Found a KitchenAid KUDS23

[barcoboy]

Monday afternoon I drove 2 1/2 hours to pick up a KitchenAid KUDS230B0 dishwasher. I found it on Kijiji for $60 CAD, and from the pictures it looked like it was in really good condition. When I got there, the pictures weren't lying... it was in terrific shape: the tank was mint except for a couple of porcelain chips in the door, no signs of rust anywhere in the tank or on either of the racks, door hinges and springs are in great shape, and the underside looked very clean. The owner told me she had just bought her house and didn't like the black color because it didn't go with her other appliances, so she brought her other dishwasher with her (I didn't have the heart to tell her that the panels were reversible!) She told me that several other people had contacted her about it after I did, but she held it for me and I ended up bringing it home. Got it all hooked up tonight, replacing an Inglis IHU05831 (Whirlpool PowerClean pump) and it works great. I was never happy with the Inglis because of the wash arm design with the tower in the lower wash arm shooting water up into the upper wash arm, and I found it left gibbles on my bowls in the upper rack... I'm hoping the KUDS23 with the fine mesh filter under the wash arm will wash better like my parent's KUDC22 that is now in my parts collection (racks were full of rust). I retired the Inglis when I found my KDS-58, but now it is time to put the KDS-58 into semi-retirement.

I do have a couple of questions about this dishwasher.

1) Does anybody have a service manual for it? I was able to find the Use and Care Guide, Installation Guide, and parts list, but no service manual. I did find a page with reference to a KUD23 series service manual, but no file to download.

2) Is there anything I can or should do about the porcelain chips to prevent any rust from forming?

3) The one thing I found wrong was a wheel missing from the bottom rack, but I was able to take one off of one of the rack of the KUDC22. I also have in my inventory a working KDC59 dishwasher minus the butcher block top and unicouple. Are there any parts from either one of these that would be compatible with the KUDS23?

The only thing I wish different about this dishwasher is that it had the Monterey style control panel, as I like the looks of those better than the standard control panels. But I'm still happy with my find regardless.

 

[panthera]

Chips

I have had good luck doing the following:

1) Grind down (wearing a mask) the porcelain in a tiny circle around the chip - you are aiming to remove all the rust.

2) Clean thoroughly with alcohol.

3) Apply several super thin coats of one of the bathtub chip enamels (Rustoleum is one) until you've built it up.

4) Let dry with the door open for twice as long as recommended.

 

I did his with our KA 15 about 10 years ago and it has held up.

 

 

[mattl]

Thanks for the tip on chips.  I have a Whirlpool DW, real hurricane in a box from the 80's that has a quarter sized rust spot in the left back corner of the tub.  Been trying to find some way to protect it, though it gets very little use.

 

Last time I used it I put my exterior lights glass panels and frosted chimneys in, took the frosting off many of the chimneys...  "Rust off a bumper" for sure...

 

[maytagbear]

Small grinding, etc

For the small grinding, would a Dremel be the thing?

Also--

"Alcohol?" Which? Vodka, rum, Everclear, 91% rubbing alcohol? Denatured?

Signed:

"Sincere but Confused in Ohio"

 

[johnb300m]

Everclear would actually work perfectly lol.
We used to use that at one of my jobs to clean greasy metal parts and glassware in the lab.

 

[barcoboy]

Thanks Panthera for the recommendation. I'm going to buy a can of Rustoleum bathtub paint this weekend and give it a try.

Maytagbear, I would think a Dremel tool would be perfect for this job. I am going to try using mine and I will let you know how it goes.

Still looking for a service manual if anybody has one they could scan, or knows where to find one online. And still wondering about parts from my other machines, especially the 22.

 

[stevet]

Service email manual and machine compare!

Any of our members who repair machines for a living and have a subscription to the document library at Whirlpool should be able to download the service manual for your 23 series dw. I would certainly like to get a copy of it as well.

As has been mentioned before, WP adapted the power clean pump to this machine but the bottom tank opening is smaller than the 18 thru 22 series so the pumps are not interchangeable. The parts like the door,dryer,fill valve and possibly the sump heater may swap out. You would have to visually size some parts up. Racks can swap but you mY have to change the hardware on the top rack.

While I personally prefer the 21/22 pump and true disposer of Hobart design,I also like the Power clean module dw's too and on this KA, you finally get the heat delay during the main wash which helps today's detergents work better.

 

[combo52]

Fixing porcelain chips

If the area is not rusted DO NOT try to grind away the remaining dark basecoat before painting with proper touch up products.

Often chipped areas will never rust because there is still glass basecoat present removing this base coat will only make the repair worse.

The touch up finishes adhere better to the glass than bare metal anyway.

 

[panthera]

John is quite right

If there's no rust, don't remove the bottom coat of glass. Just, it's 2017, so I'd be surprised if there weren't already rust there - among the many other horrors inflicted by Whirlpool, a cheapening of the enamel ranks high up. When I compare the enamel of our KA15 to what I saw on the post-Whirlpool 'KA' machines, it's like comparing the last of the Filter-Flo enamel work (orange peel without end) to a 1960's Maytag (smooth and thick).

Anyway, I'd not buy the big can, there's small bottles of the stuff to be had. It doesn't last long once the seal has been broken, unlike the appliance touch up paints.

 

[panthera]

Everclear

would work, of course - though it's a waste of good ethanol. Any denatured alcohol would do, a 90% or better isopropyl would, too.

 

[frigilux]

An informative and enlightening thread.

 

[barcoboy]

Agreed Frigilux... thanks everyone for this great information.

 

[jkbff]

Here is a list of available docs for kuds23.

 

[stevet]

my grubby hands...

would love to get a hold of some of the above. Are they available at all via download?
I would really only want the tech sheets. The other stuff is out there on the KA site, more or less.

 

[jkbff]

How do I get a hold of you?

 

[barcoboy]

So it looks like there isn't an actual service manual... interesting.

 

[stevet]

Looking for me?

Just use the email address listed in my profile.Thanks.

 

[barcoboy]

Would the timer chart and wiring schematic diagram be on the inside of the door for this dishwasher?

Or would one of the "Tech Sheets" listed above contain this information?

That's all I really wanted the service manual for.

 

[combo52]

Wiring information and cycle chart

Are located inside the main door area in a plastic pouch