--- title: "Find your dishwasher's model number" description: "The label hides on the tub or door edge, visible only with the door open, and it unlocks the manual, the parts and any recall." url: "https://dishwasherrepair.center/guides/find-your-model-number/" date_modified: "2026-09-25" --- Troubleshooting # Find your dishwasher's model number The usual dishwasher model number location is a rating label on the edge of the tub or door, seen only with the door open: on the left or right side of the tub frame, along the top edge of the door, or on the inner door liner. Drawers carry it on the drawer frame; compacts often on the back or side panel. By [DishwasherRepair.center technical team](https://dishwasherrepair.center/authors/technical-team/) Published September 25, 2026 ## At a glance. Every part, manual and recall lookup starts with one string of letters and digits printed on a small label. On a dishwasher that label hides in plain sight on the edge of the tub or door, visible only when the door is open. Read the whole guide ### Where it is most often The side edge of the tub or door Open the door fully and look along both sides of the frame. ### Second place to look The top edge of the door Common on European brands and on models with controls on the door top. ### What else is on it Serial number and electrical rating The serial often encodes the build date. ### Best way to keep it A photo on your phone One clear picture saves pulling out racks the next time. In this guide 1. Why the exact model number matters 2. Where to look, type by type 3. Reading the label correctly 4. When the label is faded or gone 5. Putting the number to use 6. Step by step 7. Questions ## Why the exact model number matters Two dishwashers that look identical in a showroom can use different pumps, control boards and door springs, and a single model family may run through several engineering revisions. Parts are ordered by the full model number, including the suffix after the dash or the last few characters, and the wrong suffix is the most common reason a replacement part does not fit. The same number opens the owner's manual and the installation instructions on the manufacturer's site, the error code tables that apply to that control, and any safety recall. The Consumer Product Safety Commission publishes recalls in a searchable list, so checking once when you find the label is worthwhile. Source: [CPSC — Recalls and Product Safety Warnings](https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls) — CPSC publishes product recalls in a searchable list ## Where to look, type by type ### Standard built-in The usual dishwasher model number location on a full-size built-in is the tub opening. Open the door all the way down and look at the vertical edges of the opening, first the left side, then the right. The label is a white or silver sticker, often with a barcode, about the size of a business card. If the sides are bare, look along the top edge of the door itself and at the inner door liner near the hinge. ### Panel-ready and hidden-control models The cabinet front covers only the outside of the door, so the label is still inside: on the tub edge or on the top edge of the door, next to the buttons. On some European models it sits on the door edge right under the control strip, and the door has to be opened fully to read it. ### Dishwasher drawers Pull the drawer fully out and look at the side of the drawer frame or the front edge of the tub. In a double stack each drawer may carry its own label, but the model number for ordering usually refers to the whole product, and the serial helps tell the two drawers apart. ### Compact and portable models A built-in compact follows the full-size pattern, on the tub or door edge. Portable and countertop models often place the label on the back panel or one side, where it is easier to reach by turning the machine than by opening it. The side edge of an open dishwasher door with a small blank rating label on the tub rim, seen close. ## Reading the label correctly The label usually shows several codes. Only one is the model number, and it is marked as MOD, Model, Model No. or E-Nr, depending on the brand. The others are just as useful once you know which is which: - Serial number (S/N): identifies the single unit, and on many brands its characters encode the production month. - Electrical rating: volts, amps or watts, which matter if the circuit is ever questioned. - Product or type code: an internal family code that parts catalogs sometimes use as well. - Build date: printed plainly on some labels, shown as a short production code such as FD on some European brands, or hidden in the serial on others. Source: [Bosch — Product number (E-Nr.) and production number (FD)](https://media3.bosch-home.com/Documents/9001556823/en-GB/182641163.html) — Bosch prints the E-Nr and FD numbers on the rating plate ## When the label is faded or gone Steam and detergent fade labels on the tub edge over the years. Try a flashlight held at a low angle, or a photo with the flash on, which often picks up print the eye cannot read. The original paperwork, the installation guide in the kitchen drawer, or the purchase receipt may carry the same number. If none of those survive, a technician can often identify the model from the control panel layout, the rack design and the parts in the base. That takes longer, so it helps to say in advance that the label is unreadable. ## Putting the number to use With the number in hand, type it into the support search on the manufacturer's website. Owners usually look for the manual and forget the rest, but the number unlocks four separate documents: The installation guide is the one most often overlooked, and it is where the drain hose height, the supply requirements and the bracket layout are written down for that exact machine. Include the model number when you describe a problem to any repair service. It tells the technician which control, pump and latch design to expect, which parts are likely to be needed, and which diagnostic mode the control offers. A visit that starts with the right parts on the truck is more likely to finish in one trip. Keep the photo somewhere you will find it in a hurry, such as a note on your phone or a folder with the home warranty paperwork. A dishwasher usually outlasts the memory of which one was bought. - The use and care guide, for cycle options and routine cleaning - The installation instructions, for hose, supply and bracket details - The parts diagram, which shows every part number for that exact build - Any open recall that lists the model Source: [CPSC — Recalls and Product Safety Warnings](https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls) — CPSC publishes product recalls in a searchable list ## Where to stop Do not remove the toe kick or pull the dishwasher out of its opening to hunt for a label; the lower panel covers the electrical junction box and the water connection. If nothing is readable with the door open, leave the rest to a technician. Written by [DishwasherRepair.center technical team](https://dishwasherrepair.center/authors/technical-team/). The dishwasher technicians behind the service visits booked here. Each article grows out of problems met in real kitchens and is compared with the maker's manuals and service literature wherever those are published. Sources: [CPSC — Recalls and Product Safety Warnings](https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls) · [Bosch — Product number (E-Nr.) and production number (FD)](https://media3.bosch-home.com/Documents/9001556823/en-GB/182641163.html) ## Step by step. Four steps, in the order worth doing them. 01 ### Open the door fully Lower the door all the way, or pull a drawer out to its stop, and have a flashlight ready. 02 ### Check the tub edges Look along the left and right sides of the tub opening, then the top edge of the door. 03 ### Photograph the label Take a sharp photo that shows the model and serial numbers, and zoom in to confirm every character. 04 ### Save and check Keep the photo with your home records and check the model against the CPSC recall list. For the heart of your home. ## Questions owners ask. ### Is the number on the front of the dishwasher the model number? Usually not. The front often shows a series name or a marketing badge, which covers many models with different parts. ### Do I need the serial number too? For parts it helps, because a mid-production change can split one model into two part versions. For a service booking the model number alone is enough to start. ### Can the letter O and the digit 0 be confused? Often, and the same goes for I and 1. Compare with a search on the manufacturer's site; a number that returns no manual has usually been misread. ### Does a dishwasher drawer have one model number or two? Usually one for the product as a whole, printed on each drawer's label. Double drawers are sold and serviced as one appliance, though each drawer is diagnosed separately. ## The problems behind it. Each has a page of its own: what it usually means and the causes in the order worth checking. [All 17 problems](https://dishwasherrepair.center/problems/) Problem ### Dishwasher Showing an Error Code 5 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Dishwasher Control Panel Not Responding 5 causes, cheapest first ## When it needs a technician. 34 error codes on this site send owners here first. The repairs on the right are where this guide ends when the checks do not settle it. [Bertazzoni F6](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/bertazzoni-f6/) [Bosch E27](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/bosch-e27/) [Cove 980199](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/cove-980199/) [Electrolux CL](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/electrolux-cl/) [Electrolux Hd](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/electrolux-hd/) [Electrolux PF](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/electrolux-pf/) [Electrolux 01-24](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/electrolux-01-24/) [Fisher & Paykel A70](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/fisher-and-paykel-a70/) [Frigidaire CL](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/frigidaire-cl/) [Frigidaire Hd](https://dishwasherrepair.center/error-codes/frigidaire-hd/) ### Diagnostic visit The visit that turns a vague complaint about dirty dishes or standing water into one named part and one price. ### Controls and sensors Dead panels, stuck cycles and blinking lights, separated into board, keypad, sensor and wiring before a part is ordered. ## More in troubleshooting. The checks an owner can safely make, and the point where going further is no longer wise. [The whole section](https://dishwasherrepair.center/guides/troubleshooting/) Checks you can make yourself ### Five checks before you call for dishwasher repair Power, the door lock, the supply valve, the filter and the drain path, in about fifteen minutes with no tools. Checks you can make yourself ### Clean the filter first: the ten-minute fix Where the filter sits on each type, how to remove and rinse it without tearing the mesh, and how often it needs doing. Guides ### All 18 guides Six sections, by what you are trying to find out. --- **[Read on the site: Find your dishwasher's model number](https://dishwasherrepair.center/guides/find-your-model-number/)** **[Book a visit with DishwasherRepair.center](https://dishwasherrepair.center/schedule/)**