A Kenmore washer lid lock is necessary to ensure the appliance’s safety. It is responsible for preventing the door of the washer from opening during the operation. However, there are various reasons that you might want to bypass or disable the lid switch. For instance, troubleshooting the appliance or accessing the washer’s drum.
But keep in mind that you are changing safety mechanisms. Therefore, only attempt this task if you are cautious and confident. Moreover, bypassing the lid lock will also lead to unwanted consequences and may disrupt the warranty of the Kenmore washer. This guide will help in disabling the Kenmore washer lid lock switch safely.
However, ensure you have all the tools and safety equipment for protection before proceeding. This article aims to help you by providing concise instructions to bypass the Kenmore washer lid lock and elaborate on all the safety precautions that need to be taken.
5 steps to disable lid lock of Kenmore Washer
Before getting into the actual process of disabling the lid lock, you need to do certain things. First of all, keep in mind that this procedure will disassemble the washer. Hence, ultimately disrupting the appliance’s warranty. So make sure you are comfortable with it.
However, if your washer’s warranty has surpassed, this will be of less concern for you. Moreover, you should have tools like a screwdriver or fastener, electrical tape, and a spare wire with both ends stripped. Here’s a step-by-step guide for bypassing the Kenmore washer lid lock:
Step 1 – Disconnect the Power Supply
The most crucial step in bypassing the Kenmore washer lid lock is unplugging the power cable of the appliance. This ensures that the washer is powerless. So that you can perform this procedure safely and effectively, hence, to start this procedure, access the main power cable of the appliance.
After accessing, remove it from the electrical source. This will protect you by preventing electricity surges and electric shocks during switch disabling. Also, don’t forget to handle all the wires with caution. After you have disconnected the power supply, you can proceed further.
Step 2 – Access the Lid Switch
Accessing the lid switch is the next essential step in disabling the lid lock. The lid switch is located in the control panel of the Kenmore washer. Therefore, you need to locate the control panel first. Depending on the model of the Kenmore washer, the control panel is usually located at the top or front of the appliance.
To access the control panel, use a screwdriver to unwind or unclip the screws securing it. Now, flip off the top or front of the washer. Identify the lid switch using the user’s manual guide of the Kenmore washer.
Step 3 – Identify the Wiring of the Lid Switch
For a successful bypass of this safety lid switch, you must carefully identify all the wires surrounding the lid switch. Examine them completely, mark their positions, and inspect the colour of each wire. This will provide you with an insight into how the lid switch functions. This information is crucial for modifying the wires of the lid switch to bypass it.
Moreover, you need to identify the wires forming an electrical circuit when the lid is closed. Also, remember the arrangement of all the wires before proceeding further. You can take photographs of the arrangement if needed.
Step 4 – Detach the Wires
After identifying the wires controlling the lid switch, you must detach them. Proceed to remove the wires based on the arrangement you have identified in Step 3. This procedure involves disconnecting the wire terminals or connectors surrounding the wires of the lid switch. Make sure you remove them gently and carefully.
Be cautious while you are handling the wires without terminals or connectors; otherwise, they will be damaged. Using a plier or a screwdriver to detach these wires is safe. Moreover, ensure yourself that this is only a temporary solution to this problem.
Step 5 – Insulate the Outside Terminals
Once you have done this, disconnecting the lid switch wires takes them out to insulate. This ensures that no outside wires can make an unintended contact to prevent electric shocks. To insulate the outside terminals, take a small piece of wire.
Remove the wire cover on each end of this part of the wire using a plier. Now, make a U shape of this part of the wiring and insert it into the outside terminals of the lid switch. Secure this connection using electrical tape or proper insulation material. Consequently, your lid lock switch is disabled.
How to disable the lid lock of the Kenmore Series 500 Washer?
No matter whether it is a Kenmore Series 500 washer or a Series 100 washer. The procedure of disabling the lid lock switch of this appliance is the same in both cases. This means you just need the necessary tools like a driver, insulation material, a wire a connector, etc. These tools will help you remove the control pane and access the lid switch.
Moreover, they will help you successfully bypass this safety device of the Kenmore washer. However, one thing that you should make sure is that if you are attempting it first, it is better to be cautious. Take all safety measures and turn off the power to the washer before doing anything.
Safety Measures for Disabling the Lid Switch of a Kenmore Washer
Bypassing a Kenmore washer has many benefits. For instance, it allows the appliance to function even when its lid is open. Moreover, if your Kenmore washer is not working because of a faulty lid switch, then this can be a possible solution. It will ensure the functioning of the appliance to the optimal status.
However, disabling the lid switch will make the lid safety mechanism void. The lid switch is responsible for ensuring that the internal drum is not in contact with the outside environment while operating. Therefore, if you are bypassing it, you have to be cautious. Here are some precautions that are necessary to take:
Keep the Lid Closed
It is important to remember that you should always keep the lid of the washer closed when it is in operation. By doing this, you are allowing the washer to wash the clothes effectively and safely. An open washer door can cause many issues.
These include spreading water on the floor outside the washer, exposing internal moving parts to the user, or problems in the operating of this appliance. Hence, to maintain a steady laundry cleaning, make sure that the door of the washer is locked. This will help you safely prevent potential hazards and accidents.
Avoid Bypassing the New Lid Switch
Disabling a new lid switch is not encouraged. This is because it highly damages the safety mechanisms of the washer, which are designed to prevent hazards. To lessen the number of injuries while doing laundry, the lid switch plays a crucial role. It keeps the operation of the washer stopped when the lid is open.
When a user tries to bypass a new lid switch, this can lead to unknown consequences. For example, water spilling and electrical shocks. Therefore, it is important to follow the instructions of the manufacturer and prioritize safety by not disabling a new lid switch.
Disabling a Faulty Lid Lock Switch
Although disabling a defective lid lock seems a quick solution to this problem, it isn’t. Users should avoid doing it. However, if you are willing to do so, then you have to be cautious about it. When the user dares to tamper with the faulty lid switch, he will be responsible for the consequences.
These can be operating appliances with an open door or the potential risks of injuries. Therefore, the user should troubleshoot and fix the faulty lid switch instead of disabling it. This is to ensure that the washer operates safely.
Insulate the Outside Terminals of the Bypass Lid Lock
To prevent potential risks, it is critical to insulate the outside terminals of the lid lock. When disabling the lid switch, you have to make sure that the terminals won’t touch each other. Otherwise, they will cause electric shocks and even injuries. Therefore, it is recommended to use insulating materials.
For instance, an electrical tape or heat shrinking of wires. Both of them act as a protective barrier and prevent the outside terminals from getting into contact. But keep in mind that this is only a temporary solution. Consequently, you have to address this issue appropriately to ensure the washer operates safely and smoothly.
In conclusion, we hope this article has predicted how easy it is to bypass a lid lock switch. But you should know that it is only a temporary solution. Therefore, it is essential to recognize the limitations of this solution. Hopefully, this guide has depicted all the necessary safety precautions to keep this procedure safe. However, this procedure should be done with caution. This is why it is better to get professional assistance if you are inexperienced in this matter.
