Whirlpool makes amazing refrigerators that are known to stand the test of time. Mine has been cooling beverages for years, and I don’t regret the purchase.
But the fact is that sometimes, even Whirlpool refrigerators have a few minor problems- one of them being the bottom freezer drawer needing to be replaced.
In this article, I will discuss how you can fix this issue and get your good old Whirlpool Fridge back in tip-top shape again.
Here is a list of tools that you might require to fix this problem-
How do you remove Whirlpool Bottom Freezer Drawer?
The bottom freezer drawer of your Whirlpool refrigerator can be removed by removing the freezer door, ejecting locking tabs, removing the top drawer, and then lifting the drawer out.
1. Remove the freezer door
The first step in the entire process is removing the freezer door, and here’s how you can do that.
Open the freezer and find two bolts near the upper corners on the backside of the door. Loosen them slightly with a screwdriver, and make sure to hold your freezer door in place, so it doesn’t get damaged.
Carefully remove your freezer door, which will give you full access to the drawer of the fridge.
2. Eject locking tab
Before operating inside the freezer, ensure that your refrigerator is turned off and unplugged for safety. Once the freezer drawer is open, you can now remove the drawer bins that are in the drawer and keep them aside.
Moving on, we will use a flat-head screwdriver to gently pry on the locking tabs until they are out about halfway.
We can now remove the locking tabs (also known as retaining tabs) entirely from the washer. Make sure to be patient and not damage these components.
Suppose you remove your drawer because the locking tabs are broken or malfunctioning. In that case, they can be found at your local appliance store.
3. Remove The top drawer
After ejecting the locking tabs that hold your drawers in place, repeating the same on the other side will let us remove the top drawer.
Removing the top drawer will help you quickly remove the bottom drawer. Here is how you do it.
- Move the top drawer along the rails of your opened Whirlpool refrigerator.
- Lift the top drawer up and out along the rails.
- Ensure you do not damage parts while lifting, and keep the top drawer aside until you put it back in.
4. Lift the bottom freezer drawer
Now comes the part you must be most careful about; removing the bottom freezer drawer from your Whirlpool Freezer.
The bottom freezer drawer sits on rails at the bottom of the fridge. Removing it should be simple, as we pulled both the top drawer and the refrigerator door.
While removing the bottom drawer in your fridge is straightforward, you should remember that it can take time to get right. You should avoid breaking anything in this process.
Here’s how you can safely remove the bottom freezer drawer in your Whirlpool Refrigerator-
- Move the bottom drawer along the rails of your opened Whirlpool refrigerator.
- Grab the front end of the drawer with one hand and tilt it up.
- Hold the top drawer in place with this hand.
- With another hand, push to the back to release the locking tabs.
- Repeat the same on the other side and lift the drawer.
5. Replace drawer
When you remove the bottom drawer of your Whirlpool refrigerator, you will want to place the drawer assembly on a blanket nearby.
It would be best if you did this to work on the drawer assembly quickly. You must also ensure that the blanket is dry and that the sides of the assembly are facing upwards.
We can now remove the freezer drawer support before moving on to the actual drawer itself.
Here’s how to do it:
- Find and detach the white support rod from the gears.
- Lift the drawer slide on the right side and use pliers to secure them.
- Use a drill to remove the rivet securing the drawer slide and rotate to remove it from the support.
- Remove the mounting screws holding the support using a screwdriver.
After you have removed the locker support, you can install the replacement drawer and then re-attach the drawer support by following these steps.
- On the replacement drawer, locate the locking tabs on the back that need to be aligned with the drawer slides.
- Insert the back of the drawer at an angle between the upper rail and drawer slide.
- Tilt the front end of the drawer down and position both sides to the rails accordingly.
- Ensure that the retaining tabs align with their corresponding slots by pushing the drawer back.
Once these steps have been carried out successfully, you can re-attach the drawer support by treading back on the above steps.
How To Clean The Bottom Freezer Drawer In Whirlpool Fridges?
The freezer drawer in your Whirlpool refrigerator needs to be cleaned continuously to stay fresh and healthy.
After you have removed the drawer from your fridge, here’s how you can clean it.
- Set aside the drawer until it is at room temperature. Otherwise, the shifts in temperature could cause your freezer accessories to crack.
- Mix warm water with a few drops of dishwashing liquid.
- Use your dish sponge and clean the drawer thoroughly.
- Rinse the drawer under the faucet until all soapy residue is removed.
- Wipe the drawer and its accessories dry with a cloth and let them sit out in the air before you return them to the freezer.
How Much Does Fixing A Broken Whirlpool Drawer Cost?
A broken Whirlpool freezer drawer can be a minor problem that needs a quick fix but can also be a massive headache if it bears a high price tag.
A new bottom freezer drawer can be found online for anywhere from $90-$140. But you need to ensure that your replacement washer is compatible with the make and model of your fridge.
You can find the model and serial numbers easily as they will be labeled clearly on the left-hand side of the sticker. Usually just under the Whirlpool brand logo.
But what if the drawer isn’t the only issue with your Whirlpool refrigerator, and you need to get other parts repaired too? Here is what you should look out for.
If your old fridge can be repaired for less than half the price of a new washer, it is the apparent choice to restore your existing machine.
If your machine is under warranty, you might save some money here. But in any other case, the repair costs more than half the price of a new fridge, which means a better decision would probably be buying a new fridge.
Final Remarks
Whirlpool refrigerators are easily one of the best on the market. Still, you should remove the bottom freezer drawer in their fridges for various reasons. Here’s how you can do that in simple steps.
- Remove the freezer door
- Eject locking tab
- Remove the top drawer
- Lift the bottom freezer drawer
- Replace drawer
My name is Rick Kinney and I am the founder of ExHandyman. I have worked as a handyman for many years, and fixing stuff is my greatest pleasure in life.