How to Replace Your Maytag Dishwasher’s Insulation

Dishwashers are wrapped in insulation to minimize heat loss and to reduce sound. But over time, that insulation can get damaged or develop rot. Replace the insulation around your Maytag dishwasher by order replacement part #WPW10223013. Then follow these steps to remove your old insulation and install the new layer.

1. Unplug the dishwasher and turn off the water.

During this repair, you will be uninstalling the dishwasher. Unplug it entirely from the wall. Also, shut off the water at the local hot water connection under the sink. 

2. Uninstall the dishwasher.

Disconnect the dishwasher drain line from the garbage disposal or the underside of the sink.

Disconnect the fill line at the local hot water connection. Use a wrench to loosen the nut and then loosen by hand. Set down a cloth to catch any water still in the line.

Open the door and remove the screws on the brackets securing the dishwasher to the underside of the countertops. Take off the lower access panels by removing the four corner screws. Set the panels aside. Then reach inside the right-hand side of the compartment and loosen the white hose connected to the motor. It’s secured to the motor by a clamp that can be loosened with a flathead screwdriver.

Open the door to a forty-five-degree angle and grip both sides of it. Use the handhold to start wiggling the dishwasher out from under the countertop. Once you can grab the sides of the machine, use that to pull the dishwasher all the way out instead.

3. Remove the upper spray arm hose.

First, move the spray arm apparatus out of the way. The upper spray arm fits into the top of the dishwasher and has a hose running over the exterior insulation and down the side of the machine. This will need to be removed before the insulation can be replaced.

To start, you will need to take the upper spray arm out from the ceiling of the dishwasher. To access it, first, remove the upper dishrack. Pop the two caps on the front edges of the top rails. Then hold the rails in place as you slide the upper dish rack off of them. Set the rack aside, then reach into the dishwasher to start removing the upper spray arm.All you need to do unscrew the central shaft in a clockwise motion (from the orientation of looking into the dishwasher. Make sure your grip secures the central shaft and you aren’t simply spinning the arms. Set it aside once it’s loose.

On the outside of the machine, lift the hose head and the seal out of the top hole of the dishwasher. Push it slightly to the side. Then reach down and carefully pull the hose and the loosened clamp away from the motor. Once you know it’s completely free, pull the U-shaped hose away from the dishwasher entirely. It’s a preformed shape, so you need to remove it carefully without bending to stressing it.

4. Remove the insulation.

Look for the black pins that secure the insulation in place at the bottom of the left and right sides of the dishwasher. Carefully pry them out with needle nose pliers and set those pins aside. Next, cut through the edges of the insulation with a utility knife. Older models may have adhesives or ridges that stuck the insulation to the dishwasher exterior. Cut through this to make removal easier. Cut lightly to avoid damaging the machine. Then start peeling the insulation away from the sides. It should come off as mostly one sheet, but pull away any lingering scraps of insulation caught on sharp edges or where it adhered to the dishwasher.

5. Cut the insulation to fit the dishwasher.

Most dishwasher insulation packs are built to be universal. That means you will need to cut holes out of the material to avoid suffocating or blocking off key parts of your dishwasher. That includes:

• The ventilation on the left-hand side of the dishwasher’s exterior.
• A hole around the central top hole of the dishwasher for the upper spray arm hose, along with a bit of extra room for the assembly to sit comfortably.
• A matching cutout for where the bottom bend of the U-shaped hose enters the base of the machine.

There are numerous different strategies for cutting the holes in your new insulation. You can use the old insulation as a pattern, lay the new insulation over the uncovered dishwasher, and approximate the cutouts, or measure and draw the cutouts onto your new insulation before cutting them.

When cutting the hole around the ventilation, make sure you trim the edges close to the perimeter of the extruding part so you can push the insulation edges behind the part. This will help hold the insulation in place.

You may also need to cut the insulation if it’s too long for the sides and top of your machine. Make sure you center it on the top of the machine and then trip a bit from both edges. The best way to avoid removing too much is to pin it in place with the two black retaining pins first and then use your utility knife to cut off the excess. You should hear the pins click into place to ensure the insulation is fully secured by the pins. If the retaining pin can’t satisfactorily push through the material, use needlenose pliers or a screwdriver to poke a hole through the fabric.

6. Reinsert the spray arm hose and assembly. 

Slide the bottom bend of the hose into the hole near the base of the dishwasher. Then lay the top bend of the hose over the central hole. Next, reach under the dishwasher and slide the hose over the pump fitting. Then tighten the clamp so the hose fits snugly over the pump fitting.

7. Reinstall the dishwasher.

First, slide the fill and drain hoses and the power cord through the holes from the dishwasher cavity to the cabinet under the sink. Push the dishwasher partially under the countertop. Then reach under the sink to pull the hoses and power cord more through the holes. This minimizes the risk of accidental pinching or damage.

Next, push the dishwasher all the way in. Open the door and reattach the screws to the brackets on the underside of the countertops to secure the appliance in place.

After that, open the door and reattach the spray arm. Press the center over the top seal and hose head, then tighten it in place. Once the spray arm is in place and can spin freely, slide the upper dish rack back into place on the upper rails and snap the end caps back in place.

Shut the door and reinstall the lower access panels. Carefully place the two panels against each other and line up the screw holes. HOld the panels in place as you resecure all four screws.

Then go under the sink. Reattach the fill and drain lines, tightening the nuts by hand and then with a wrench. The last step is just plugging the dishwasher back in.

For more dishwasher repair tutorials and troubleshooting guides, browse our resources at Appliance Express or contact our trained repair technicians.