Again asking for help with 1957 Kitchen Aid dishwasher--now I have TWO of these (photos)

[dekedickerson]

Hi there,

Last week I posted that I found a 1956-1957 Hotpoint automatic dishwasher. Well, another one popped on craigslist, and now I have two! The second one I found seems to be a more "deluxe" model, with more features and the roll & rack upper rack that rolls out. Also, the one I just bought has the two parts that I was missing with the other machine--the flip-over detergent cup and the silverware holder.

I guess my big question for those who know these machines is this: Will it hurt to clean these, and then just try firing them up? I work with audio machines from the 1950s and a lot of those things need to be lubricated and variac'd up gently before given full power. These units appear to have sealed bearings, at least according to the 1955 service manual, and I'm not really sure how to do anything other than just plug it in and see if it works!

Any tips for restoring these or any advice on prepping an old unit before firing it up?

Thanks,
Deke Dickerson

 

[tomturbomatic]

You are right to go with the stainless steel Hotpoint. You will want to check the action of the fill valve, motor and wiring so that "firing it up" does not take on too literal a meaning. The fill valve should be opened to see if the strainer is clogged. If it is clogged with minerals, some CLR or similar lime and rust remover will clean it. You should see if the motor turns freely by giving the impeller a spin by hand. Check to see of the impeller is chipped or broken and use the best one you have. Bakelite was not the longest lasting material for impellers. Even if it did not break, the leading edges of the impeller lost their sharpness from friction with the water and whatever was in it and washing performance was degraded.

There is a C-7 bulb behind the timer dial. The wash/rinse portion is blue and the dry portion red.

 

[dekedickerson]

Thanks for the tips! The bakelite impeller seems to be in very good shape and spins freely on both units. So hopefully I will be able to get one running and have parts from the other one to keep it running!

 

[stevet]

KitchenAid???

They may have looked similar in front design if not distant mirror images but not quite the same!
Couldn't resist!
Does that mean I have to duck and run now?

 

[dekedickerson]

Oh yeah....duh!!! Was just looking at some KitchenAid parts the other day, had a brain freeze....pardon my looking like an idiot on this forum!

 

[chachp]

I am eager...

to see how this restoration goes.  Please post pics as you go through the process.

 

I have always wished one of these would come available in my area and to date non have.  I think I would keep the model with the racks that roll out separately if that's an option.  That whole lifting out the top rack to get to the bottom seems like it would be a real PIA.

 

Didn't these machine get a decent Consumer Reports rating in their day?

 

[roto204]

Another check item

When you're confident that it all looks and works as it should, test it hooked up to water over a few cycles to be sure the fill inlet at the top of the tank doesn't have any lime on the end of the nozzle where it sprays behind the spinning disc. If it does, it can fill the impression at the top of the tank with water due to spittering--annoying for you and your cabinetry.