6 Top Selling Whirlpool Dryer Parts

One of our more common questions we get asked at W.L. May Company is "what items are popular sellers?" When clients ask that question it is because they would like to stock those items to be ready for any eventuality. It can be difficult to recommend a standard stock list that would be the same for every client. Many factors can change the needed stock for a given company. Such things as the climate, gas and electrical infrastructure in the community, energy rates, and income levels and local dealers all can have a bearing on what is needed to fill a well stocked service vehicle or parts department. Because of all the different things that can change stocking needs, I can't exactly offer you a complete list that would work for every company. Some parts, however are universally common and generally our best sellers. Today we crack open the books and share with you six of our top Whirlpool dryer parts. In the future we will revisit this subject for some other top sellers in other categories. These parts are not "must stock" items (after all it IS a free country, you can stock what you want), but they are "strongly encouraged" items that should help increase your first call completes, add-on sales, and ultimately make you more efficient and profitable as a service or parts company.

• 3392519-Thermal Fuse-A very commonly used thermal fuse, many techs call this the "surfboard thermal fuse" because that is what it looks like. Due to their function, thermal fuses are a common replacement part. This one has been in use for years and remains consistently popular.

3392519

• 279834-Valve Coils-This is sort of a funny item. In areas where gas appliances are common this part is widely requested, in areas where electric dryers are the norm these are far more rarely needed. Many different manufacturers have used valves that require these coils in their dryers, making them near universal. Whirlpool offers a good version at price point that makes it attractive to many servicers.

• 279838-Dryer Element-Whirlpool has used a few different dryer elements over the years that were nearly universal across the product line when they were produced. This is the style we are seeing the most of these days. Again, the popularity of this item will depend on the prevalence of electric vs. gas dyers in your area.

279838

• 341241-Belt-This is THE belt for Whirlpool dryers. A wide number of machine styles have used this belt. Many machines that used wider belts when they were designed also substitute to this belt. There are a few exceptions, but this is awfully close to a universal part for Whirlpool dryers.

341241

• 12001541-Support Roller-This is the support roller used on Maytag dryers (Whirlpool owns Maytag, yet there machines often use different rollers). It falls under the "nearly universal" column. Its popularity may not be a true indicator of the number of machines that failed since it is a best practice to replace both rollers if one fails (rollers used on Whirlpool models are generally sold in a 2 pack).

12001541

• 279769-Dryer Thermostat Kit-This is such a popular part among servicers that some will bristle a bit when they find it is not the thermostat kit used on the machine they are servicing. A lot of Whirlpool dryers use this thermostat kit that mounts on the element.. What a lot of servicers like is that it sort of a "2-fer" item. The part is actually a kit that features BOTH a 360 degree thermal cut-out as well as a 250 degree high limit thermostat. 

279769

We hope you find this list helpful in determining your stock needs, Watch for future posts when we discuss other brands and product types. Happy Servicing!

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE