WDT720PADB2 Whirlpool Dishwasher - Instructions

Turned off power to the dishwasher. Removed the front panel via the screws on the inner wall of the door. Lifted and pulled out the front panel. Disconnected cable connections to fully remove the front panel. Pressed down on the latches to the left and right side of the door latch. Pulled out the door latch. Put in new door latch until it clicked into place. Reattached cable connections. Put the front panel back on with the screws. Turned back on power to the dishwasher.

I simply had to hook up the power cord to the dishwasher so i could plug it into the outlet rather than direct wire the appliance. Everything went very smoothly. Everything needed for installation other than tools was provided. Easy to follow instructions if you know a little about electrical wiring.

I ended up looking on you tube for directions ,I ended up breaking the new part but it is made different then the original so it still hooked onto the rack and it stayed there. I had to watch the you tube video several times to figure it out , but I finally did get it figured out . I don't think any directions were included in the part package so not sure what I would have done if it weren't for you tube .

Open door and remove 12 T15 torx screws. Note that the 4 along the top edge are longer than the 8 along the sides. Lift the door panel upwards to remove the panel. Remove 6 screws securing the soap dispenser and metal bracket. Unplug the cable on the right side by pressing down on the locking tab. Note the position of the black plastic sheet that covers the back of the dispenser, and the white insulator on the right side. open the door part way and press down on the release for the dispenser on the outside of the door. The dispenser can now be removed from the inside of the door. Install the new dispenser and snap in place. Put the metal bracket back in place with the insulators and secure with the 6 screws. Re-install the shorter screws first, then the longer ones across the top.

Put in both a new element and thermostat. Did not fix problem. Using an ohm meter I did not measure any voltage to the thermostat. Suspect it’s a problem in the control unit, and decided to replace dishwasher.

After replacing the door seal and the dishwasher still leaked a lot of water out the bottom of the door, I read posts by a couple of other DIY who said the lower spray arm can split at the seam and cause this. One post noted it is very difficult to determine if this is the problem, that you may have to take the blade of a screwdriver and try to pry the seam apart gently to see if a gap does appear with very little force being applied. If so, then just imagine what happens when that very hot water makes that plastic more flexible and then the seam opens and forces waves of water against the lower door. I could see a small seam split using that strategy and when I replaced the spray arm, my leak stopped. I don't regret replacing the door seal as it had a couple of small tears and hard water deposits all over it, so it was time to do that even though it was not the culprit for the extensive leak. The arm is SO EASY to replace, just twist the plastic nut under it and it pops right off. Put the new one on and twist the nut the other way and it secures it.

Snap in the missing track stop and twist snap the middle spray arm. That simple.

This is the second time I have replaced a rack. You just pop on the new rollers and you're good to go!

Only one friction sleeve was broken. So I pulled out the dishwasher to see how the one on the other side went on. It was very easy to replace and I replaced both. Unit works fine now.

Disconnected the damaged hose extension from the dishwasher outlet drain hose and the connection to the sink drain. Removed two clamps. One a spring clamp and the other a screw clamps. Connected the new extension hose with a spring clamp to the dishwasher outlet drain hose. Connected the other end to the sink drain with a screw clamp. Checked for leaks. Good to go!

We took the rollers off the old one (new ones came with the dishrack also) and put them on the dishrack (they snapped on). There was also an extra piece that we figured out how to put on. Then slid it in place and it was fine.

simply line up the new pin with the rectangular slot in the kick panel and metal panel behind, slide the pin in and turn it with a flat blade screw driver.
NOTE: the original pin was black. A black replacement part cost $29 plus shipping! A knock-off pin was only $6 plus shipping. I got the cheap one and colored it with a black Sharpee marker before installation.

Exact fit and at my door in two days

I read how other people had the same problem, I checked everything that could possibly cause this. I then believed I knew what was wrong. I ordered a new arm. It was unbelievable how easy it was to replace.it. It took less time than a minute. . Turn the nut holding the arm counter clockwise to remove the arm. To replace turn the nut clockwise I now have a working dishwasher. It is not necessary to remove the dish rack.

Thanks to everyone for posting their experiences on changing the heater element. The most difficult part of the repair was getting the dishwasher out of the cabinet. I didn't know that I should disconnect the water line underneath the sink and this would make the removal easier. Also, because the copper water line going to the dishwasher was kinked, I ended up changing it with a flexible steel braided line.....much easier to install.

Once the dishwasher was out of the cabinet, I turned it over and easily removed the clips that held the heater element in.

I would definetly recommend people doing this repair themselves, it will save you a lot of money!!!!!