Kenmore 26-41202 Washer Repair

The Kenmore 26-41202 is a 2.2 cu. ft. compact front-load washer in white, and it is part of the current Kenmore lineup. Compact front loaders tend to live where space is scarce: a hallway closet in a flat, a stacked alcove in an in-law unit, a kitchen corner in a small condo. That placement shapes most of the service calls, because a washer you cannot pull out easily is a washer where small leaks go unnoticed for a long time.

What goes wrong with a compact front loader

The complaints we hear most on this type of washer are water on the floor after a cycle, a drum that will not drain, a door that stays locked, a cycle that stops mid-wash, and a spin that sounds rough or never reaches full speed. A leak can come from the gasket, a hose connection or the pump housing, and the puddle alone does not say which.

Drain trouble is usually a clogged pump filter or a drain hose that is kinked or pushed too far into the standpipe. A door that will not open after a cycle often points to the latch or to water still sitting in the drum. Rough spinning on a small washer is often a load that has balled up, though worn suspension parts and an unlevel floor are also on the list in older buildings with sloping floors.

Checks you can do from the outside

• Confirm the plug is seated and the breaker or GFCI has not tripped.
• Make sure both water supply valves are fully open and the hoses are not kinked behind the unit.
• Look at the drain hose and straighten any bend you can reach without moving the washer far.
• Wipe the door gasket and check that nothing is caught in the door when it closes.
• Write down any code on the display and the full model number from the label.

Do not open the cabinet, and do not keep running a washer that is leaking. A wet floor in a stacked or upstairs unit can reach the neighbors below quickly, so shut the supply valves and stop the cycle first.

Where the 26-41202 fits in the visit

Access is the first thing we plan around. Tell us if it is stacked, closeted or under a counter. We confirm the model number on the label, run the washer through a short cycle to see the fault, and tell you what we found before any part is ordered. You receive a written estimate, and nothing is repaired until you approve it.

For the wider picture, read our Kenmore washer repair page and the Kenmore washers guide. If your washer is draining badly, the article on Kenmore washer not draining walks through the order of checks. A roomier front loader from the same lineup is the Kenmore 26-42272.

Frequently asked questions