How To Install A Whirlpool Dishwasher Adjuster Kit

Are dishwasher rack adjusters giving you trouble? Say goodbye to the frustration of a stuck or broken rack adjuster that’s been cramping your dishwashing style! Dive into our simple step-by-step guide, complete with a helpful how-to video, and get your dishwasher back to optimal functionality in just a few minutes.

Many dishwashers now feature adjustable dishracks. With the press of a lever, you can raise or lower the upper rack, allowing you to fit in items that may not have had the clearance otherwise. It’s a convenience that you’ll likely miss if something goes wrong, but lucky for you, a damaged adjuster isn’t an issue you need to live with.

Replacing a damaged or stuck adjuster arm is a quick job you can take care of in just a few minutes. With a couple of basic tools, the right replacement parts, and this tutorial from AppliancePartsPros.com, you’ll have your dishwasher back in adjustable shape in no time at all!

Finding The Right Replacement Adjuster Assembly

From model to model and brand to brand, dishwasher adjuster assemblies can look fairly different, so you’ll want to make sure you’re getting a compatible OEM part. To do that, you’ll need your appliance’s full model number, which will be on a sticker somewhere on the appliance.

Check for a label inside the door. If it’s not there, you might find it on top or side of the door itself or somewhere on the door jam.

Once you’ve got your appliance’s model number, picking up a compatible part is as simple as typing that information into the search bar on our website. You’ll be presented with a list of compatible components, and if you order through AppliancePartsPros.com you can have what you need in as little as two days!

Adjuster assemblies are usually sold as full kits. For some dishwashers, this is little more than a few plastic pieces. For the dishwasher in our tutorial video, the kit includes a number of plastic and metal parts as well as necessary hardware. Consult your appliance’s manual to be sure you’re purchasing everything you need to replace a broken dishrack adjuster before moving on.

How To Install A Whirlpool Dishwasher Adjuster Kit

This tutorial will walk you through how to change out the shelf adjusters on a Whirlpool dishwasher. It may also be helpful to anyone with a dishwasher in the Whirlpool family of brands, including Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Magic Chef, Admiral, Norge, and Roper, among others.

For the most part, adjusters are all installed in roughly the same way regardless of appliance brand, but there may be some small but significant differences in how they are removed or put in place. While you may find this guide useful regardless of your dishwasher’s make and model, we still advise consulting your appliance manual for diagrams and specific instructions if you are working on a dishwasher from a manufacturer other than Whirlpool.

With that out of the way, let’s get started!

Tools for the job

To replace the adjusters on your Whirlpool dishwasher, you’ll just need a few basic tools:

• A compatible replacement component (for our purposes, we needed the Whirlpool Adjuster Kit, part no. W10712394)

• A small flathead screwdriver

• A Torx 15 screwdriver – Torx screws have a six-point star-shaped pattern

• A sturdy, flat, elevated surface, like a counter or table, for you to work on

• Work gloves

Before you begin…

Unload that dishwasher and make sure the interior is cool and dry. Once you’re ready to start work, be sure to disconnect the appliance from power either by unplugging it from the outlet beneath your sink or by shutting it off at the circuit breaker. Never start maintenance on an appliance that is still receiving power!

This is a quick job, so you should be good to go from there, but you may also want to shut off the water supply to your dishwasher. You can do this via the valve beneath your sink.

Installing An Adjuster Kit

This is a super easy job that shouldn’t take you long to complete. If you’re set to go with an empty dishwasher and all the tools you need, we can have you on your way in under 15 minutes. Set aside at least 20, just to be safe, though.

Step One: Remove the upper dishrack

To start, open your dishwasher door and push the rack stops back and out of the way. On the model of dishwasher we were working on, this could be done by hand, but on some dishwashers, you may need to pop a plastic cap off the end of each rail with your flathead screwdriver.

Regardless, once the stops are out of the way, you can remove the upper dishrack from your dishwasher.

Step Two: Remove the two small plastic positioner brackets 

Set the rack on your work surface with one of the two adjusters facing up. We’re starting with the left side first in our tutorial. Be sure to complete the replacement on one side before moving to the other. Now, grab your flathead screwdriver!

First up, we’ll remove the brackets securing the adjuster’s metal portion to the dishrack. On either side of the adjuster, you’ll find these small, rectangular plastic brackets. You can release each one via a locking tab located on the inside of the bracket. Depress the tab with a flathead screwdriver, then carefully remove the bracket.

Step Three: Disassemble the old adjuster and remove it from the dishrack

You’ll need to take care of a few quick steps to remove it:

• First, extend the metal arm out as far as it will go. You’ll need to release a locking tab on the bottom of the plastic portion of the adjuster assembly. Check out the picture below or our tutorial video for a look at exactly where this tab is.

• Next, remove the two screws near the top of the adjuster assembly’s plastic housing. You’ll need your Torx 15 screwdriver to do this.
  

• Once both screws are out, pull back on the cover to remove it. You can continue disassembly from here by sliding the housing completely off of the metal arm, then turning the arm to a slight angle to get it out of the dishrack.

Step Four: Prep the new adjuster kit

For this step, you’ll need the plastic inner housing, the corresponding release lever for the side you’re working on, and the metal arm.

Set the release lever into place on the housing. It should sit in two circular divots near the top. You can press it down to better secure it, but should still hold it in place.

Next, bring the plastic assembly and the arm to your dishrack. Slide the new metal arm through the dishrack tines to seat it, then slide the plastic housing onto the arm’s shaft until it clicks into place.

Step Five: Secure the adjuster kit to the dishrack with the housing cover

Press the adjuster against the dishrack. The plastic housing has several divots where it sits against the dishrack wires.

While holding the adjuster in place with one hand, install the cover. Seat it first from the top, and then press it into place at the bottom. You may need to use some pressure to snap it into place, but be mindful that you don’t break any of the component’s plastic tabs.

Once the cover is snapped into place, you can install the two Torx screws that fully secure it.

Step Six: Install the new positioner brackets

Each of these plastic brackets can be angled into place. Slide them over the metal arm’s mounting tab, pressing in until you hear a click, which means they have locked into place.

Step Seven: Test your newly installed adjuster arm

You’ve completed the left-side adjuster kit! Before moving on, turn the dish rack over, right side up, and test the new arm out. Press down on the lever and make sure the height adjusts in both directions easily but doesn’t feel too loose or sticky. Double-check that it locks in place wherever you set it.

Step Eight: Installing the opposite side adjuster assembly

To install the right-side adjuster assembly, simply repeat steps two through seven. It’s exactly the same, you’re just using the new right-side lever this time.

Step Nine: Reassembly!

You’ve installed and tested both adjuster kits? Great! Time to put it all back together. Take your reassembled dishrack and slide it back into your dishwasher, being sure that the roller wheels are properly aligned with the rails.

From there, slide the dishrack all the way into place. Pull the rails out far enough that you can snap the rail caps back into place. Depending on your dishwasher’s model, you may only need to pull the rails out an inch or two, or you may need to slide them out as far as they will go.

Close it up. That’s a wrap! Don’t forget to restore your dishwasher’s power and water supplies before you go.

Keeping Your Rack Adjusters In Good Shape

Before we go, we wanted to give you a few tips that’ll hopefully extend the life of these new rack adjusters:

• Make sure you’re using the correct amount of dish detergent when running your dishwasher. Excess soap can cause gummy build-ups that make your adjusters harder to use, and that leftover soap scum can turn the plastic portions of the assembly brittle.

• Keep up with a regular cleaning schedule for your dishwasher. It might not be obvious, given what the dishwasher’s job is, but the appliance, itself, should be cleaned now and again to keep all its components in good working order. For the adjusters in particular, make sure you wipe them down if you notice and build upon them.

• Don’t overload your top shelf. You’ll probably wind up with cleaner dishes if you avoid overloading your dishwasher, too. Want some tips on how to properly load a dishwasher? Check out our guide to doing the dishes!

• Never load your dishwasher with things that aren’t dishwasher safe. For example, you could risk jamming up your adjuster arms with wax if you use your dishwasher to clean out old candle jars.

• Don’t use too much pressure when adjusting rack height. As you saw in our video, it shouldn’t take much to slide the arms up or down once you’ve pressed the release lever.

The next time you need tips like these, tutorials, or genuine OEM replacement parts, why not head back our way? From friendly expert staff to quality components, AppliancePartsPros.com has everything you need to keep your appliances in tip top shape!