Thread Number: 94830  /  Tag: Vintage Dishwashers
KDS-20 Does Not Fill Irregularly 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 1194507   12/1/2023 at 12:29 by back2ohio (Ohio)        

Hello,

A few months ago we purchased my grandfather's house, furnished. Many older appliances here the oldest of which is a KitchenAid KDS-20 dishwasher, which according to the label inside the kick panel was installed August 15, 1982. It had a leaking drain valve that we've already fixed. Current issue is that occasionally (and only occasionally) the initial water fill cycle does not go. This has been going on for a few weeks now. You have to cancel it so the water heater element does not run dry...and after fiddling with it and trying to start the cycle over and over again it will eventually (SO FAR) fill up. If that initial fill works properly the whole cycle will run correctly. I have struggled to find a pattern or a workaround but there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. At first it would happen every 3-5 days (I run it basically once a day, maybe a little less) but then it started happening every start. After a spate of good days the issue has cropped up again.

Like I said we've been here since the middle of September and while we've had to fix a lot of things we have not replaced anything major. I don't _want_ a new dishwasher and it looks to me like this place may be the last place on the Internet that I could find any hope for keeping this thing going. It works just fine apart from this and it does as good a job as a brand new one.

If anyone has any suggestions I'd appreciate it. I/we are not above replacing parts and fixing things...as I said we've already fixed a drain valve that had probably been dripping into the basement for the last 10 years or more.




Post# 1194511 , Reply# 1   12/1/2023 at 13:44 by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        

combo52's profile picture
Non-filling KDS 20 KitchenAid dishwasher

This could be caused by a number of things I would replace the inlet valve. There’s better than a 50-50 chance that this will fix it but it could be something else.

If the inlet valve is still original, it’s likely to fail for other reasons anyway, and if you’re trying to keep this dishwasher, you might as well just replace it.

John

Post# 1194517 , Reply# 2   12/1/2023 at 14:31 by back2ohio (Ohio)        

Hey thanks for the response. We considered the inlet valve but held off for two reasons. One is the price. They are somewhat pricier than the drain valve from what we could see. This isn't a deal breaker, except for the second reason. What we could not explain is why the valve should only fail to actuate on the first trigger but never on any subsequent opening. That tends to make me think the controller has a sporadic issue at the start of the program. Granted my knowledge of how that part of it works is more than shaky.

I think we can replace the inlet valve (though it won't be as easy as the drain valve due to its placement) but I want to be more confident before I commit more money.

Post# 1194539 , Reply# 3   12/1/2023 at 20:55 by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Filling problem on a KDS 20 dishwasher

 combo52's profile picture
It could certainly be a bad timer, they’re not cheap or simple to replace either.

Next time you go to start the dishwasher, why don’t you run a rinse and hold cycle which doesn’t stop and heat the water and see if it fills for the rinse and hold, also go back after the rinse and hold cycle which is only 10 minutes or something and restart it on the normal cycle and see how it behaves see if it truly only skips that first fill in the normal cycle.

John

Post# 1194542 , Reply# 4   12/1/2023 at 21:23 by qsd-dan (West)        

qsd-dan's profile picture

John is correct, the best place to start is the water inlet valve. These can get wonky after 42 years of service and act up. Also, the inlet screen tends to plug up with time from mineral deposits, causing the machine to underfill. Personal experience with the valves, there's a unique seal on them that leaks after a while and it's not worth rotting out the floor of your kitchen. The new style replacement water valve is a single valve rather than the dual valves these originally came with, but it will function the same. Here's a new valve for $12, worth the gamble at that price.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115888458832QUE...

 

If it ends up being the timer, there's a few used and new timers available on Ebay. Old part# is 241497, updated part # is 4162693.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/204532713462QUE...

 

 

 
Post# 1194558 , Reply# 5   12/2/2023 at 07:16 by back2ohio (Ohio)        

That is a fantastic price for the valve and I am more than willing to take a risk at that price. Thank you so much for finding that. I will keep you all updated. Thanks so much.

Post# 1194780 , Reply# 6   12/5/2023 at 15:23 by back2ohio (Ohio)        

So I discovered that kicking the kick plate (gently...I bumped it with my foot) makes the water fill start when it otherwise won't. It's only happened once so far but the cause and effect was pretty hard to doubt.

I have a valve being delivered on Thursday, and we will install it. I am now much more hopeful that this will finally resolve the issue. Thank you again to everyone who responded. We had searched for a valve and found them being sold for nearly ten times that price. This discouraged us from taking a risk because as much as I want to keep this vintage unit we did just buy a house and we have to be thinking about "cutting our losses" when it comes to stuff like this.


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