Thread Number: 45698
Kitchenaid Imperial 21 dishwasher 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 668486   3/26/2013 at 10:25 (4,042 days old) by eldegee ()        

I have a Kitchenaid Imperial 21 Model KUD121DS that no longer drains. Not sure of the age of the unit, but it was here when we bought the house in 1994. It has been a great dishwasher, but has gotten progressively noisier over the past few years. For several months it would on occasion freeze up just as it would start to drain.

So, I would open the door, siphon out the water into a bucket (3-4 min), then restart the unit. The timer would tick away and after a few minutes end up on the DRY cycle, whereupon it would dry the dishes just fine.

BUT, it now locks up all the time on the drain cycle, and I've grown tired of siphoning out the water. And it is VERY noisy.

I assume the pump/motor assembly is the problem, but after much time searching it appears there is no replacement part. Can anyone offer a suggestion on a possible repair, or perhaps a comparable replacement? Many thanks!




Post# 668582 , Reply# 1   3/26/2013 at 19:26 (4,041 days old) by stevet (West Melbourne, FL)        
Tear in to it!!!

 Has the machine stopped draining completely, that is, does it ever drain at all? Your machine has a reversing motor and before draining the pump will stop and then reverse and drain. Does it do that much?

If it does seem to reverse, then you will need to check the drain hose and make sure it is not blocked by debris especially if the hose is one of those corrugated ones. Also, make sure the hose did not get kinked by something un der the sink cabinet. It does happen!
Using a corrugated hose will also slow down the draining process and could conceivably cause drain issues like slow draining and noise.
That type of hose is not recommended at all and I have seen machines that had them and were rarely used and all the chopped up food stuffs just hardened into a block of cement! You should be using a 9/16 heater hose like you would use and get at an auto parts store for the drain line.

There is a check valve that is removable and cleanable if it is blocked, The halves actually unthread.

If the motor goes to reverse and stops immediately, the pump may have ingested something that the pump could not dispose of and it is jammed up. In that case, you will have to take the pump apart and check into it. If you need or want the service manual for it, let me know and I will email it to you.



That should be enough for you to start with to check and maybe fix the machine with.
Keep us posted and look for more advice as more guys read your post.

Post# 668589 , Reply# 2   3/26/2013 at 19:55 (4,041 days old) by eldegee ()        

The unit sounds like it is about to start draining, then it makes a loud noise and immediately stops. It's probably occurring when the motor reverses, as you explained. I'll definitely check everything over this coming weekend, when I have the time to spend on it.

What would cause the unit to be so dang loud, though? Could it be the motor bearings?

I would greatly appreciate a service manual sent to my email - that would be of tremendous help! I'd sure like to keep this dishwasher if at all possible.

Thank you.

Larry G

Post# 668590 , Reply# 3   3/26/2013 at 20:02 (4,041 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Non Draining KDS-21

 combo52's profile picture

You have a foreign piece of metal caught in the drain pump impeller area, I have seen this many times, as Steve suggested it is not that hard to disassemble these pumps and you may not need any parts to fix this at all, John.
Post# 668591 , Reply# 4   3/26/2013 at 20:06 (4,041 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Non Draining KDS-21

 combo52's profile picture

You have a foreign piece of metal caught in the drain pump impeller area, I have seen this many times, as Steve suggested it is not that hard to disassemble these pumps and you may not need any parts to fix this at all, John.

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