GE GSD2304K00WW dishwasher that is not quite mine

[th1813254617]

Hello, just joined this forum.

Just repaired this old GE GSD2304K00WW. This dishwasher resides in the house my friend rented, I plan on renting that very house once he leaves just so I can continue using this hunk of junk. I believe it is a BOL GE dishwasher made in the late 1990s for the Canadian market, but information on it is very sparse. I replaced the bottom wash arm and wash tower, replaced all the door gaskets, installed new tub baffles, and cleaned everything within reach with extreme prejudice. It is a loud machine, it sounds like a mini hurricane enclosed in a box. Cleaning performance is meh. It has issues with redepositing, and the wash arm coverage is subpar. The washing action is quite powerful, though, which is expected from an old dishwasher. The wash tower is surprisingly effective, it cleans the top rack like a charm (most of the time).

Today is a VERY busy day for this dishwasher. I've paused and added items no less than 4 times already. I don't think this load is coming out 100% clean. If there is one more piece of kitchenware that needs to be put inside, I'm gonna... Wait. What do you mean our cups need washing? REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Well, there still appears to be room, at least.

 

[th1813254617]

P.S.

I've ran around half an hour of the main wash cycle as a prewash since the entire actual prewash on this lasts a whole 5 minutes. I pre-rinsed the rice cooker bowl since that thing never comes out completely clean, everything else has simply been half-heartedly scrapped (hurray for built-in food disposers). This machine has the odd habit of dispensing the detergent 1/4 of the way into the main wash. Any idea on how to adjust that?

I wonder what that fancy Siemens my parents own will fare on such a load? It'll probably ace it, judging by what it did to my parents' plates.

Hmm, that wash water is looking and smelling pretty "yummy". I will report back when it's done. I'll reset the timer a couple of times to give it the best chance. I think the timer on this machine may be running a bit too fast.

I'm using Seventh Generation detergent powder.

 

[th1813254617]

Update:

The results were very satisfactory. To my surprise, it appears this machine performs just as well with extreme loads as it does with light loads. The performance of this machine has definitely been increasing in the past month. I think the detergent I'm using is cleaning the pumps and plumbing of the machine.
The bowls and plates all came out clean and dry, despite the fact that heat dry was off (expected).
The nonstick pan came out clean (expected)
The saucepan in the top-rack did come out clean for some reason, it hasn't been cleaned properly for a couple of days now, no matter the location and the type of gunk. The bottom probably needs some polishing. (disappointed)
Cup had some redeposits, that cup has always been a magnet for redeposits, though. (expected)
All Lids were clean, even the one placed on the silverware basket. A flak seed got redeposited BETWEEN the lid and the handle. HOW? (exceeded expectation)
The IKEA tri-ply pan had a thin white residue on the bottom, it was otherwise gleaming. The thin residue came off really easily, can't imagine how bad it would be without the dishwasher. I probably should swap its location with the non-stick pan, since the waterjets appear to be stronger in that corner. Maybe I shouldn't have removed that residue. (exceeded expectation)
Everything in the silverware basket got cleaned. (expected)
The rice cooker bowl had a few rice grains left inside, given how easily they were removed, it appears they were simply in a blind stop. I should probably place a plate in the bowl to splatter the water jets for better coverage. (expected)

Overall, good results. This is with extraordinary hard water and no rinse-aid. I'm liking this hunk of junk of a dishwasher. As a side note, Seventh Generation has proven itself to be much better than Cascade Complete and about as good as Finish Powder.

 

[vacerator]

Yes, the kitchen cabinet style

is 1980's, the era of these GE and the Nautilus machines.

 

[th1813254617]

Most of this house

is stuck in the 80s. The doorknobs are from the 1980s and are well worn. Half the lightbulbs were incandescent, with some GE bulbs that were made in the USA. I got them replaced because the electric bill is through the roof. There are stained glass windows in the dining room that are definitely not from this age.

Nice house. The rent is not cheap, though.

 

[th1813254617]

Ain't this delightful

I'm tempted to get a Sunbeam Radiant Control toaster for breakfast routines. That "RCA" microwave has to go because it's horrible. I might get a GE in white. That ceramic Whirlpool stove appears to be rather recent, it's really nice.

I have absolutely no idea what is period correct in this kitchen. I'm liking this kitchen bit too much considering it is just a rented house.

 

[repairguy]

Welcome! I believe the dishwasher is from the very late nineties or early 2000’s. I have a GSD3400 in black that is very similar and was built in 2001. The serial number will decode the exact build date.

 

[th1813254617]

S/N

is VA618816A

Made in Canada

Just fixed the right door hinge. This piece of junk appears to be made of some type of cheese. Well, the door now opens and closes smoothly, maybe a bit too smoothly. I need to get the rinse aid injector working. The water at my place is ridiculously hard, the PH is between 7.5 and 8. The seal on the rinse aid dispenser is gone, so I fashioned a temporary one from a bottle seal.

How did this thing not consistently leak when I first started using it?! The centre gasket on the bottom of the door was missing, the gasket was hard as stone, the corner baffles were gone, and the rinse aid dispenser didn't have its seal. Yet it only occasionally leaked and only a little bit.

BTW, what is a Bobload? I've seen it pop up here and there on this forum.

 

[repairguy]

Your dishwasher was built in November 2001. I’ll let Bob (appnut) explain the bobload certification as I might not know all of the rules for qualification.

 

[th1813254617]

Dang it

So my post does not truly belong in Imperial, yet. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that this specific model was discontinued in 2001, I guess that would make my specimen one of the last of its kind. I can no longer find the specific website which listed the year it was discontinued.

Surprising how well this thing aged, considering the amount of parts that are as soft and flimsy as Walmart bikes on this machine. Well, the Siemens my parents have is made of much more substantial stuff, but I don't expect it to last two decades.

 

[th1813254617]

Thanks

for dating this dishwasher, BTW. Nice to know that this thing actually is almost as old as I am. If my landlord plans to upgrade this unit, I'm buying it off him. He probably doesn't know it's been fixed yet. Why do I like this piece of junk so much? It doesn't even clean that well.

The GSD2100VWW appears to be the modern refresh of this machine and has also been discontinued. I'm liking its new top rack, though, might grab that if the racks in this unit were to rust. It's amusing to see the even more blatant shilling for Finish products in the new model. Mine just has "Finish jet dry" on the rinse aid dispenser cap and a sticker recommending Electrasol detergent on the top edge of the door. How much did Finish pay GE?

"64 dBA: Motor runs quietly to keep kitchen peaceful" Yeah, right. This machine is quiet alright. I can *barely* tell if it's running when I'm upstairs. Don't you hate it when your dishwasher is so quiet you need to go downstairs to check if it's still running? This new "Quiet Power" tech sure needs some getting used to.

 

[vacerator]

Nice stained glass window, and

solid vintage doors, etc. I'd keep all that. I'm sure it's a solid house too. The kitchen needs to go though. If vintage is what you'd like, by all means.
That doesn't mean it has to be all vintage cabinets and appliances. There are high quality solid wood cabinets available new. Also vintage look appliances from Elmira Stoveworks, and Big Chill. There are plenty of sources for vintage lighting and antique fixtures for the houses period as well.
Otherwise, you can choose contemporary items. Kohler, Delta, Danze, Rohl, KWC, Franke, Elkay, etc. all make sinks and faucets to go with any style. Farmhouse and or apron front sinks from fireclay, vitro-ceramic, to stainless and cast iron drop in or undermount universal.
Upgraded all wood semi custom stock order cabinets in oak, cherry, maple, etc. from Masterbrand (Thomasville, etc.), Shrock, Woodmode, Merrilat, etc.
Solid surface counter tops from Cosentino Silestone quartz, or granite from many suppliers.
Tile by Florida, Pamesa, etc.

 

[th1813254617]

Just cleaned the mesh right behind the food disposer.

There was blue protector film, plastic stickers, and a rubber gasket stuck in there. HOW?

Now the cleaning performance is slightly better with a slight increase in splooshiness. I'm going to buy some dishwasher cleaner to nuke any organics stuck in there due to reduced flow from the pump.

A full teardown may be the best idea, but I'm not doing that to a dishwasher that's not mine.

Time to Bobload the ever-living daylights out of this thing to torture test it.