Parts Sales
Topics covered on this page:
1. Purchasing parts and performing your own repair versus Calling for professional service
2. Tips for getting the correct part
1. Purchasing parts and performing your own repair
versus Calling for professional
service
After deciding to repair your appliance (See link "To Repair or Replace ?" on our Home page) many of our customers consider buying parts and making their own repair.
There are many types of problems every appliance owner can easily deal with themselves. The first step is to familiarize yourself with the normal operating characteristics of your appliance. If you do not normally operate the appliance then you should review the owner's manual and ask questions of the regular operator. After that, see your owners manual under "troubleshooting" or "before you call for service" headings for the most basic problems.
Other more complex problems pose more of a challenge. We suggest a little self-evaluation at this point. If you are electrically and mechanically inclined, normally handle other household repairs and have some confidence about it go ahead and give it a try.
On the other hand, if the above does not describe you, 358-8808 is our number. Some reasons to decide to call a professional include, convenience, quicker solution to problem, safety issues, and removing the risk of purchasing un-needed parts.
If you decide to proceed be sure to observe all safety warnings in your owners guide and attached to the product.
For additional resources most major manufacturers offer some more detailed troubleshooting tips on their websites, such as www.whirlpool.com and www.maytag.com
After you have followed the steps above and have made some progress with your troubleshooting we are glad to answer specific questions. This is a service we can offer that you will likely never receive from the "big guys". Call our receptionist and if one of our servicemen is not available she will be glad to suggest a good time for you to call!
Once you have made your diagnosis, you may again want to consider calling in an experienced technician. As servicer, you assume responsibility for the cost of parts and completion of the repair. As a result this is a good point to evaluate confidence in your diagnosis.
Consider:
a. The price of parts
b. Any special tools required
c. Any special experience involved to complete the repair
d. Time required
At Bowers we are glad to come in to help at any point. We are always willing
to offer estimates for parts (see below) and labor if you choose.
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2. Tips for getting the correct part
Once you have made your diagnosis we can offer some tips to help you get the correct part quickly and at the most reasonable price available.
Supply us with as much of the following information as possible:
A. Brand
B. Model Number (see tips below)
C. Defective part (or if not available any numbers on part)
D. Description of part function and location on appliance
We are very experienced at procuring parts from several sources. The information above allows us to research all of our options. For example many times when we have only a model number we are limited to factory (O.E.M.) parts, which tend to be higher priced than other sources. When we have all of the information listed many times we can find more than one source for the part, which can mean a lower price. We will usually offer you an experienced recommendation. Sometime O.E.M. parts are worth the extra cost because of better quality and sometimes they aren't.
Tips for finding correct numbers:
Find the serial plate on the appliance and very carefully (clean the plate and use a flashlight if necessary) record the complete numbers. Model number is most important. Watch closely for prefixes and suffixes to model number, which may be separated from main model number by a space. If a manufacturing number, lot number, or b/m number is there record it also. Serial numbers are usually not used for parts research.
Common locations for serial plates:
Refrigerators- behind toe panel (before 1980) or refrigerator section interior (newer models).
Look on walls close to ceiling and on ceiling. Remove crisper drawers and check side walls.
Ranges- Under cook top, on door facing of oven, cabinet behind broiler or storage drawer.
Washers- Under lid, on top of timer console, bottom or top edge of side cabinet.
Dryers- Facing around door.
Dishwashers- Along the edge of tub, next to door gasket.
Many times we will have the required parts on hand. If not we have thousands of parts available very quickly. We usually receive two orders weekly from two different major suppliers. We pay the shipping costs for items coming on these regular orders.
Most parts are available overnight if ordered by 2:00 PM, for a small additional shipping fee.
We require a 25% deposit for non-stock items.
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We can get parts for almost any major household appliance manufactured in the U.S.A.. These include, but are not limited to the following brands:
Admiral
Amana
Bosch
Caloric
Frigidaire
General Electric
Gibson
Hardwick
Hotpoint
J.C. Penny
Jenn-Air
Kelvinator
Kenmore
KitchenAid
LG
Magic Chef
Maytag
Modern Maid
Montgomery Ward
Norge
RCA
Roper
Sears Coldspot
Sears Kenmore
Signature
Speen Queen
Tappan
Thermador
Whirlpool
White Westinghouse