Admiral Appliance Repair

We’ve been working on Admiral appliances since way back in the 80s. They’re not the most sophisticated brand out there but honestly these workhorses can run forever with some basic know-how.

Admiral isn't making new appliances anymore - Whirlpool bought them years ago - but there's still tons of these units chugging along in homes across the country.

In this guide, we’ll discuss the common problems that our customers see with Admiral appliances and discuss practical solutions that can fix these issues.

Refrigerator Problems

We had a customer last week with an Admiral fridge from 2005 that stopped cooling. First thing we always check are the condenser coils. That’s where we found the problem.

• When your Admiral fridge stops cooling well, clean those condenser coils and you may be able to restore normal cooling quickly.

• Defrost problems show up as frost buildup on the back wall of the freezer. The failure could be caused by the defrost heater, could be the thermostat or could be the timer. You need to unplug the refrigerator and test each one. Replace the bad component and the defrost system should work properly again. Schedule refrigerator repair service if you need to have a Sears Home Services technician diagnose and fix the defrost system failure for you.

• Compressor relays go bad occasionally on Admiral refrigerators. You'll hear a click-click-click and then nothing happens. Or sometimes it runs for a while then cuts out and won’t restart. The relay is the small plastic component on the side of the compressor. When the compressor won’t run or runs intermittently, replacing this part may fix the problem. Unplug the fridge and try this fix yourself or have an appliance repair technician visit your home and resolve the issue.

• The evaporator fan makes a racket when it's going bad. It makes buzzing or whining sounds. This fan is in the freezer section behind the back panel. When the evaporator fan doesn’t run, replacing that part may fix a cooling problem in your fridge. Always unplug the refrigerator before accessing internal components. Have a technician check the fridge and replace the fan if you’re not confident that you can safely do it yourself.

• Door seals leak after a while. Try cleaning the gasket first with some warm soapy water. Sometimes food spills prevent a good seal. If it's torn or flattened out, replace the door gasket to prevent warm, moist air from leaking into the refrigerator. The door gasket is challenging to replace on some Admiral refrigerators. Seek professional help if needed.

Washer Troubles

Admiral washers are built pretty simple and sturdy, which means less headaches for repairs. But parts eventually wear out and fail.

• We sometimes see problems with the bearings. When those go bad, you'll know it - sounds like a jet plane is roaring inside your house during the spin cycle. Bearing replacement is a major operation. You have to remove the tub, press out the old bearings and install the new one. Honestly, it often makes more sense to just replace the whole washer unless you're dead set on keeping it.

• Leaks under the washer almost always come from either the pump or those rubber water hoses. Check the hoses first - they're way easier to access. Look for cracks, bubbles, or weak spots. While you're at it, look at where they connect to the washer. Those rubber washers inside the connections dry out and crack too. Check the drain pump underneath the washer tub. They crack or the seal goes bad after years of use. Finding replacement pumps for Admiral washers is getting tougher, but there's usually some compatible pump from another brand that'll work.

• We recently had a customer with a washer that filled up fine but wouldn't spin. Turns out the lid switch was broken. Admiral puts these safety switches that won't let it spin with the lid open. Smart, but annoying when they break. It’s usually located near the door frame. Test it with your meter. No continuity means you’ll need to replace it. If needed, schedule washing machine repair service to have a technician resolve this problem.

• Belt-driven Admiral washers eventually wear out their belts. When the belt breaks, the motor runs but nothing else happens? Getting to it means pulling the washer out and removing either the front or back panel depending on your model. This is not always a DIY repair. Have a washer technician replace the broken belt if needed.

• Timer motors quit working eventually. The washer gets stuck in one cycle. Contacts inside the time can also break and your washer won’t work properly. Replacing the timer in an Admiral washer often requires some special expertise so we recommend scheduling appliance repair when the timer goes bad.

Dryer Issues

No heat in an Admiral dryer usually means one of three things happened.

1. Blown thermal fuse. First check the thermal fuse – the little white component usually on the heating element housing or blower housing. It's a safety device. It’s designed for one-time use and trips if the dryer overheats. Usually from a clogged vent. Always check your vent when replacing one of these or you'll just burn out the new one too.
2. Broken heating element. The dryer heating element burns out eventually. It's just a coil of special wire that gets hot, like in a toaster. They sag with age and eventually break. Visual inspection will often show if it's broken. Unplug the dryer before checking it. It’s easy to replace on many Admiral dryers. If yours is hard to get to, schedule dryer repair and we’ll send a technician out to fix the problem.
3. Bad gas valve coils. Gas dryers have their own problems. Those solenoid valves that control the gas flow go bad. You should hear a distinct click when you start it up. If you don't hear clicking, either no power's getting to them or they're shot. You’ll typically need to have a service technician fix this gas dryer failure.

Dishwasher Fixes

Admiral dishwashers fairly simple and dependable appliances.

• The most common complaint is not cleaning right. Nine times out of ten it's clogged spray arms. Food particles get stuck in those little holes. Poke out deposits or clogs with a toothpick or small wire. A bamboo skewer works well too. While you're at it, check if the arms spin freely. Sometimes gunk builds up in the center hub too.

• Doesn't drain? Check the drain pump and hose. Food bits like popcorn kernels or broken glass get stuck in there. Pump's usually accessible from underneath or by removing the lower spray arm and screen. Check for kinks in the drain hose too, especially if someone recently pushed the dishwasher back against the wall. Have a dishwasher repair technician fix the drain problem if you’re unsure of what you’re doing.

• Dishwasher door latches break sometimes. The Admiral dishwashers have safety switches that won't let it run if the door isn't properly closed. The plastic latch components break after enough use. It’s not too hard to replace if you can find the right parts. If you need help, schedule service and we’ll fix the door latch for you.

• The detergent dispenser can break too. That little spring-loaded door should pop open during the cycle. If it's stuck shut from dried detergent, clean it thoroughly. If the spring mechanism is broken, you'll need a new spring or you’ll need to replace the dispenser assembly.

• Heating elements go bad and cause poor drying. Admiral dishwashers use an exposed element at the bottom of the tub. Look for obvious burn spots or breaks. Check it with a multimeter. It should have continuity. No continuity means replace it.

Range and Oven Failures

• Electric burners not heating? It’s usually just poor connections on an admiral range. The coil elements plug into a socket. Unplug the range and pull them out. Check for corrosion or burn marks. Clean the prongs with some fine sandpaper. Still not working? The socket itself might be bad. You can replace just the socket without tearing apart the whole range. If you’re unable to resolve the problem on your own, schedule stove repair and we’ll send a technician out to fix your range.

• Oven not heating right is usually a bad element. Either the bake element (bottom) or broil element (top). They'll often have visible damage - bubbling, breaks, or burnt spots. They’re easy enough to replace - just unplug the range and remove a couple of screws and spade connectors. Have a technician replace a gad element if needed.

• Temperature issues mean a bad thermostat or sensor. Oven runs way too hot or not hot enough? Thermostat might need calibration or replacement. The sensor probe looks like a skinny metal tube inside the oven cavity. It should give you a specific resistance reading that changes with temperature. You’ll need technical information to determine whether the sensor is bad. If you can’t find the tech sheet in the range (usually behind the control panel or on the back of the range), schedule repair service and we’ll send a technician to check it and fix the problem.

• Electronic control boards go bad from heat and moisture exposure. Buttons stop working or the display goes crazy. They’re xpensive parts but sometimes it's the only fix. Make sure you get the exact replacement for your model.

• Hinges wear out on oven doors. Door drops suddenly when you open it? Hinge springs are shot. Some you can just tighten up, others need complete replacement. Safety tip - get someone to help hold the door when you're removing springs to avoid injury. Better yet, have a technician repair the door.

• Self-cleaning lockout problems happen a lot. That motor that locks the door during cleaning fails, or the switch that tells the oven the door is locked breaks. Either way, the oven thinks something's wrong and won't run the cleaning cycle. You’ll typically need a service technician to diagnose and repair an oven door lock failure.

Basic Maintenance

Honestly an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of repair bills.

• Clean those refrigerator coils a couple times a year. More often if you've got pets that shed.

• Change your washer hoses every 5 years or so. Even if they look fine. They rot from the inside out sometimes. Coming home to a flooded house isn’t worth saving 30 bucks on hoses.

• Clean your dryer vent all the way from the dryer to outside. We cannot stress this enough. Lint bypasses the trap and builds up in the duct – it’s a fire hazard and kills efficiency. It’s worth it to have your dryer vents cleaned professionally every year at minimum.

• Dishwasher seals need wiping down once in a while. Food particles get trapped there and cause leaks or funky smells. Just a damp rag with a bit of vinegar does the trick.

• Gas stove burner ports get clogged with food spillovers. Those little holes where the flame comes out need to stay clear. Cleaning them with a pin or paperclip helps keep burners working right.

Schedule professional appliance maintenance yearly to keep your Admiral appliances in top shape and lasting longer.

When to Call Someone

Some repairs are too dangerous for the DIY approach. Others you can’t complete on your own without the right training, certification and equipment.

• Refrigerator sealed system repairs - like when you've got a refrigerant leak or need a new compressor - require special tools and know-how. Plus there's EPA regulations about handling refrigerant.

• Gas appliance repair is another no-go zone for most DIYers. The money you save isn't worth the risk of gas leaks or explosions. Seriously.

• Control board diagnostics sometimes need specialized equipment. You can end up replacing parts blindly without it, which gets expensive fast when you replace the wrong parts.

Depend on Sears Home Services for all of your Admiral appliance repair needs. We get the job done right and safely.