Getting my kdss-21a ready for daily use, need some loading tips

[combo52]

Hi Eugene, there are many things that can get out of order on KA DWs that keep them from working at their peak level.

 

Be sure that the lower arm is turning fast enough, we always saw a lot of KA DWs where the lower arm was slow, you can slightly bend the outer tips of the arms to angle the outer jets for better propulsion.

 

But you have to keep in mind that KA DWs do not have guaranteed wash temperature and the main wash cycles are too short, this is why WP, GE and MT all out performed any KA 21 series DW in the 80s.

 

John L.

 

[lorainfurniture]

So I’ve been using the pots and pan cycle for the most part. I’m nervous to use the Sani rinse as I have a bunch of plastic stuff in there on a daily basis. My wife will lose it if this dw ruins my daughters favorite cup lol.

That said I feel like a might have a bit of a inlet issue. The dw inlet line hisses a bit when it’s filling, that makes me feel like there is a restriction somewhere. I’m going to experiment the next week or so and I’ll follow up.

I will say that switching to finish powder and adding a bit to the prewash cup has helped

 

[combo52]

Sani Cycle On A KDSS-21

Only heats the water in he sump to 165F then briefly sprays the water on the dishes, I can attest to the fact that my WP PC DW with its Hi-Temp Wash&Rinse of 150F gets the dishes much hotter. If I put a #1 plastic bottle in the WP DW it will melt and distort, our KA KUDSS-20 never got close to causing any plastic melting or damage in the ten years I had it.

 

I Always used and use air-dry on our DWs.

 

John L.

 

[user 3941]

I've had issues in mine. Just the other day actually. My Tupperware salad bowl warped in the lower rack (just from the normal temps). My SaniRinse gets super hot and I've taken plastic items out right away and they were very pliable. LOL. Just be careful.

Nice thing on these machines is that the heating element is lower than typical so it doesn't cause as many problems.

 

[askolover]

I always add detergent to both cups...about half full in each one since I have a water softener.  My mother usually fills the main cup and about half to the prewash cup, same DW as I have but no water softener in the house.  Think about it....it adds quite a bit of water to the tub...much more than the new machines do so the detergent I'm sure is more diluted in our older models. 

BTW Eugene, would you like me to send you a little of the chlorinated powder I have so you can try it?  I have a bucket of it.  I also have fryer boil out, but I like the Premier bucket better.

 

[combo52]

Kitchenaid KDSS-21

Hi Eugene, This DW has THREE detergent cups, if you are using the pots and pans cycle you should put some detergent in the 1st open cup between and above the other cups.

 

It is important with any DW to use a good combination of detergents. On my 1987 WPs I use a powdered detergent in the first cup [ 1/2 full ] and a perium tablet in the 2nd cup.

 

On your DW I would try some enzyme detergent in the prewash area maybe with phosphate added, a premium tablet in the first covered cup and some chlorinated powdered detergent with phosphate in the final wash cup. I would not get too carried away with the amount of detergent [cups  only about 1/2 full ] with this DW as it only has one real final rinse.

 

John L.

 

[lorainfurniture]

Update

Things are mostly going well. I still get the occasional dirty knife, but it always is the banana knife. I’ve been using a mixture of finish pods, powder, and some old chlorinated dw detergent my friend bob gave me.

I’ve more or less mastered loading (compared to my first attempts at least), and everything fits and getting clean. The only bummer is that I’m using a lot more detergent. Pre wash, main wash. My pos LG took 3 hours but it mostly did it with one pod. The kdss is loud, but I honestly love it.

It looks beautiful, sounds powerful. It 98% of the time takes care of business. Hopefully I can find a mint condition stove that my wife will approve of so I can ditch that mediocre LG stove. It certainly works fine but is so boring I loathe it.

I’ll update again in six months.

 

[norgeway]

I have a custom 21

And it does ok...but as John says, its not as good as the older kitchen aids, personally a 16 or 17 will blow it out of the water, I prefer the single arm machines, the water pressure is so strong nothing has a chance.

 

[combo52]

Kitchenaid KDSS-21 Dishwasher

Yay, Eugene, glad you are having fun using this unique DW, there are only two of these know to still exist that are in regular use, keep us updated and lets hope it is still working in 6 months.

 

You should look for something like a GE Veratronic or Colaric Micro-Electric range to complement your KA DW, there has never been any other range that can do the things these combination ranges do, and being able turn out good food quickly can be a real benefit with a busy family.

 

John L.

 

[awooff]

Detergent

Lorainfurniture - chlorinated detergent will "kill" or negate enzymes in powdered or pod detergent.

Loading might benefit the tea cup by not placing items in the 4 corners of either rack as wash arms move circular. Also per manuals, soiled dishes (omit flatware) need faced down to catch spray..

Also try using normal or light wash and results maybe better as i have found w many machines. -The fewer water changes do not dilute detergent.

 

[DADoES]

 
Same with mixing chlorine bleach and enzyme laundry detergents or additives ... which is why better washers with timed dispensers release chlorine bleach late into the wash period, or in the first rinse as do some frontloaders.

 

[lorainfurniture]

Just to clarify, I’m not literally mixing the detergent, I typically use a chlorine pack for prewash and a finish pod or powder for the main wash.

@john L, don’t jinx my dw! Anyway I love the way It looks, and I hope I can get many years out of it. I am curious: upon initial start I hear a bit of a bushing rubbing noise. I don’t know how to explain it, but it sounds like a dry bearing. Can the motor be lubed? If not does anyone have a new or like new motor I can buy for a spare?

If the dw holds up perhaps I can get rid of my boring LG gas stove and get something a bit more exciting. John maybe I can relieve you of one of those micro ovens you have been collecting. Put my name on the thermador. I had a pink ge Americana and it was great.

 

[cycla-fabric]

Buy it with the Exhaust Feature only!

Eugene, you do not want that GE American stove as it doesn't have the exhaust feature on it. My parents had that exact same stove in that exact same color and it didn't have the exhaust feature on it and the front burner with the Sense a temp unit kept going out. I remember my dad replaced the Sense a temp unit 3 times as it kept going out, and then the burner doesn't work. If you cook anything on the back burners the steam collects right above it and drips down on the pots and the steam goes right on up and coats the upper oven door and just makes a mess that you would not like to have every time you cooked. I remember my mom cursed that stove out and was glad to see it go when the front sense a temp burner went out again for the 4th time. If you can find one with the exhaust and no front sense a temp burner, it maybe another story as the venting feature would eliminate the problem of the steam making a big mess.

Doug

 

[steved]

another one?

was perusing Facebook marketplace and spotted this electronic KA dishwasher in an ad for an oven, fridge and dishwasher. In Rochester NY

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/381083779334209/

 

[lorainfurniture]

If anyone is near it:

I’d would love (and pay) for the motor and controls. If it is in fact a kdss-21

 

[lorainfurniture]

Update

After about two years ye old kdss-21 started acting up. Turns out the timer motor started flaking out intermittently. Not a huge deal but with 3 kids in the house the dishwasher is a mighty convenient appliance to own and my life would suffer without it.

I ended up purchasing an absurdly expensive kitchenaid, KDTM804KBS and it Is wonderful.

I guess I’m just wrapping up this thread: overall the kdss was always a bit subpar in the cleaning department. I always had to add a bunch of extra detergent and I felt that was wasteful. I can say that despite the “small tub” it was able to fit everything I needed it to on a daily basis.

It was loud. My house is an older Victorian home so no open concept. The dishwasher frequently caused me to turn up the tv at night.

I probably won’t take in another Dw that old again.

 

[appnut]

Eugene, I'm jealous, you have the TOL model with the freeflex rack. How do you like it? How well does it clean very dirty stuff in that third rack? (aka a BobLoad in the 3rd rack).

 

[lorainfurniture]

Free flex rack

The Dw in general is amazing. In the first load it brought my yellow cutting boards back to bright white again. The top rack is so useful it basically negates the need for the middle rack. Loading this Dw is a pleasure and there is tons of room to spare.

My coffee cups are clean again.

I really feel like a snob with this dishwasher. It dries well and the cleaning performance is the best I have seen. Heads and shoulders above my beloved kdss. It made the breakup much easier.

Due to kids and Covid I don’t have guests over but I really can’t see how I’ll ever fill this thing up.

 

[ken]

How long total does it take to do a load in the new Kitchenaid?

 

[appnut]

Eugene, thank you for letting me know. My Kenmore Elite was released to the Sears web site August 2015 and I got mine October 2015. It's pretty much the KDTM804H from that era, but with what I consider a better motorized wash arm and has both bottom only and top only options. The two models released August 2015 were the first models with the Clean Water Wash system/Micro Clean filter system.

 

[lorainfurniture]

Wash times

I haven’t fully experimented but the “tough” with pro dry is around 3 hours. Express wash is 1:10, and with enough buttons pressed I’m reasonably sure I could eclipse 4 hours.

I only run my Dw at night so as long as it’s less than 6 hours I have no complaints

 

[stevet]

Detergent?

Eugene. What detergent are you using? I switched from Finish tablets with the red ball to Cascade complete pods recently and the Cascade brought my cutting boards back to sparkling white which was something the Finish could never do. Also, the inside of my KA tall tub sparkles like it was brand new again whereas the finish was leaving a fine white powder on some of the surfaces.

It does leave a strong odor on everything so I usually use the heavy duty cycle which gives two after rinses and it cut that down considerably.

 

[electronicontrl]

That's the one!!

Eugene, That's the dishwasher I want when I re-do my kitchen in 2021 and replace my Jenn-Air_DWU9905. (from 1992) That dw has a new rack design. You are the ultimate appliance tester. Please keep us posted as to how this machine doing! So please don't close this post. Update it a year from now!

 

[appnut]

Michael, you took the words right out of my mouth!!! As I think I stated, this too is the dishwasher I want when my Kenmore Elite bites the dust. Although I might "settle" for the KDPM704K.

It's KitchenAid FreeFlex BobLoad time!!!!

 

[stevet]

Detergent?

Eugene. What detergent are you using? I switched from Finish tablets with the red ball to Cascade complete pods recently and the Cascade brought my cutting boards back to sparkling white which was something the Finish could never do. Also, the inside of my KA tall tub sparkles like it was brand new again whereas the finish was leaving a fine white powder on some of the surfaces.

It does leave a strong odor on everything so I usually use the heavy duty cycle which gives two after rinses and it cut that down considerably.

 

[lorainfurniture]

Detergent

I use finish “pods” , I’m not sure exactly as we have been using it for quite some time.