Kitchenaid Hobart KDS 17A rust on dishes

Regarding dishwasher rack repair.

Rusting of dishwasher racks is a common problem and solved by one of two ways; replace or repair. The rust you are seeing is simply staining coming off the racks during dw cycles and depositing on your dishes.

By repair one purchases any of the various "rack repair kits" or simply a bottle of rack paint (such as ReRack) and have at it.

Repair basically involves tedious work of cleaning each rusted area, sanding away the rust to bare metal, cleaning again, then applying several coats of rack paint. For the ends of the rack tines you can also purchase little tips that go over the repainted areas. If you do not remove the rust before applying paint/repair it is likely the thing will continue to rust both under and sooner or later break through/above the paint. Unchecked the rust will sooner or later simply eat away at the metal and you'll have another problem.

You may also wish to consider using a rust converter or remover instead and or in addition to sanding. You'll need to follow whatever product you choose directions and make sure not only the stuff is not toxic but will "survive" repeated dw cycles. Certain rust reformer products must cure for two or more days before you can paint over, so that is something to consider as well.

Some persons use a Dremel tool for easier and faster work of sanding down/removing rust from dw racks.

In the end it all comes down to how valuable your time and predicted lasting duration of any repairs versus cost of purchasing a new rack. Some find that even with the best repair work about a year or so later rust is again peeking through. Others simply not wanting to bother with the fumes, time spent and so forth just go out and purchase a new rack.


Forum Topics & Rules Manuals & Literature	New users Click-here to sign-up

Post# 779306 8/25/2014 at 12:46 (3,531 days old) by Dewman222 ()
Checkrate/Likes My wife is threatening to make me replace our Kitchenaid KDS 17A unless I can find a solution for the rust the lower rack is leaving on our dishes. I was considering trying to find some plastic nubs to cover the tops of the rack poles. The covering is worn off and we are ruining our dishes. I saw a rack that looked like it work on a parts website, but they were asking $130 plus shipping. That seemed crazy. Any suggestions? View Full Size

Post# 779311 , Reply# 1 8/25/2014 at 12:59 (3,531 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There�s a Lady on Stage)
Checkrate/Likes *There Are Hundreds of Posts Here And On The Internet* Regarding dishwasher rack repair. Rusting of dishwasher racks is a common problem and solved by one of two ways; replace or repair. The rust you are seeing is simply staining coming off the racks during dw cycles and depositing on your dishes. By repair one purchases any of the various "rack repair kits" or simply a bottle of rack paint (such as ReRack) and have at it. Repair basically involves tedious work of cleaning each rusted area, sanding away the rust to bare metal, cleaning again, then applying several coats of rack paint. For the ends of the rack tines you can also purchase little tips that go over the repainted areas. If you do not remove the rust before applying paint/repair it is likely the thing will continue to rust both under and sooner or later break through/above the paint. Unchecked the rust will sooner or later simply eat away at the metal and you'll have another problem. You may also wish to consider using a rust converter or remover instead and or in addition to sanding. You'll need to follow whatever product you choose directions and make sure not only the stuff is not toxic but will "survive" repeated dw cycles. Certain rust reformer products must cure for two or more days before you can paint over, so that is something to consider as well. Some persons use a Dremel tool for easier and faster work of sanding down/removing rust from dw racks. In the end it all comes down to how valuable your time and predicted lasting duration of any repairs versus cost of purchasing a new rack. Some find that even with the best repair work about a year or so later rust is again peeking through. Others simply not wanting to bother with the fumes, time spent and so forth just go out and purchase a new rack.

Post# 779313 , Reply# 2 8/25/2014 at 13:05 (3,531 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E)
Checkrate/Likes *You Can Try:* ReRACK, which is a specialty coating from Plasti-Dip. It is white, but if you're trying to save money, that shouldn't be too big an issue. The more of the rust you get off the rack before coating an area with ReRACK, the better the finished repair will be. ReRACK is available through ACE Hardware, and here's a link to the Plasti-Dip product page for it: www.plastidip.com/home_solutions/... For the tips of the tines, you can either use ReRACK, or invest in a set of tine tips. These will be available through your local appliance parts place, or you can Google "dishwasher rack tine" to find online sources. They're little plastic tips you slip over the tips of the tines. Putting a dab of silicone sealant on the tip of each tine before putting on the tine tips will make a much more lasting repair. One thing should be pointed out here - if the rack is the only thing wrong with the dishwasher and repair is not feasible, $130 for a new rack plus shipping is really not that bad. A new TOL KitchenAid dishwasher lists for over $1800. And, being subject to today's water and energy-saving regulations, it won't wash like your TOL 17 Series Superba will, trust me.

Post# 779386 , Reply# 3 8/25/2014 at 18:19 (3,531 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)
Checkrate/Likes *Retipping DW Racks* Good Advice Sandy, except I would not put the little tips in place with silicone sealant, we had problems where the SS was so sealed under the little tips and it never cured and the tips kept coming off months later, I would use a little dip-it or other glue. John L.

Post# 779400 , Reply# 4 8/25/2014 at 20:45 (3,531 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)
Checkrate/Likes Or, for $120 you can just buy one. A bit pricey, but free shipping. CLICK HERE TO GO TO gansky1's LINK on eBay

Post# 779450 , Reply# 5 8/26/2014 at 03:49 (3,530 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *Or...* Keep an eye on Craig's List for a KDS 17 series for $100 OR less providing the racks are in good shape. Then not only would you have better racks, but you will have spare parts to keep that machine running for a long time.

Post# 779495 , Reply# 6 8/26/2014 at 10:19 (3,530 days old) by Dewman222 ()
Checkrate/Likes *THANKS!* I ordered some tips ($10) and will give that a shot first with the glue. Thanks to everyone for the advice! I was pretty stunned to stumble on this site yesterday (And on the fact that these old Hobarts are going for around $300 on ebay). Amazing. Now I wonder if anyone wants this old double oven. I'm pretty sure a turkey won't fit in either one!

Post# 779582 , Reply# 7 8/26/2014 at 19:37 (3,530 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E)
Checkrate/Likes *Adam:* Welcome. The rack repair should last you a while, and then you can decide if the KitchenAid's going to last long enough to make a new rack worth it. Please check in and ask questions any time. We have people here who know stuff about older KitchenAids that the KitchenAid people don't remember any more! If you're seriously offering an old oven, take a photo of it and post it to the Shopper's Square forum, where listings of items available to buy or sell are posted. I'm not making any promises, but you never know when your old item is just what someone else is looking for.