GE Potscrubber GSD2800 rehab + horrifying imagery!

[whirlcool]

Thanks for the explanation about water hardness. We get calcium build up in our showers if we are not careful, but not in the dishwasher. I imagine these deposits make people replace their dishwashers more often than usual?

Wouldn't a whole house water filter remove some of that calcium. I know they make a system that will remove iron from the water.

 

[whirlcool]

A friend of ours had purchased a house and when she moved in the first thing she did was wash a load of brand new white towels. These were nice towels too! She also added bleach to the load.

When she came back to unload the towels from the washer when she opened the lid she saw that her brand new white towels were now day glo orange! Turns out she had iron in the water. A local water treatment company came out and installed a filter system that removed the iron from the water. The towels eventually came back to being white again after using something called "Iron Out".

 

[bwoods]

Allen

A water softener will reduce hardness to zero so virtually all of the calcium carbonate is removed. Softeners will take out iron, but sometimes there is so much that one needs a separate iron pre-filter like your friend's before the softener.

Part of the problem in your shower may be that the soap you use (like Dial, Zest, etc) is combining with the calcite in your water and giving you hard water/soap scum which deposits on the shower surfaces. Hand and body soaps, in general, aren't as soluble in hard water as are dishwasher detergents and don't rinse off surfaces as well.

 

[funktionalart]

There is a softener...

installed in my house. So, if anyone thinks those pics of the 2800 are a result of living with me, they're mistaken :/

 

[roto204]

Wow!

I saw the scale, but had no idea as to the extent. That's impressive even for Tucson water. Our water here is hard, but tends to not be much of an issue. I suspect this is from years of crap detergent--or, not enough detergent. The lady who had it was sweet as ever, but yeah, it had clearly been outside for a year. We were all surprised when we saw it posted…and re-posted…and re-posted again. We wondered if it was coated in flu germs, or what caused it to be orphaned on Craigslist for so long. Now, I suspect, we know. She had it on the side of her house under a tarp, but it would have been nice to get it before it suffered so much collateral damage from being in the elements. I was amazed the electronics still worked.

You've done beautiful work in getting it apart and cleaned up--and great idea on the pump-snag from the 640. SteveT is right, there are magnets in that wash arm, so you must use the arm from another 2800 or keep that one for the computer to be able to sense its rotation. If there are too many deposits to allow for proper rotation, or if it's tightened down too much so it can't turn--or if the Teflon bearing underneath the arm is so-so--all of those things can contribute to a slowdown that fools the computer into thinking there is a blocked wash arm, and the machine will stop and beep. This behavior alone was what sold us on switching to a 1200.

 

[funktionalart]

Nate,

Don't get me wrong--I am not complaining IN THE LEAST! The buildup was a surprise, but not a deterrent. You have no idea how long I'd looked for one of these...so I would have bought any one I'd found provided the control panel worked. I'm one of those who feels nothing is impossible and that most things can be saved and / or put into acceptably useable condition with a little time and love. This 2800 is one of them.

**The control panel now looks quite close to new--the black is now BLACK and touch pad shows no real use/wear. Secret: good cleaning and a few good rubdowns with WD-40...and followup with soft buffing cloths. Sexy lookin'! The only damage on control panel at all, and it's pretty hard to notice, is that the far left "rib" is missing in the vent grille. I can exacto blade one out of the 640 before I trash it.

The 640 was a very, very low usage donor--I knew the wash arm situation wasn't compatible--I mostly wanted it for : door gasket, detergent cup, black panel and door trims kit and motor (the motor in the 2800 sounded tired and ratty...so here is a quick fix!). The main sump cover from 640 is also a direct fit so I can now abandon the task of scratching away the buildup on the original one in the 2800. LOADS of time saved there.

Today, at some point, I am going to pull out the heating element so I can properly get to the back corners for a good descaling. It is just too hard to maneuver in there with heating rod in the way. The gearing for washarm actually seems to be just fine--although there is the usual powdery white light calcium buildup on everything. I can sort that easily enough. There doesn't seem to be wear-down on anything there which would cause a blocked arm message...but I really won't know for sure until I connect and run this thing.

BTW, how do I remove the two black rubber pieces at each front corner of the tub (the ones which the door conceals when it's closed)? There is a ton of mud in them...I don't want to risk tearing them if I can avoid it. Thought maybe someone might now proper method of removal.

Because you'll never see another Harvest gold 2800--here's a shot. I just wanted to see if it looked odd or not. I think this is the first harvest gold ANYTHING which is sort of appealing:

 

[funktionalart]

Cut wires! Anybody know what...

these are for? Machine has not been connected to water--I have only powered it on to test the control board and motor. Flipped machine on its back tonight and found this pair of black wires have been cut (obviously long ago...have no idea what they are supposed to do--I doubt I can source those wires with original pigtail connector...and there doesn't look to be enough of one of the wires left to connect to a splice replacement.

Any input appreciated! Photo below.

 

[funktionalart]

Mystery solved on cut wires....I think.

This seems to be the magnetic sensor switch for the lower wash arm. Previous owners must've been getting Blocked Wash Arm error code and cut the wires....should I expect trouble if I just leave this disconnected?

 

[funktionalart]

Production date is...

apparently 6th Nov 1984 (that's when the tub was mfg'd, anyway). Date coded on the permatuf, visible below the bottom of door edge with access panel removed.

 

[funktionalart]

UP AND RUNNING!

No tears, washer111. I know how badly you want one of these machines...but thought I'd put a little update here on the 2800 I was working on.

Well, I wound up quitting the project 1984 GSD2800. Just couldn't get the tub and certain parts up to proper snuff...and that washarm sensor on the body frame was not repairable.

HOWEVER....all was not lost. I came across another (model year 1988...same exterior, but chrome strip on face panel is not there--it is black). This machine had visibly little use. YAY! So the project machine became a fab donor for all the spares which will come in handy down the road.

Best bit, because of all this I now have TWO working GSD2800 control panels (those things just do not exist anymore in any quantity worth mentioning). The "new" machine also had the factory envelope tucked underneath containing full wiring diagram, schematics, and control panel test procedures/code diagnoses, etc. Happy!
Some pics here for you~

 

[washer111]

Someone Get the Spill Kit!

Would you believe it, I *actually forgot* that this thread existed. There's another one for the confessional (LOL, I'm carrying a joke over from the blue forums). 

 

This newer machine looks much nicer.

Much as I hate (alright, dislike for those of you who hate that word) cannibalism, if it works for you that way, go for it. The Russians bought brand new planes to cannibalise, so have at that, what you will . 

 

Thanks for the update. Maybe now you'll be able to process some good loads

 

(As for the fouled tub, I wonder if you used a chlorinated detergent, such as Hytron, if those stains would work out over time with longer, steaming hot washes?)