Viking Repair Bothell, WA home page (206) 202-2799

Dishwasher Parts, in the order water meets them

Door Hinges, Springs and Panel Mounts

Carry the door and its custom panel, and hold the door wherever you let it go.

Door hinge and spring on a built-in dishwasher (side section) The door, with a custom panel on its face, swings down on a pivot at its foot. A spring running back along the side of the tub from the hinge arm to an anchor holds the weight of the door and panel. 1 2 3 4

The door picked out in rust: its hinge at the foot, a spring along the side of the tub pulling against it, and the custom front held by its mounts.

  1. Hinge pivot at the foot of the door
  2. Door spring along the side of the tub
  3. Spring anchor on the tub side
  4. Weight of the door and custom panel

Does

The door swings on hinges at its lower edge. Springs on the sides of the unit pull against the weight of the door and its custom front, so the door stops at whatever angle you leave it and closes without a push. The panel mounts are the fixings that carry the cabinetmaker's front on the door.

Fails like

  • The door drops the moment you let go of the handle, or falls open hard from halfway.
  • The door lifts itself shut from a low angle, because the springs now pull harder than the door weighs.
  • The front sits crooked or proud of the drawer fronts beside it, or shifts when the handle is pulled.
  • A crack or snap from the side of the unit, then a door with almost no resistance on one side.

Replaced when

A broken spring, a spring whose end has torn free or a hinge pivot worn loose is replaced with a genuine Viking part. A spring that has only lost its setting after a panel change may need re-tensioning rather than replacing. Loose panel fixings are assessed on the visit.

Hinge plates, a roller and a spring laid out with pliers, screwdrivers, nut drivers and a wire brush on a cloth.

Panel limits in brief

Each model sets a ceiling on the front it will carry: 19 lb on the VDWU524 and 22 lb on the DFUD042. The answer on custom panel weight gives the sizes that go with them. A front over the limit wears the springs and hinges faster than any amount of adjustment can make up for.

What we check on the visit

Whether the door holds at any angle, as Viking’s own test asks; whether both sides pull equally; whether the hinge pivots have play; whether the panel fixings hold firm; and whether the door closes square against the tub. The springs sit on the sides of the unit, so most of this means bringing the dishwasher forward, done panel-on.

Before you call

There is nothing here for an owner to adjust: the springs are under tension. Note the angle at which the door starts to drop, whether a new front went on recently, and whether you heard a snap. That tells the technician which parts to bring.