Kitchenaid KDS-20 Superba available


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Thread Number: 23401
Kitchenaid KDS-20 Superba available

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Post# 364666 7/16/2009 at 21:30 (5,389 days old) by kdsguy ()
Checkrate/Likes Our "Kitchenaid KDS-20 Superba by Hobart Energy Saver V" Dishwasher will be replaced tomorrow. It needs a new motor and the "C-115683 Lower Wash Arm Support Assembly" (the plastic piece just under the lower spray arms). I know there's a lotta love out there for this machine but my wife wanted stainless steel and didn't want to let me try fixing the small areas of rust on the racks (which I'm sure can be done). Just thought I'd throw it out to you people before I list it locally. I'm in the central California area. It's in white and was working well until the crud got backed up in our disposal which froze the discharge motor. Any offers? BTW: It will be replaced with a Kitchenaid KUDS 40 CVSS in stainless steel. Any thoughts on this model? We pump our own water from a well and I'm thinking about removing our water softener system which we currently have on the hot water only.

Post# 364669 , Reply# 1 7/16/2009 at 21:43 (5,389 days old) by stevet (West Melbourne, FL)
Checkrate/Likes *wish you were closer! and one other thing!* Too bad I can't come out and get that machine. I think it was one of the smartest styled machines they ever came out with. I actually need a tank for either an 18 or 20.. even take a 21 tank in a pinch but they have to be Superba models because I need the sump heater in it and the holes for the sensors. In which case the 20 would work fine for me resurrecting an 18 and 20 unit. One question.. Why do you only soften the hot water? Is that to save salt on not softening your garden hoses? if that's the case, why not replumb the whole house including the cold on to the softener and then run an additional hard water supply to the hoses with a valves to isolate the supply so that you can have softened water for when you want to wash your vehicles and not have to worry about the water and mineral spots? And what about cold water laundering? All that hard water messing up your clothes?

Post# 364676 , Reply# 2 7/16/2009 at 21:55 (5,389 days old) by kdsguy ()
Checkrate/Likes *Hmmmm* You tell me! It's a weird old house with weird plumbing. The water softenr tank is in a closet alnog with the water heater with an access door outside. Every time they replace the salt tank they spray water on the wall, which saturates it and seeps into the bedroom carpet adjacent to that wall. I've complained so many times but outside of putting in a drip pan and galvanized splash guard at my own expense I'm considering just doing without. BUT...I've been meaning to research (ask dumb questions) the alternatives and now that I'm installing a new dishwasher with a stainless steel tank tomorrow I'm thinking I better start gettin' on it! I need a new water heater as well and I'm considering getting a circulator for the hot water side since it takes SO long to get warm water anywhere in the house. I've got a 75 gallon gas heater now but since there's only 3 of us and my daughter may be moving out pretty quick I'm guessing I'd be better off with a smaller, more effecient tank and then keeping the water moving through the walls and ceilng. Don't know where to start asking since I don't want to be SOLD on something just because somebody will turn a one-time profit off me.

Post# 364872 , Reply# 3 7/17/2009 at 13:52 (5,389 days old) by revvinkevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land)
Checkrate/Likes *Water heater* Have you considered looking at a "tankless" water heater? They are more expensive initially, but they operate "on demand" and can give you an endless supply of hot water.

Post# 364873 , Reply# 4 7/17/2009 at 13:57 (5,389 days old) by volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH)
Checkrate/Likes *Tankless.* Don't forget the 30% tax credit if you buy one! Dave

Post# 364882 , Reply# 5 7/17/2009 at 14:29 (5,389 days old) by kdsguy ()
Checkrate/Likes *Hot Water* My house is 3400 square feet, in a "U" shape, with a bathroom, the kitchen, and the utility room at least 50 feet from the water heater. The pipes run through the attic to get there (I have a slab floor). I'd consider getting a second water heater for that part of the house but the other bathrooms still need a while to heat up because of the long runs through the attic to get to each bathroom. It's just a weird house! Added on to without much thought to plumbing or electricals. The 3 water tanks are even under ground in the garage! I'm thinking circulator but I'd probably also need to get up there and insulate all the pipes and the attic is even weirder than the house with 5 skylights installed over the years. Just need to figure some cost analysis to see which way is best, but I still need to decide about the softner. Maybe salt isn't the best method, but right now my first question remains... on the aforementioned KUDS 40 CVSS - hard or soft hot or cold water?

Post# 364953 , Reply# 6 7/17/2009 at 18:30 (5,388 days old) by stevet (West Melbourne, FL)
Checkrate/Likes *Your first question answered! And then some!* No dishwasher produced in this country allows for cold water inlet supply. If you read your installation manual, you will see it tells you it needs water of at least 120 degrees and goes thru that whole "run the water in the sink first" to get it as hot as possible to cut down cycle times. But they never consider that in a situation like yours and even mine here in Fla, with the pipes under the slab, the water cools down so much between the cycles on these machines that heat and pump until the set temp is reached, that the next fill and subsequent ones are usually with cool water and not hot. I had no problem when I had my KDS18 as a daily driver because it had relatively short prewashes and the main full cycle was was like 8 minutes and then the 3 after rinses or short duration. by then, the water was pretty hot and the sani cycle heat time was not excessive. But to answer your question, you MUST use HOT water to supply the machine. The alternative suggested about the instant hot water heater is a good one if you can locate it as close to the d/w as possible and you can maybe even back feed the sink and disconnect it from the original house plumbing. Another possible suggestion for you would be to install a 6 gallon electric unit under a cabinet and turn it on prior to running the dishwasher. You could even supply it with hot water so you have less recovery time. They come wired for 120 or 208/240 volts. I installed one of the Watts recirculating pumps and 2 regulating valves and they DO work but my electric bill increased because the water coming back to the electric heater made it run longer. I have 2 pilot lites hooked up so I can tell when the elements are heating and within maybe 3-5 minutes of circulating, the bottom one pops on and starts reheating that cooler water. I used the timer on the unit and it is accurate but a better alternative seems to be a radio controlled adapter that plugs into the outlet and you can then turn the pump on and off, for as long as you need it on. Just as long as you leave the pump in the on position,the remote controls it. One great thing is the fact that you DO have nearly instant hot water for the shower in our bedroom which is a good 70 feet from the heater. One last suggestion would be to install multiple instant heaters outside the house near each of your bathrooms and since the pipes run thru the attic, you can grab the hot and cold water supply and isolate each area by installing valves and bypasses. Surely a nice cool weather project. Enough things for you to worry about? Oh and make sure you soften that cold water as well. The salt system is probably the best way to go no matter what as the use of a reverse osmosis system can become problematic especially with copper piping I have been told since it will attack the pipe itself. If anyone else has info on this phenomenon, please inform us.

Post# 364959 , Reply# 7 7/17/2009 at 18:42 (5,388 days old) by dadoes (TX,�U.S. of A.)
Checkrate/Likes stevet said: No dishwasher produced in this country allows for cold water inlet supply. Produced may be a pivotal word. There are dishwashers available in the U.S. that work perfectly fine on a cold water supply.

Post# 364975 , Reply# 8 7/17/2009 at 19:50 (5,388 days old) by kdsguy ()
Checkrate/Likes *I knew about the hot water requirement.* I just was looking for a more generic recommendation about softening both the hot and cold water. In other words, I'm trying to find somebody that's not trying to sell me something to make a recommendation on whether I need to soften my water or not. I'm guessing the main thing is that it lessons the amount of build-up and damage in my faucets but if it also lessens the build-up of crud in my pipes as well then maybe I should also hook it up to the cold side. Never thought of sediment build-up...was only thinking about the cosmetic damage. We run all our water through a Brita filter before drinking and it tastes WONDERFUL. The city puts chlorine in their water and we hate even having it in the house. We pump about 200 feet upstream of one of their wells so I'm pretty confident that it is safe. I was thinking about just installing a sediment trap but I guess I just am unsure of the benifits (or value) of paying the $42.00/ month for a softener. My wife and daughter tend to leave the hot valves on and leave the room for a LONG time so I'm sure that's costing me a bunch to pump and heat that water. The thing is, I find I don't even use the cold spigot 'cause the water out the hot side is the same temp anyway for the time I'm using it. So is the softner more for the dishwasher and washing machine then? And will it make a differance one way or another with my new Kitchenaid? The reason this all comes up is because when I was comparing new dishwashers some people were talking about the washers that softened the water internally and that some had problems with film when they were not matched with the right detergent. Sorry. Now I'm getting long-winded....I just want this $1000 dishwasher to make my wife happy and I don't want to find the stainless steeel tub OR the dishes with issues because of the quality OR the temperature of the water supply. BTW: It was the appliance repairman that recommended I get another Kitchenaid. I'm looking at this as an investment but only time will tell whether it's gonna impress me as much as the KDS-20 has.

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