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03Method · 2 numbers · 3 fit points

A part is matched when shaft, mount and connector all agree. Not before.

This is how the counter finds replacement parts by model number. We read two numbers off your rating plate, check the manufacturer's breakdown for revision splits, then put a caliper on the three places a part actually meets the machine. Only then do we say OEM, compatible, or no.

Match a part Browse the catalogue
2 Numbers checked · model and serial
3 Fit points · shaft, mount, connector

AThe four checks, in order

What happens between your message and our reply

  1. Read the tag, not the badge

    The brand on the front panel tells us almost nothing. The rating plate gives the model number and the serial, and the serial usually encodes the build week. Washers hide it on the door frame or under the lid. Dishwashers put it on the tub edge. Refrigerators on the wall of the fresh food section, behind the crisper sometimes.

    Model + serial · build date

  2. Find the part in the breakdown

    Every model has an exploded parts diagram. We find the reference number for the part you named and read the notes beside it. Those notes are where "use for serial numbers before…" lives, and that line is the reason we ask for the serial at all.

    Reference no. · serial range

  3. Put a caliper on three places

    Shaft diameter and flat or spline. Mount pattern, bolt spacing and tab position. Connector shape, key and pin count. If the old part is on the bench we measure it. If not, we measure the candidate against published dimensions and say which of the two we did.

    Shaft · mount · connector

  4. Reply with the real part and the real number

    The reply names the part, whether it is OEM or compatible, the confirmed price, and whether it is in a drawer today or ordered in. Drawer stock is usually ready the same day. Ordered parts usually take three to seven working days, and the reply gives the date.

    OEM or compatible · price · date
Fit point 03 · thread Thread pitch gauge seated on a bolt

Gauge seated · no light under the teeth

PitchA coarse M4×0.7 screw will start in an M4×0.5 fine thread and then strip it. The gauge settles it in five seconds.
  • Shaft diameter
  • Spline count
  • Bolt spacing
  • Connector key
  • Pin count
  • Rib count
  • Thread pitch
  • Gasket cross-section
  • Retainer type
  • Cut-off temperature

BOEM vs compatible

When a compatible part is the right call, and when it is not

Compatible means same shaft, same mount, same connector. We check all three or we don't call it compatible. The word on a blister pack that says "fits most" is not a measurement.

How we steer each kind of part
Part typeUsual adviceWhy
Drive belts, rollers, idlersCompatible is fineRubber and bearings with published dimensions. A good compatible belt with the right rib count runs as long as the original.
Door gaskets and sealsEither, profile firstMatched by cross-section, not length. A compatible gasket with the wrong lip angle leaks at the corners.
Drain pumps, inlet valvesEither, after the serial checkRevision splits change the connector key. Once the revision is known, a compatible pump with the same key is a fair saving.
Control boards, door locks with logicOEMFirmware and handshake differ between revisions. A compatible lock that clicks shut can still throw a code.
Water filtersEither, by twist-lock typeCompatible cartridges fit the same housing. Filtration claims vary, so the reply quotes what the maker of the compatible cartridge states and nothing more.
Fasteners, O-rings, supply linesStandard partThere is no OEM version of an M4×0.7 screw or a 2-018 O-ring. These are matched by measurement alone.
Revision A / Revision B Two door lock revisions with a pencil pointing at the different connector

Same housing · different connector keySerial decides

CRevision traps

Two parts that look identical and are not

Manufacturers change parts mid-production and keep the model number. The washer you bought in spring and the one your neighbor bought in the fall can carry the same model and take different drain pumps. The housing is the same. The connector key moved three millimeters.

When a revision split sits inside the range your model covers, we ask for the serial instead of selling the more likely one. That costs a message. Selling the wrong one costs you a second trip and a machine full of water.

The door locks in the photograph are the textbook case. Same strike, same screw spacing, a key on the plug that only one harness will accept.

DMistakes we see every week

The returns we stop before they happen

Belt by length alone The most common one. A dryer belt by rib count and length together, always. A 4-rib belt does not ride a 6-rib pulley, and two belts of the same length can differ by two ribs. Count them on the old belt, or read the code printed on its back.
Gasket torn at the hinge If the old gasket tore at the hinge side, the door is out of square. A new gasket will tear in the same place. Check the hinge first. We will still sell you the gasket, but we will tell you this first.
Supply line by nut size A 3/8-inch braided supply line is not a 1/2-inch one with a different nut. Measure the thread on the stop valve. A 3/8 compression end on a 1/2 FIP faucet will never seal.
Cartridge by faucet name Faucet lines get reissued with new cartridges under the same name. Spline count and stem length decide it. Bring the old cartridge, scale and all.
Carb kit by trimmer brand One trimmer model can leave the factory with more than one carburetor. Read the stamp on the carburetor body, not the sticker on the shaft.
Flush valve by guess Flush valves come with a 2-inch or a 3-inch opening. Measure the hole in the tank bottom before you buy a kit for either.

Where the method stops

No model number and no old part means no sale. Not because we are fussy: there is nothing to measure. Gas valves and gas range igniters go to a licensed tech, and so does anything in the sealed refrigerant system. We won't sell one over the counter.

We do not repair appliances or send anyone out. We supply the part and tell you how it goes in. If that is not what you need, the about page explains why the counter works this way.

Have the tag in front of you? Run it through the matcher.

Six options, a live result with the fit points and an indicative range, then one press sends it to the counter.

Match a part Contact the counter