosmetic damage like dents and scratches not caused by material and/or workmanship defects

  • Pick-up or delivery

  • Discoloration or rust from corrosive environments like humidity or high moisture

  • Parts that have their original model and serial numbers removed, altered or difficult to identify

  • Removal or reinstallation of fixtures and appliances that can't be accessed, i.e., flooring and cabinetry

What Are Whirlpool's Warranty Terms?

While most of your appliances as a whole will be covered by the Whirlpool warranty for one year, in some cases, certain products or certain parts may have guaranteed coverage beyond that. Whirlpool bathtubs' limited warranty is more generous than the standard year, extending from the second through the tenth year.

Whirlpool's coverage breaks down some appliances by unit, covering limited warranties on particular features. For example, Whirlpool washers and dryers receive a limited warranty on the top, lid, and gear assembly, lasting from year two to year five after purchase.

After the one-year full warranty expires on Whirlpool refrigerators, customers are entitled to a full warranty on individually listed parts of the sealed system, like the condenser, evaporator, and compressor from the second to fifth year.

Whirlpool fridges' water filters get a 30-day limited warranty, beginning the day the appliance is purchased.

In order to receive warranty service from Whirlpool, you must provide proof of purchase. That requires the receipt with the name and address of the retailer or dealer where you purchased the appliance. Whirlpool makes it easy with its warranty form, as it includes a space where you can attach your receipt and write down the pertinent information on the date of purchase, the appliance's model and serial number, and the address and name of the dealer or retailer.

If your product is replaced, the replacement product will be warranted for the time left in its original warranty period.

Whirlpool Extended Coverage

Whirlpool also offers extended warranty coverage that extends beyond the typical one-year period through its Whirlpool Service Plan.

The extended warranty includes:

  • No deductible for covered repairs

  • Customer service representatives located within the US

  • Completely factory-certified parts and technicians

  • Service from pre-qualified technicians

  • Similar replacement to items when yours can't be repaired

The extended warranties, which can promise coverage for up to five years, vary from product to product based on their age.

You can review Whirlpool's round-up of sample prices for one-year plans on appliances that are 2- to 5-years old:

  • Refrigerator: $101

  • Dishwasher: $82

  • Range: $83

  • Clothes washer: $106

  • Clothes dryer: $81

Pro tip: bundling your appliances under one extended warranty plan gets you 10% off.

How to Submit A Whirlpool Warranty Claim

With convenient customer service, the claims process is straightforward and to the point. You can reach Whirlpool customer service by calling 866-698-2358 from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm EST Monday through Friday, or 8:00 am to 4:30 pm EST on Saturday.

You can submit a claim to Whirlpool online by filling out your postal code, scheduling an appointment, filling out the service details and confirming. Whirlpool recommends you troubleshoot before scheduling an appointment, directing customers to its FAQ page for details.

Registering Your Whirlpool Appliance

If you have an issue with your Whirlpool appliance, you can report it using the company's online product registration process.

The form requires your name and contact information, the product model number and serial number, where it was purchased from, and the date of purchase.

Filling out the registration can speed up your warranty service in case there's an issue, allows you access to manuals and extra information about appliances and replacement parts, and gives you easy proof of purchase should you need it.

However, registering your product means giving Whirlpool your personal contact information. This is a plus because it makes it easy for the company to contact you in the event of a safety recall. On the other hand, giving the company your data means that they may have the opportunity to market items to you, whether or not you want them to.

How To Protect Your Appliance When the Warranty Expires

While Whirlpool's factory warranty has you in the clear for a year—or up to five, if you choose to get an extended warranty—once it ends you may feel like you've been left in the lurch. Just because your warranty has expired doesn't mean you'll never have any more issues with your appliances.

Common Whirlpool Repairs and Cost

It's important to note how much repair costs build up when you don't have warranty coverage.

Whirlpool repair costs vary greatly from product to product, based on several factors, including the amount of time it takes the service technician to fix the problem and what parts need to be replaced. Older, basic appliances are typically cheaper and easier to repair than newer, high-tech ones.You'll be spending a lot out of pocket without a warranty.

The average common costs for major Whirlpool components are:

  • Refrigerator compressor: $805

  • Range thermostat: $396

  • Dishwasher main motor: $410

  • Clothes washer control assembly: $430

  • Clothes washer pump: $424

So, what should you do if your factory coverage has expired? We recommend getting a home warranty plan to keep your appliances and your home systems protected.

Our Recommendation: A Home Warranty

And let's face it, life isn't too easy on appliances. When you think about the average lifespan of your home appliances, a home warranty policy is definitely your best bet.

Mr. Appliance has rounded up the average lifespans of some common appliances:

  • Dishwasher: 12 years

  • Refrigerator: 8 years

  • Freezer: 16 years

  • Washing machine: 12 years

  • Electric dryer: 14 years

Even the shortest-lived machines usually outstrip a 5-year extended warranty. You can cross your fingers and hope nothing happens to your major appliances over the course of the decade, or you could plan ahead for expenses. A home warranty is your safest and most rewarding bet.

The benefits of a home warranty range from exhaustive coverage to 24/7 customer service and claims processes and reasonable and affordable pricing. But they don't cover everything, like pre-existing damage or appliances not listed under your plan.

Our Recommended Providers for Whirlpool Coverage

Choosing your home warranty is serious business, so you've got to go in prepared. Not to worry—our team has compiled a list of the best options through in-depth research of a variety of plans, customer service ratings, price points and more to give you objective recommendations for the finest home warranty providers for your appliances.

#1 Best for Appliance Protection: American Home Shield

American Home Shield offers great service in general, but it truly shines when it comes to appliance coverage. You can get more information from American Home Shield getting a free quote:

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You can sleep soundly knowing American Home Shield will cover the costs of all repairs, removals, and replacements when your Whirlpool appliances have suffered everyday wear and tear. The company knows what it's doing as the longest-running home warranty provider, with 50 years under its belt. AHS serves 49 states, excluding Alaska.

Plans

American Home Shield offers extensive plan options, with three choices and customizable pricing. The options are the ShieldSilver™, ShieldGold™, and ShieldPlatinum™ plans with different monthly prices based on your service call fee selection of $75, $100, or $125.

The ShieldSilver plan covers major systems like electrical and plumbing. Whereas, the ShieldGold and ShieldPlatinum plans offer complete coverage on a total of 23 systems and appliances. The latter also includes higher coverage limits on appliances to as much as $6,000, roof leak repairs, and a free HVAC tune-up.

#2 Best Basic Plan: Choice Home Warranty

Choice Home Warranty stood out among providers thanks to its comprehensive coverage and low service fees. Inc. 5000 can even vouch for it. Choice is available in 48 states, excluding California and Washington. Learn more about Choice Home Warranty by getting a quote:

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Plans

Choice Home Warranty offers two separate plans depending on your needs: the Basic, which covers more than 12 key household appliances, like your dishwasher, oven, stove, and cooktop, and water heater, and the Total Plan, which covers everything in the Basic Plan and more — think integral appliances like your clothes washer and dryer, plus your refrigerator.

As if that wasn't enough, you can also add on a mix of extras to increase your comfort in your home's wellbeing, including a second refrigerator and standalone freezer.

Home warranty plans are at your fingertips. You can rest easy by going with either Choice Home Warranty or American Home Shield, knowing that the machines that make your household run are taken care of.

Home Warranty Rating Methodology

The Home Service Research Team at Better Homes & Gardens strives to provide unbiased and objective reviews to readers by compiling relevant information on home warranty companies and rating the providers on a variety of factors.

Here's what our review process looks like:

  • We examine each provider's website to determine plan details, coverage, customer service offerings, and other benefits. We also speak with company representatives to get more insight on plan details.

  • We read sample contracts from each home warranty company to analyze and compare coverage details, limits, and exclusions.

  • We read at least 100 third-party customer reviews for each home warranty company to determine the real-life benefits and drawbacks of each provider.

  • We gather cost information for a variety of home warranty plans in different states by completing online quote forms and speaking with sales representatives to simulate the quote process.

  • We revisit each company's offerings on a seasonal basis, ensuring that we include the most up-to-date information in our reviews.

We also created a 100-point rating system to score companies based on objective factors, such as plan options, coverage, and customer service:

Overall, the Home Service Research Team has reviewed over 70 home warranty companies to select the top-rated providers in the industry.