Unless you are a seasoned handyman, buying appliance parts online can get quite confusing. There are hundreds of parts to browse through, and youll waste a lot of time if you dont know how to get to what you need. Worse, the experience can even get expensive if you buy the wrong appliance part, for example, youll need to send it back (and incur shipping costs) or worse, get a replacement without a refund.

Dont fret just yet, though, because finding and purchasing appliance parts online can be easy if you know what to do. Read on for some quick tips.

Know the part number for the part you need. Before you begin searching for appliance parts online, find out the control number of the part you want to purchase. You can usually see this number stamped right on the appliance part, because most manufacturers mark everything for their assembly lines. Once you have the part number, log on to a manufacturers or a licensed distributors website and simply key it in the search box (provided that the website has a number-based search feature).

Know the model number. If the appliance part you need does not carry a control number or you simply cant find it, dont panic. There are still other ways to search for the part you need. Most vendor sites have search by model number features just type in your appliances model number (which you can find either stamped on the appliance itself or in the manual that came with it when you bought it), and the database will retrieve all the parts in stock, with descriptions. Read through them and see which part you require. Some very good vendor sites even show you diagrams of the parts to help you figure out what you need faster.

Call the hotline. If everything else fails and you still cant find the appliance part you need (or if the part is not in stock and you want to place a special order), call the toll-free customer support numbers that most manufacturers provide. Be ready with at least your appliances model number and an accurate description of what you need. This information will help the customer service representative give you what you need quickly and easily.