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Thread Number: 86740
/ Tag: Vintage Dishwashers
Newbie needs help with KDS-18 not cleaning dishes |
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Post# 1113181 , Reply# 1 3/29/2021 at 23:06 (1,115 days old) by whirlykenmore78  (Prior Lake MN (GMT-0500 CDT.)) |
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Sounds like a spray system problem:
It is not uncommon for the bakelite hub of the lower wash arm to go out of round which will cause water to spray back into the wash tank instead of up through the arms. This reduces pressure to both arms and can cause the lower arm to stall instead of turning.
If the problem is mostly in the upper rack make sure that the tube that feeds water to the upper wash arm is not wore out/cracked and nothing is caught in the China Guard under the arm and it is not broke. If either is the case it will stop the upper arm from working. WK78 | ||
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Post# 1113184 , Reply# 2 3/29/2021 at 23:27 (1,115 days old) by Revvinkevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land) |
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Mike it sounds like you’ve been very thorough thus far!
This may be a silly question, but when the dishwasher is operating during wash or rinse, can you hear the water forcefully splashing around inside? Regarding “is there a way to see what’s happening inside...”... do you know anyone who owns a GoPro video camera who will allow you to borrow it? Put it inside with the waterproof enclosure, then some sort of flash light in a ziplock bag and vòila! Otherwise a much more labor intensive way would be to custom fit a plexiglass panel to the door opening, then secure it with clamps, etc. I’m sorry I’m not able to offer any other suggestions or advise. | ||
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Post# 1113196 , Reply# 3 3/30/2021 at 05:55 (1,115 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD) |
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Congratulations. The wash arm support might be worn. You should not have to rinse by hand with an 18. | ||
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Post# 1113198 , Reply# 4 3/30/2021 at 06:20 (1,115 days old) by chachp (North Little Rock, AR) |
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The forbidden view......
Get a clear plastic shower curtain and some good clear packing tape. Cut the shower curtain to the shape of the opening and tape it in. You've got a clear view into what's going on. This is my 21 series machine but I think your's should look about the same when its running. In this machine I had a bad wash arm support and the arms were barely turning it also had a bad filter screen but the design is different from yours so that wouldn't be an issue in this machine.
I would start here, see how it's moving water and go from there.
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Post# 1113200 , Reply# 5 3/30/2021 at 07:13 (1,115 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md) |
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KA KDS-18 Cleaning Problems Hi Mike, It sounds like you checked out most possible mechanical problems pretty well which leaves the chemical problems.
How hard is your water ?
Exactly which detergents are you using and how much ?
Exactly what is not coming off the dishes etc ?
Do note, US home DWs are designed for dirty dishes and in many cases rinsing most soil off dishes can sometimes leave a worse final result, sugars soften water, oils help activate detergents and reduce foaming, acids reduce spotting and mineral deposits etc.
And also note some items just don't wash well in any DW and will not look clean, replace these items if possible.
25 years ago we bought new SS table wear and it looked terrible after coming out of the DW, so I returned it, We bought a 2nd set and it did not fare much better so I took it to the mountain house where it seemed to wash much better in the softer water there.
We bought a third set that worked great from day one and still cleans beautifully and shines coming out of our 1987 WP DWs to this day.
John L. | ||
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Post# 1114351 , Reply# 7 4/11/2021 at 20:56 (1,102 days old) by whirlykenmore78 (Prior Lake MN (GMT-0500 CDT.)) |
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It is very likely you are losing pressure at the lower WA:
Listen as the machine is filling and if you hear a clunking sound as the pump catches prime that is a worn out Lower wash arm popping up and hitting the lower rack. This is how I figured out that my Mom's KDP-20 needed a new arm.
Another way to check is to stop the machine and restart it full of water. You should hear the motor start and a whoosh of water through the arms. If you hear a clunk and or no whoosh, bad wash arm. In either case you are losing pressure and the arm is not turning. Post pictures of the (Groove in the hub) and the WA support so we can see if they are wore out. If so I know someone here will have the parts you need. WK78 | ||
| Post# 1114361 , Reply# 9 4/11/2021 at 21:50 (1,102 days old) by qsd-dan (West) | ||
Carefully inspect the upper supply manifold tube (Part# WP4171544) that connects to the upper washarm. If it fits loosely at either end or has rips/tears/holes, you'll lose pressure there.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/WP4171544-Whirl... There's also a bellows seal specific to the 18 series only that seals between the upper rack and the manifold which is known to tear after decades of use. The Hobart part# is D-116028, I have no idea what the updated Whirlpool part# is. That part has been discontinued for many years now and virtually impossible to find but Combo52/John Lefever has mentioned in the past that he has a few of these available in stock. The upper washarm could be worn, its common for these to wear out after several decades of use. They have been discontinued for over a decade but still pop up on Ebay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-OEM-Whirlpo... | ||
| Post# 1115180 , Reply# 11 4/20/2021 at 20:42 (1,093 days old) by Awooff (Peoria, Illinois) | ||
Soft water | ||
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Post# 1115182 , Reply# 12 4/20/2021 at 20:59 (1,093 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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You are going through similar motions to what I went through with a KDS-20.
Once I resolved the hard water problem and installed a softener properly set-up for the amount of hardness coming into the house (chemical issues - check), and replaced the main wash arm support AND a new wash arm (major mechanical issues - check) - it washes like a dream. There should be NO play with the main wash arm. A good, quality detergent should also not be overlooked (anything eco branded or sold through a MLM company probably won't make the cut in your Hobart). I was using some cheap but phosphated detergent during the wash cycle with mixed results, paired with an enzyme packet for the pre-wash cycles for either the Heavy or Pots and Pans cycles. Once the cheap stuff was gone I switched to a Cascade commercial powder (they call it "Professional") with actual sodium carbonate for the main wash (non enzyme and no phosphates) and it was washing like new again. Everything felt clean and not chalky and I rarely find a dish with anything left behind, save for maybe a gunky fork every so often. It is getting harder and harder to find a non enzyme powdered dishwasher detergent, but keep an eye out and you'll eventually find one. Some here swear by Cascade Fryer Boil Out but I feel that's overkill when I get can the same results for less $ and no phosphates. www.amazon.com/Cascade-59... Ben | ||
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