GE Dishwasher Main Control Board Replacement #WD21X20720

This video provides step-by-step instructions for replacing the main control board on GE dishwashers. The most common reason for replacing the control board is if the dishwasher won’t start and none of the control panel buttons work, but other more common causes have been ruled out.

All of the information in this control board replacement video is applicable to the following brands: GE

Tools used: 1/4” socket or nut driver, 5/16” socket or nut driver, pliers

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[gk]

Who is here in 2023 to replace their GE dishwasher control panel? This video got my dishwasher back to use. More than $$$, it saves earth from junk. Thank you so much.

[cvandoren]

104, 000 views as of September 2021. Assuming 10% of people with failed boards watch this video that means there were 1 Million failed control boards. Not a problem for GE though - its now your problem and they get to sell you a new board for a profit! I switched to buying Bosch even for my low end rental apartments - its just cheaper for me in the long run because they have lower repair costs and last longer.

[bryangalvan]

Here in December 2024 to say thank you. Replaced the door latch hoping for an easy fix but ended up having to replace this whole circuit card. Another video had me taking the whole thing out and flipping it over. This is so much easier. Took me no time at all. My panel was a bit more of a pain to remove and replace though

[Qj_empire]

As I got into the installation of this board, I noticed a few things that probably caused my board to short out.
The company Lowes used to install my dishwasher did an egregious job of installing the unit. The lazy jerk didn’t bother to put the junction box over the wires. Some of the wires were frayed. The insulation on the bottom cover also had a burn mark. I tried to contact Lowes about the poor installation. Since the install was done in 2017, they can’t find us in the system. They pretty much told there was nothing they could do. I had to wrap and clean up the frayed wires with electrical tape. I then installed the board with the help of this video. Everything is working fine now.

[seraph]

Couple weeks ago my door switch went bad. Replaced it then my board went bad. Went quick and easy thanks to this vid. I already have a full time job, getting real tired of being an appliance repairman in my off time

[tomahawkinc]

I never do a project right the first time... until replacing the control board thanks to this video! 25 minutes later and my dishwasher is back in action! Thanks for the simple video!

[jjones]

This video was spot-on, even in 2022! Our dishwasher refused to turn on, 3 days before Christmas. I wasn't dying to handwash all the Christmas dinner dishes, so this video saved me time and money. Fast shipping from Amazon, a new control board for $100, and a minimum of cussing and fussing later, the dishwasher is back in action. Nice!

[schutv]

I agree that the video and instructions were excellent. I ordered the new board for our 3 year old GE dishwahser and it was a snap to replace. After a week of handwashing, my wife is quite happy. I will say, however, that our GE diswasher was very lightly used—we would run it about once a week, and I would expect better reliability in such a new appliance. I’m not so sure we would go with GE again. Thanks for the help!

[p.shindig]

Thank you! My dishwasher kept thinking the door was open and wouldn’t start. I replaced the door sensor (with the help of another one of your videos), but no luck. Then tried the control board and it worked! 🍻

[kimsooyong]

I just replaced the control board by follow your instructions. The dishwasher was back operational. Thanks for the video

[cyntbo]

The sound of my dishwasher running is one of the most satisfying sounds. No more dishes stacked up waiting for someone to magically come and wash them. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

[joelhollingsworth]

I appreciate this video. I got a board off Amazon for $85 after getting a control board code. I'd spent $400 to watch a guy replace a $65 control board on our furnace earlier this year so I decided that it was worth the risk of $85 for the dishwasher. Our house is 4 years old. So far the dishwasher is working. Actually everything was just about as easy as the guy showed with the video to watch.

[MatthewStonebraker]

Thank you for the complete and thorough walkthrough on this repair! I was able to do it lickity-split, with no surprises or complications. :) My wife thinks I'm amazing!

[Shane]

Feb 2024 - just replaced my GE control unit. Great dishwasher and worth the easy DIY repair!

[natdatil]

Helpful video. Aside from the epic battle to remove and reinstall the support panel, this went off without a hitch on my 2018 model. The builder that installed my dishwasher didn't bother with the junction box cover, and didn't even leave me a screw for it, so I just kind of put that over the wires as best I could.

[kevinhickey]

Dishwasher had no power. Estimates I received were $350+ for repair. I went on repair clinic and purchased a control board and figured I would take a shot. The video was very helpful to follow along. I now have a functional dishwasher and saved $250 in the process. Took a bit longer than I would have expected, but it was much better than paying for the fix. Cannot recommend highly enough

[asterix]

You are a savuor. Just replaced my hoard in less than 30 minutes. The other video I saw, the guy took out the dishwasher, tilted it and it was a lot of work. But your steps are easy and quick.

[AeroIchthys]

Great repair video. It helped me diagnose and I found that a defective power plug to the circuit board was my problem rather than the board itself. May help viewers to consider this before replacing the board. Read on. I had a similar problem to others at 4 years: sporadic music, then eventually total darkness of the display. Troubleshooting took some time, but it appears that I reached the solution. Turned out to be the plug inside the box where (the wires are connected to power). It was giving intermittent power to the panel, and when jiggled a bit in just the right way, would restore power to the view panel and the dishwasher.

However, this jiggling was not a permanent solution. Since half of the plug is built-in to the circuit board, and I could not detach one of the plugs to the board, I could not remove the board to work on that part. After closeup photos of each side of the plug (that on the circuit board, and the other which plugs into the circuit board) I could see nothing amiss with the either half. What tipped me off to both the original discovery of the bad plug and the final solution was seeing arching through the semi-transparent white plug when it was plugged in with power on. I reasoned that the intermittent arching over time had deposited metal oxide dust within the switch. What to do? I used the red flexible plastic tube on my WD-40 can and squirted the oil into each side of the switch multiple times. Hopefully the insulating dust particles are now washed from the plug, and it will be smooth sailing. The plug seems to restore the display immediately each time the plug is plugged in now. No arching visible at least. Everything works now (it still plays a tune every so often, but at least we can wash dishes without disassembly).

[heathermeegan]

Thank you so much for super easy instructions. Ordered part, installed in less than 15 minutes. Bam. Dishwasher has power. This lady does not like to do dishes by hand. Many thanks for the video.

[alanellenii]

Thanks for the vid... I used it for the repair and our dishwasher is up and running!