Appliance Spares
Quick answer: Brand alone will not get you the right washing machine inlet valve. Three things decide it: how many outlets the valve has (one, two, three or five), whether the coil is low-voltage 12V DC or mains 240V, and the model number on your machine’s sticker. Valves that look identical on a bench can be three different parts. Count the outlets, check the voltage marking on the old coil, then match the model number — in that order.
Last updated August 2026
Why “a washing machine inlet valve” is not one part
The water inlet valve is the small solenoid block bolted to the back panel where your hoses screw on. It has one job: open when the control board tells it to, shut when it doesn’t. When it fails you get a machine that fills slowly, won’t fill at all, keeps filling when it shouldn’t, or throws a water-supply error code.
It is also one of the easiest parts on the whole machine to order incorrectly, because there are hundreds of them and they all look like the same grey plastic block. The differences that matter are not visible in a photo. Work through the three checks below and you will get it right the first time.
Start here: match the shape, then the voltage
Find the row that matches the valve currently on your machine. The “ways” is simply how many hose outlets come off the body of the valve.
| Valve type | What you’ll see on the machine | Commonly fitted to | An example that fits |
|---|---|---|---|
 Single (one way) | One coil, one outlet, one hose. Cold only. | Cold-fill front loaders, budget and rebadged brands | Euromaid WM5 / WM7 / WM55 cold inlet valve |
 Single, right-angle body | One coil, outlet turned 90 degrees | Electrolux-group front loaders and top loaders | Westinghouse and Electrolux 90-degree inlet valve |
 Dual (two way) | Two coils side by side, two outlets — usually one hot, one cold | Hot-and-cold-fill machines, most top loaders | Samsung hot and cold inlet valve DC62-30314N |
 Triple (three way) | Three coils in a row feeding the dispenser drawer compartments | LG front loaders with prewash, and larger drums | LG three-way cold inlet valve WD14030RD |
 Five way | A single block with five outlets, one large moulded assembly | Large-capacity top loaders | Samsung five-way inlet valve WA11M8700GW |
 Low-voltage 12V DC | Any of the above, but the coil is marked 12V, not 240V | Fisher & Paykel, some Samsung and LG models | Fisher & Paykel 12V hot inlet valve 426142P |
Not sure which row you’re in? Photograph the back of your machine before you pull anything apart. It takes ten seconds and it settles the question.
Check 1: count the outlets
The number of outlets has to match, because each outlet feeds a different part of the dispenser drawer — main wash, prewash, softener. A two-way valve on a machine that expects three will leave one compartment permanently dry, and the cycle will either stall or skip the step.
Count the hoses coming off the top of the valve inside the cabinet, not the tap hoses at the wall. One machine can have a single tap hose feeding a three-way valve.
Check 2: 12V DC or 240V — this is the one people get wrong
Most Australian washing machines drive the inlet valve straight off mains at 240V. A significant group does not. Fisher & Paykel built a large part of its range around low-voltage 12V DC valves switched by the control board, and several Samsung and LG models use them too.
The two are physically interchangeable. They will bolt on, the hose will screw up, the plug will often fit. They will not work. Put a 240V coil where a 12V one belongs and it barely twitches; put a 12V coil on mains and you will destroy it, usually in seconds, sometimes taking part of the board with it.
The voltage is printed on the coil itself. Before you order anything, read it. If the old part is unreadable, check whether the wires run back to a low-voltage loom on the control board rather than to the mains harness — and if you’re not certain, send us your model number and we’ll check which one your machine takes.
Examples of each in stock: the Samsung 12V DC hot valve DC33-01011A and the LG 12V DC two-way valve for the WV5 series are both low-voltage. The Whirlpool single solenoid valve 481227128375 is a mains part. Same job, different worlds.
Check 3: match the model number, not the badge
This is where the money is saved. The badge on the front of an Australian washing machine often tells you very little about who built it, and a great many valves are shared across brands that look like competitors in a showroom.
The Euromaid valve above carries the same code as valves sold under several other badges. The Euromaid WMD107 washer-dryer combo valve fits a machine sold under more than one name. Fisher & Paykel and Haier share a great deal of hardware. So do the Electrolux, Westinghouse, Simpson and Chef ranges.
What this means practically: search the model number, not the brand name. It is printed on the model sticker — inside the door rim on a front loader, under the lid or on the back panel on a top loader. If your machine’s badge isn’t listed against a part, the part may still be the right one under another name. Send the model number through and we’ll tell you.
Browse everything in one place on the washing machine inlet valve range, or match your machine directly through the part finder.
Make sure it really is the valve first
An inlet valve is cheap, but so is being certain. Five minutes of checking costs nothing:
- Turn both taps fully on. Obvious, and it is genuinely the fault a fair share of the time — particularly after someone has been working behind the machine.
- Unscrew the inlet hose at the tap end and check the filter. There is a fine mesh screen in the hose coupling or in the valve inlet. Sediment blocks it and the machine fills at a trickle. Clean it and you may be finished.
- Check the pressure. Fill a bucket from the tap. A weak flow at the tap is a plumbing problem, not an appliance one.
- Listen. A working valve gives a soft click and then a hiss when the cycle calls for water. Silence points at the valve or its wiring; a hum with no water points at a jammed valve.
- Read the error code. A fill-related code narrows it down quickly — see our guide to the Samsung 4C water-supply code for how that logic works on any brand.
If it fills but won’t stop, or overfills and dumps, the valve may be stuck open — but the pressure sensor is just as likely a suspect, so check both before ordering.
Fitting the new one
On a plug-in machine this is one of the friendlier jobs on the list. Turn the taps off, unplug the machine at the wall, and take the back panel or top lid off. The valve is held by one or two screws and a bracket, with push-on spade terminals and a hose clamp or two.
Photograph the wiring before you disconnect anything — on a dual or triple valve the coils are not interchangeable, and getting hot and cold the wrong way round is an annoying thing to discover later. Our full walkthrough is here: how to test and replace a washing machine inlet valve.
Two honest cautions. The 240V valves sit on mains wiring — the machine must be unplugged, not just switched off, and if you are not comfortable with that, this is a job for a licensed person. And if your machine is hard-wired rather than plugged in, treat it as a mains job from the start.
Brand-specific walkthroughs, if yours is here: Simpson not filling, Fisher & Paykel not filling, Electrolux slow fill and no fill, and Lemair inlet valve and water level parts.
What it costs you either way
A washing machine inlet valve is typically an $11 to $45 part depending on how many ways it has, and the swap is usually well under an hour with a screwdriver. A repairer commonly charges $100 to $165 just to attend and diagnose before parts or labour, with most full washing machine repairs landing between $200 and $450 — and many set a one-hour minimum, so a ten-minute valve swap is still billed as an hour.
Get the three checks right and you keep the large majority of that. Get them wrong and you have a valve that doesn’t fit, which is exactly what this guide exists to prevent.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How do I know how many ways my inlet valve needs?
A: Count the hose outlets on the valve body inside the machine, not the tap hoses at the wall. One tap hose can feed a three-way valve. The replacement must have the same number of outlets, because each one feeds a different dispenser compartment.
Q: Can I fit a 240V inlet valve where a 12V one was?
A: No. They are physically interchangeable but electrically incompatible. A 12V coil on mains will be destroyed almost immediately and can damage the control board. The voltage is printed on the coil — read it before ordering, and if it’s unreadable, send us your model number and we’ll check.
Q: My machine fills very slowly. Is the valve always the problem?
A: Not always. Check the taps are fully open and clean the mesh filter in the inlet hose coupling first — sediment there is a common cause and costs nothing to fix. If flow at the tap itself is weak, that’s a plumbing issue rather than an appliance one.
Q: My brand isn’t listed against any of your valves. Does that mean you don’t have it?
A: Often not. Many Australian machines are built on shared platforms and sold under several badges, so the right valve may be listed under a different name. Search the model number from your model sticker rather than the brand, or send it to us and we’ll check which valve matches.
Q: Is replacing an inlet valve a job I can do myself?
A: On a plug-in machine, generally yes — it’s a bracket, a couple of screws, spade terminals and a hose clamp. Unplug it at the wall first and photograph the wiring before disconnecting. If the machine is hard-wired, or you’re not confident around mains connections, use a licensed person.
Bottom line: ways, then voltage, then model number. Get those three right and an inlet valve is one of the cheapest, most satisfying fixes on the machine. Match your model number here and we’ll point you at the valve that fits it.
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.
