Spare parts · 2026
3D printed spare parts for household appliances
Can you 3D print a spare part for a household appliance?
Yes, if it's a plastic part with no mains power, no gas and no pressure: dishwasher basket wheels and stops, a washing machine door handle, oven knobs or a fridge door shelf. Heat, water and detergent decide the material: ASA or ABS for the dishwasher and the oven, PETG for the fridge, never PLA. A small part costs about €10 (€6–€17), excluding VAT and shipping. On Fabrishare, a network of makers, you post the part for free and get offers within 24–48 hours.
Which parts of each appliance can be 3D printed?
The parts that break most are the plastic ones that move, get pushed or get opened every day. These are the ones a maker can reproduce, and in which material:
| Appliance | Parts that print well | Material | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dishwasher | Basket wheels and stops, clips for the fold-down tines, cutlery basket | ASA or ABS | Hot water and detergent every cycle: never PLA, and PETG only for parts that carry no load |
| Washing machine | Door handle, detergent drawer parts, programme selector knob | PETG or ABS | The electric door lock is never printed: only the handle |
| Fridge | Door shelves, handles, drawer runners and stops, covers | PETG | Food-safe material if it touches unwrapped food; printed in sections if it's wider than the printer |
| Oven and hob | Outer knobs and their plastic spindles, drawer handles | ABS or ASA | Nothing inside the oven, in the door or next to heating elements or burners |
| Vacuum and robot vacuum | Clips, wheels, dust bin lids, hose adapters, brush holders | PETG or TPU | Nothing on the charger or the battery |
| Coffee machine and kettle | Cold water tank lid, stands, outer buttons | PETG | Nothing that touches steam, hot water or pressure |
Print the spare part or buy it?
First, check whether the part is still sold. Since March 2021, EU ecodesign rules have required makers of washing machines, dishwashers and fridges to keep spare parts available for 7 to 10 years, depending on the part, after a model stops being sold; Great Britain brought in similar rules the same year. Some of those parts are only sold to professional repairers, though. And a part existing doesn't always make it practical:
Printing makes sense if
- The part is no longer made, or the appliance is older than those rules.
- Only the whole assembly is sold: a complete basket for one wheel, the inner fridge door for one shelf.
- The spare part takes weeks to arrive or costs more than the repair is worth.
- It breaks often and you want a spare.
Buy the spare part if
- The manufacturer sells it on its own at a reasonable price: that's the simplest fix.
- It carries electricity, touches a heating element or is part of a safety lock.
- It's a seal or a part that must stay watertight under water pressure.
- The appliance is under guarantee: have it repaired by the service centre.
Which material survives the dishwasher, the fridge or the oven?
In an appliance, a part doesn't fail because of its shape but because of what's around it: heat, water, detergent or weight. By appliance:
Dishwasher: heat, water and detergent
Every cycle soaks the part in hot water and detergent for one or several hours. PLA warps, and PETG can soften on the hottest programmes if the part carries weight. The safe choice is ASA or ABS, which cope with much higher temperatures. Ask for thick walls: wheels and stops take a knock every time you pull the basket out.
Fridge: cold and load
Cold is no problem for PETG, the usual material for shelves, handles and runners. What matters is the load: a door shelf full of bottles weighs several kilos and takes a jolt every time the door shuts. Ask for more walls and high infill, and say what it will hold.
If the part is wider than the printer (many have a build area of about 25 cm a side), it's printed in two or more sections that are joined, or by a maker with a large printer. For anything load-bearing, the fewer joins the better: mention it in the project.
Oven and hob: the heat around them
The knobs on the front get warm when the oven is on. ABS or ASA cope better than PETG without warping. Anything inside the oven, in the door or next to a gas flame isn't printed: no 3D printing plastic withstands those temperatures.
Wheels, stops and parts that cushion
For robot vacuum wheels, door stops or any part that has to give, TPU: a flexible, rubber-like filament. A wheel can have a rigid hub and a TPU tread.
What is never printed for an appliance
An appliance combines water, heat and electricity. That's why some plastic parts are never reproduced in 3D:
Nothing that carries mains power, insulates cables or connections, or is part of a gas supply.
No door lock on a washing machine or dishwasher, and no other safety catch: they stop the door opening when the machine is full of water or running.
No parts next to heating elements or burners, and no parts that work with steam or pressurised water, such as those on an espresso machine or a pressure cooker.
No rubber seals that have to be watertight: they're sold as spare parts, and a printed one won't seal the same way.
If in doubt, post the project with photos: the maker will tell you whether the part can be printed or is better bought.
Where is the rating plate?
With the brand, model and number from the rating plate, the maker knows exactly which part to reproduce, and you can check whether it's still sold. Where it usually is:
Washing machine
On the door frame when you open it, or behind the filter flap at the bottom of the front.
Dishwasher
On the side edge of the door, visible when it's open.
Fridge
On the inside wall, next to or under the salad drawer.
Oven
On the door frame when you open it.
Vacuum and small appliances
Underneath the appliance or its charging base, sometimes inside the dust bin compartment.
What to note down
Brand, model, product number and serial number. On Bosch, Siemens or Neff it's the E-Nr.; on Electrolux, AEG or Zanussi, the PNC. Take a photo of the plate and upload it with the project.
3D printed spare parts: the full guide
What to send so the part fits first time
- 1
The rating plate
A photo where the brand, model and number are readable.
- 2
The broken part, with a ruler
Photos from every side with a ruler or calipers next to it. If it's in pieces, tape them together for the photo.
- 3
Where it fits
A photo of the spot with the appliance open: how it clips in, where it turns and what holds it.
- 4
What it has to withstand
Whether it gets wet, gets hot, carries weight or takes knocks. That's how the maker picks the material.
- 5
Whether you want two
A second part as a spare adds little to the price: the work of setting up the first is already done.
How much does a 3D printed appliance part cost?
Prices for the complete job, excluding VAT and shipping, worked out with the Fabrishare calculator. Printing in ASA or ABS instead of PETG barely changes the price of a small part. If the maker has to model the part, the design is charged separately and shown in their offer.
| Part | Technology | Range | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small spare part (bracket, clip) | FDM | €6 – €17 | €10 |
| Medium case or cover | FDM | €7 – €19 | €12 |
Large parts, such as a fridge door shelf, have no ballpark price: it depends on machine hours and on whether they're printed in one piece or several. Each maker gives you theirs in the offer.
Of the 110 registered requests on Fabrishare between May and October 2026, 26 were spare and functional parts, the third-largest group after decor and miniatures.
How to order a spare part for your appliance
- 1Post your project for free with photos of the part, the rating plate and the spot where it goes, or with the STL if you have one.
- 2Say what it has to withstand: hot water, weight, heat or knocks.
- 3Within 24–48 hours you get offers with price, material and lead time. You choose one, and the maker prints and ships the part.
Questions about appliance spare parts
Can a dishwasher basket wheel be 3D printed?
Yes, it's one of the parts that works best: a small part, about €10, that takes about 20 minutes of machine time. Ask for ASA or ABS, because it gets hot water and detergent every cycle; PLA warps.
How much does it cost to 3D print an appliance spare part?
A small part such as a clip, wheel or stop costs between €6 and €17 (typically about €10), and a medium cover or housing about €12, excluding VAT and shipping. If it has to be modelled, the design is charged separately.
Which material survives the dishwasher?
ASA or ABS. PLA warps in hot water, and PETG can soften on the hottest programmes if the part carries weight. Polypropylene (PP) works too, but few makers print it.
Can a fridge door shelf be 3D printed?
Yes, in PETG. If it's wider than the printer (many have a build area of about 25 cm a side), it's printed in sections that are joined, or by a maker with a large printer. As it holds bottles, ask for thick walls and few joins.
Is it safe to print an oven knob?
The outer knobs, yes, in ABS or ASA, which cope with the heat on the front. Anything inside the oven, in the door or next to a gas flame, no: no 3D printing plastic withstands those temperatures.
Can I print a washing machine door handle?
Yes, the handle. What isn't printed is the door lock, the electrical part that stops the door opening during a wash: that one you buy.
What if the manufacturer still sells the part?
Buy it: it's the simplest option. Since 2021, EU ecodesign rules (and similar rules in Great Britain) require spare parts for washing machines, dishwashers and fridges to be available for 7 to 10 years, depending on the part. Printing makes sense when it's no longer made, when only the whole assembly is sold or when it takes weeks to arrive.
Do I need the 3D file of the part?
No. With photos of the part next to a ruler, its main measurements and a photo of the rating plate, a maker can model it; the design is quoted separately. If you find a ready-made file, the price drops.