Appliance Tech Sheet: What It Is and Where to Find It
A tech sheet is the service document a technician uses: Whirlpool also calls it the Service Data Sheet or Service Sheet. It is where the full error-code list for a model usually lives, which is why repair advice keeps telling you to "check the tech sheet." Here is what Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid and Amana say about it, in their own words.
What a tech sheet contains
All four brands list the same contents, depending on model and appliance type: wiring diagrams (pin-outs and voltages), component testing and resistances, how to enter service mode, and error codes. That last item is the reason homeowners go looking for it: the owner's manual and the brand's help site usually cover the most common codes, while the tech sheet carries the model's full code list.
Who it is written for
The manufacturers state that tech sheets are intended for people with electrical, electronic and mechanical experience at the level of the appliance repair trade, and that attempting to repair a major appliance may result in personal injury and property damage. Reading a tech sheet to understand an error code is fine. Acting on the wiring and component tests is a technician's job: these steps require electrical competence and a multimeter. If that's not you, call a pro; that's the right call, not a failure.
Where the paper copy is on older appliances
Whirlpool says that on older products the tech sheet came with the appliance and was often affixed to a cover or panel. If you can see it without tools, with the appliance unplugged, you can read it where it is. If reaching it means removing a screwed panel, leave that to a technician: never remove a panel on a plugged-in appliance. Whirlpool also says new products no longer ship with a paper tech sheet; they are digital only.
How to get the digital tech sheet
The four brands give the same steps: go to ServiceMatters (Whirlpool Corporation's service site), click "Limited Access", enter the complete model number, and select the document. You will need the full model number, not the series name: Whirlpool's model-number guide lists the label locations, for example inside the door rim on a front-load washer, beneath the lid on the tub rim of a top-load washer, and on the left side of the tub frame on a built-in dishwasher.
Read the terms before you click "I Accept"
Before ServiceMatters shows any document, it asks you to accept a Training & Technical Support Disclaimer. Among other things, accepting means you agree to a full waiver of liability, to keep the content of all the materials confidential, and that the content may not be sold, reproduced or otherwise distributed without Whirlpool's written permission. That is why we do not republish tech sheets or quote their code tables on this site: our code pages cite the brands' public help articles instead.
If you can't find it
Use the model number on the brand's help site first: Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid and Amana each have an error-code article for many common codes, and their manual search returns the owner's manual for your model. If the code is not covered there, the tech sheet is the next stop, and a technician who already has the documents is the stop after that.
FAQ
It is the manufacturer's service data sheet for a specific model. Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid and Amana say it may include wiring diagrams, component testing and resistances, how to enter service mode, and error codes.
On older Whirlpool-family appliances it was supplied with the appliance and often affixed to a cover or panel. Newer models do not ship with one: the brands provide it digitally through ServiceMatters, by model number.
Yes. ServiceMatters asks you to accept a disclaimer that includes a liability waiver and an agreement to keep the materials confidential and not reproduce or distribute them.
Sources
Documents this guide was checked against. How we verify.
- Whirlpool Product Help: Where Can I Find the Tech Sheet for My Appliance? (contents, intended users, ServiceMatters steps)
- Maytag Product Help: Where Can I Find the Tech Sheet for My Appliance?
- KitchenAid Product Help: Where Can I Find the Tech Sheet for My Appliance?
- Amana Product Help: Where Can I Find the Tech Sheet for My Appliance?
- Whirlpool Product Help: Where is my Model and Serial Number Located?
Always unplug an appliance and shut off its water supply before servicing. This guide is informational and not a substitute for a qualified technician.