Appliance Spares
Quick answer: You do not need a readable model sticker to get parts for an old dryer. Check the three places the sticker usually lives first — inside the door rim, on the rear panel and around the lint filter housing — because on most machines it is faded rather than gone. If it really is unreadable, the name printed on the fascia (Sirocco, Maxidry and Minimax are common examples) plus a few photos will usually identify the machine. Photograph the front of the dryer, the open door, the lint filter and any part you have removed, then send them through the Oz Appliance Spares Part Finder — identifying sticker-less old machines is exactly what it is built for.
Why these machines are worth fixing
If your dryer is old enough that the model sticker has faded away, it is old enough to have proven itself. Dryers of that era are simple machines — a motor, a belt, an element, a fan and a door switch — and when one stops, the fix is almost always a $10–$40 wear part rather than anything terminal. Replacing a machine that has run for twenty or thirty years because a belt snapped is a poor trade: the part costs a fraction of a new dryer, the job is within reach of a patient owner, and the old machine has already demonstrated it can outlast anything you would buy to replace it. The only real obstacle is working out exactly what you own — and that is a much smaller obstacle than most people think.
Where the model sticker was supposed to be
Before assuming the sticker is gone, look in the three standard spots. Manufacturers of Australian-market dryers put the model sticker or data plate in the same few places for decades:
Inside the door rim. Open the door and run a torch around the edge of the opening and the inside face of the door itself. This is the most common location, and because it lives in a warm, linty spot, it is also the most commonly faded.
On the rear panel. Wall-mounted and freestanding dryers alike often carry a second sticker or a stamped metal data plate on the back. If the dryer is on brackets, a phone camera held behind it will save you lifting it down.
On or near the lint filter housing. Some machines hide the sticker where the lint filter slides in — pull the filter out and look inside the slot.
A faded sticker is often still readable with the right trick. Shine a torch across it at a low angle rather than straight on, or photograph it with the flash from several angles — raking light catches the ghost of printed characters that are invisible face-on. Even a partial model number is valuable, so note whatever fragments you can make out. Our guide to finding any appliance model number covers every hiding spot for every appliance type, and the find your model page turns partial numbers into matches.
Identification cues at a glance
No sticker at all? The machine still tells you what it is. Work down this table — most old dryers give themselves away in the first two rows.
| Where to look | What you might find | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Fascia / control panel | A series name printed on the panel — Sirocco, Maxidry or Minimax are common on older Simpson machines | The machine’s family, which is often enough on its own to narrow down the right belt and door parts |
| Inside the door rim | A faded model sticker or data plate | The full model and serial if you can raise it with raking light — even fragments help |
| Rear panel | A second sticker, a stamped data plate, or electrical details | Model number and specifications; often survives better than the door-rim sticker |
| Lint filter and its housing | A sticker in the filter slot; a filter shape that is distinctive to one family | Filter shape and size differ between dryer families, so the filter itself is an identifying feature |
| Door, drum and control layout | Catch style, hinge side, dial and switch arrangement | Design cues that let us match your machine against known families from photos |
| Receipt, manual or warranty card | The model written in the paperwork | The exact model, and roughly how old the machine is |
The fascia name is the shortcut most people miss. If the panel says Sirocco, you are looking at one of the machines covered on our Simpson Sirocco dryer parts page. If it says Maxidry or Minimax, go to the Simpson Maxidry and Minimax dryer parts page. If it says Hoover, our Hoover dryer parts page explains what still exists for those machines. In each case, confirm the exact match through the Part Finder before ordering — families span many closely related models.
What to photograph
When the machine cannot name itself, photos do the job instead. This is the set we ask for through the Part Finder, and why each one matters:
| Photograph | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| The whole front of the machine, fascia and controls included | Badge names, dial styles and switch layouts identify the family at a glance |
| The open door, including the inside rim | Shows the catch and hinge style, and often a sticker remnant you did not spot |
| The lint filter, out of the machine, and the slot it came from | Filter shape is one of the most distinctive features between dryer families |
| Any part you have removed — both sides | Belts, catches and pulleys often carry moulded-in markings or part numbers, and proportions confirm the match |
| The rear panel | Vent position, bracket points and any surviving sticker or stamped plate |
| Anything printed, however faded | A partial model number plus a fascia photo is usually a positive identification |
Two tips make the photos far more useful. Shoot in daylight or with the flash on, from straight in front rather than at an angle — and if you are photographing a removed part, lay it next to a ruler or tape measure so we can read its size. Then send the set through the Part Finder. You are not expected to know what any of it means; that is our job.
Receipts, manuals and other paper trails
If the machine itself is silent, the paperwork often is not. The owner’s manual usually lists every model it covers on the front or back page, and a purchase receipt or warranty card pins down the exact one. Look where old appliance paperwork accumulates — the kitchen drawer, the top of the laundry cupboard, inside the manual sleeve taped to the rear panel. Past repairs help too: technicians often wrote the model on a service sticker inside the cabinet or on the back. And if the dryer came with the house, the previous owner’s leftover documents are worth a quick search before you rule the paper trail out.
Fitting it yourself
Once the machine is identified, the repair itself is usually the easy half. Dryers of this age are simple, serviceable machines: the cabinet opens with ordinary screwdrivers and the common wear parts — belts, catches, filters — are designed to be replaced. Start with which dryer belt fits my model if it is a belt job, then follow the step-by-step dryer belt replacement guide. One plain safety sentence: unplug the dryer from the wall before opening any panel, and leave element or wiring work to a licensed technician if you are not confident.
Can’t find your model?
If you have worked through the sticker locations, the fascia, the photos and the paperwork and still cannot put a name to the machine, you have not hit a dead end — you have simply reached the point where we take over. Send whatever you have through the Part Finder: the photo set above, any number fragments, and a line about what the dryer is doing wrong. Between the design cues and the failed part itself, sticker-less machines get identified every week. The model number guide and find your model page are there if you want to try one more pass yourself first, and you can always browse the full range at the shop.
FAQ
Where is the model number on an old dryer?
In one of three places on most Australian-market machines: inside the door rim, on the rear panel, or on the lint filter housing. Check all three with a torch before concluding it is missing — door-rim stickers in particular fade badly but are often still there.
What if the model sticker is too faded to read?
Shine a torch across it at a low angle, or photograph it with flash from several angles — raking light often reveals characters that are invisible straight-on. Record any fragment you can make out; a partial number plus a photo of the fascia is usually enough for a positive identification.
Can you identify a dryer from photos alone?
Usually, yes — for the common Australian dryer families, a photo of the fascia, the open door and the lint filter narrows the machine to a family, and the failed part confirms the rest. Send the set through the Part Finder and we will do the matching.
What does the name on the front panel mean — Sirocco, Maxidry, Minimax?
It is the series or family name, and it is the single most useful clue on a sticker-less machine. Those three names identify older Simpson dryer families, each with its own parts page: Sirocco and Maxidry / Minimax. Other brands put their own family names in the same spot.
Do I need the serial number as well as the model number?
Usually not — the model number identifies the right parts for most machines. The serial mainly helps when a model was revised partway through its run, so if it is legible, photograph it anyway; if not, the model plus photos will do.
Stop squinting at a faded sticker and let the photos do the work: run the machine through the Part Finder and we will name it, match the part and get your dryer back to work.
Disclaimer: this article is general information only and is provided without warranty of any kind. Appliance designs vary between models and production runs — always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, switch off and unplug the appliance before starting any work, and confirm parts against the model number on your appliance’s model sticker. Any repair is undertaken at your own risk and Oz Appliance Spares accepts no liability for injury, loss or damage arising from work performed after reading this guide, to the maximum extent permitted by law. If in doubt, use a qualified technician.
