A new addition to the collection!

[turquoisedude]

Well, it has been nearly 2 months since I added anything new to the collection... I did pledge to hubby that I was not planning on any major road trips to pick up vintage appliances this summer, so I had this latest addition shipped to upstate Vermont. We took a short trip into Derby Line on Friday afternoon and look what found it's way into the back of the Ford...

 

[turquoisedude]

It's bigger than a breadbox... Whatever could it be???

 

[turquoisedude]

It has push buttons....

 

[turquoisedude]

And it's turquoise....

 

[appnut]

it's a GE something--Filter-Flo?

 

[turquoisedude]

And, oh my, is that an impeller with a drain guard that might have once been called a filter-flo?

 

[turquoisedude]

Oh, and it has a Power-Shower....

 

[turquoisedude]

Meet the newest addition to the diswasher collection

It's a GE SP50 Mobile Maid Portable dishwasher! My guess is early 1960s (possibly a 1963 model based on the cutlery basket which is identical to the SD203 front-loader I have).

 

[turquoisedude]

I was kinda happy about it... Oh who am I kidding, I was over the moon!

 

[appnut]

OMG, someone get me a blue towel!!! Wow Paul, does this have a rapid-advance type of timer? Only thing different with the built-in is the red button with that extra cycle.

 

[turquoisedude]

Overall, it's in pretty good shape. Yes, there is some water scale build up, but most of that scrubbed right off. The blue plastisol tub is still solid and undamaged - no leaks! I did have to test it, using the traditional 'bucket test' and the impeller slings water around nicely and the pump drains fine. The seal for the water feed to the power shower in the lid is soft and the tub gasket, I swear, is as soft and supple as the day it was made!

 

[turquoisedude]

I did experience a problem when I tried a test drive in the kitchen, however... The machine didn't seem to fill properly. Expecting a bad solenoid, I quickly saw the real problem - the hoses had hardened completely and when I took them out to hook up to the sink, I kinked them severely... OOPS! I will have to replace them, but geez, I want to keep the original Unicouple!

 

[turquoisedude]

Of course I hooked up another set of hoses temporarily and did some further testing... The timer works great, and with unrestricted water flow, the machine fills, washes and drains normally. I also stumbled across the wiring diagram for this machine (also for SP40 and SP47 models - a picture of this to follow next week). I was puzzling about how the different cycles work on this dishwasher; hubby found a cycling chart as part of the wiring diagram!! The big difference from the older Mobile Maid I have - there are only two final rinses. Here's the cycles and their phases:
Normal Daily Dishes/Mixed Loads: prewash (no detergent dispenser for a prewash like in the 58 Mobile Maid), prerinse, main wash, two rinses, 16 minutes drying; water is heated in main wash and rinses.
Pots Pans/Utensils: 5 minute pause, prerinse, main wash, two rinses, 5 minutes heated drying, 11 minutes unheated; water is heated in main wash and rinses
Fine China and Crystal: 5 minute pause, prerinse, main wash, two rinses, 5 minute heated drying, 11 minute unheated; water is not heated in main wash or rinses.
Other cool features: the lid still pops open a few minutes into the dry phase, and the detergent cup will move back to the upright position during the dry phase of the cycle. How cool is that?? I am just DYING to run a load of dishes through this one!!

 

[turquoisedude]

Bob, it does appear to be the rapid-advance timer! Funny the portable was missing the red button, but oh well... WHEEEE!!

 

[appnut]

Paul, I think the red button had the timer pause while it heated the water. But that's just a guess. If that is indeed the case, the designers probably didn't want the water conntected and pressuring the coupler hose all that extra time that only a built-in installation could stand. The last of the Kenmore PowerCleans, the portable version didn't have a sani-rinse option but the built-in version did--so same kind of principle.

 

[appnut]

Paul, ya pour detergent right into the bottom of the tub for a detergented prewash.

 

[swestoyz]

Congrats Paul, you sure do have a thing for finding the good stuff!

Love the Mobile Maid badge on the front.

Ben

 

[gansky1]

Sweet! This going to be perfect in your turquoise kitchen, I've never seen these in colors.

 

[sensi-temp]

I don't think GE ever used a fast advance timer, at least not on these, there is not pausing for the water to heat on these machines. On the shorter cycles, my owner's manual says to turn the dial just you hear the water run in, you don't have to wait for a pause. When I use the daily button, I push the china/crystal after the main wash water pumps out as I don't need heated rinses. I never use the heated dry, I open the lid fully & everything dries fine on it's own.