I have a 50 year old Ling Temco dishwasher

[lilystardust]

Hi everyone! I rent a 50 year old mobile home that came with all the original plumbing, and included a Ling Temco dishwasher, which I was told did not work. For the ten years I have lived here, I resented it being there because I could have used the space it was taking up for other things. (And, I also wanted a "real" dishwasher, but didn't have space for one). My landlord was intimidated by the plumbing and would not take it out. Then he passed away last year, and now a handyman is doing repairs.

Recently, I asked if the dishwasher could finally be removed, and it looked like I'd finally get my wish. And then a funny thing happened. On a lark, I decided to look up "Ling Temco" on the internet, just to see if I could find anything of interest. I was shocked to find a video on YouTube of one nearly identical to mine, which had sat in a box, unpackaged and new, for 50 years, until one of your members found it and brought it to life. I suddenly realized the potential of my dishwasher and had newfound appreciation for it. I had not considered that you could see the water inside as it washed, through the glass door (since my door was still so dirty - no one had cleaned this out in probably decades. It still has ancient dried soap inside from probably 30+ years ago .... yuck). But that video made it look downright pretty!

So I joined this website and was able to contact the person who had posted the video, and have decided, at least for now, not to remove it, but to see if it's possible to get it to run. I have very limited funds, but would like to find out. This is a pretty cool website, and I'm impressed by all of you trying to restore vintage appliances - I think that's just so neat! If I decide not to fix the dishwasher, I'll certainly know where to offer it now, so that it doesn't just go to the appliance graveyard, as it would have ...

I have some pictures of it, if anyone's interested. I've been encouraged to fix it, and would like to try.

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

Hello Lily, or is it Star, or maybe Dust?   LOL   Let me be the first to welcome you to AW.org!

 

I'm pleased you've decided (for now) not to take it out.    I've never heard of that brand and am just curious about it.   Does the rack slide in and out or swing/pivot with the door?   Can you post more photos (inside and out) and the dimentions of it please?

 

Thanks much!

Kevin  

 

[laundromat]

ling-temco

Have you tried it out? Sometimes people aren't that knowledgeable or have lost the use and care guides to their appliance and have no clue on how to use or operate it.They get discuraged and decide not to use it.I'd make sure there was power (gas and electric)and water comming in and turn it on.Great product!

 

[turquoisedude]

Welcome to AWO! You have one of the coolest dishwashers even a 'small potatoes' collector like myself would truly appreciate! I don't know a lot about these particular machines, but I have been very pleasantly surprised by machines which I was told 'no longer work' but came back to life with just a little tinkering!!
You'll find there are very knowledgeable people here and they'll be eager to help, I am sure.

 

[rp2813]

Below is a link to the thread (33396) that contains a link to the video.

 

LSD, welcome to the board.  You have come to as right a place as you're going to find for help with your unusual machine.

 

I recently moved further up SR17 from you but before that lived in the Los Gatos area for almost 20 years.

Ralph

1961 MDS-18 Ling Tempco. Its now home!

Hello. Rich and I managed to do the drive to Oakland, we left sunday, and arrived home last night at 10:30 pm, 15 hours drive, made worse with my having developed pneumonia once again on the way down to Oakland. Did not make for the most pleasant road trip that we had hoped for. Its not fully...

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[frontaloadotmy]

LSD

It looks to be decent inside , maybe just a minor repair will get it going. I bet your mobile home is pretty cool looking too!

 

[revvinkevin]

Here is the video....

Very cool Ralph, thanks for finding the thread!

Very interesting how it looks to work like one of those oscillating lawn sprinklers, slowly sweeping back and forth. And BTW, HOW COOL is it that is has a WINDOW! YAY!

Kevin

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[dishwashercrazy]

Welcome Lilystardust,

Thanks for sharing with us about your Ling Temco dishwasher. This certainly is one of the more unique dishwashers to have been produced.

Please keep us apprised of your progress and good luck getting it running again. I know from personal experience that 50 to 60 year old dishwashers can be brought back to life.

Mike (Dishwashercrazy)

 

[powerfin64]

Oakland video

That is chris's and myself Ling tempco in video, that we drove down to Calf. to get this spring, that never had been used. works good, but loud. That video was taken the night we got home.

Rich

 

[retro-man]

Awhile back I had posted a thread about dishwashers back from the 50's that had a sprinkler like wash arm at the bottom and moved back and forth. Some had posted that I must have been confused about what I had seen many years ago and no such machines were known to have existed. Well here is proof that they did exist and no this is not the dishwasher I was talking about. There was no window and the whole unit seemed larger than a normal dishwasher. Still searching out there for that dishwasher I saw long ago.
Jon

 

[easyspindry]

Somehow I am reminded of . . .

. . . the James dishwasher. The racks and the way the water flows. I wonder if they are related.

Great find. Get it going again.

Welcome to a great website with a lot of nice members who have a wealth of knowledge about older appliances.

Jerry Gay

 

[tomturbomatic]

I have posted before that this was the last incarnation of the James. It was usually mounted above the drain so that it could drain via gravity, but models with drain pumps were available. It was even available as a portable model that sat on a cart that looked like the portable TV carts in the early 60s.

Lilystardust: Welcome. The timer to the machine is a spring-wound timer that has to be turned backwards almost in a full circle to start the cycle. I guess your handyman could determine if the water supply valve to the machine is open. If it is, you could try to start it and see if it fills. Before doing that, you will want to see where the drain line is and what kind of condition it is in after all of these years so that you don't have an unexpected spring flowing in your kitchen or worse yet, into one of your cabinets.

 

[Jsneaker]

Ling-Temco

This company also made one of the first-ever microwave ovens! The company was known for it's aircraft components, if I am not mistaken. Jason

 

[Jsneaker]

Welcome to "lilystardust"!

Hi Lily, Hi Lo!

I welcome you to our close,"double-knit" group! We all get caught-up in something all the time, so feel free to ask questions. Tou won't be disappointed!

Best regards,
Jason

 

[cws21tn]

I have one I would like to sell.

I have a Ling Temco dishwasher. I dont know if it works I bought it in a storage unit. Will entertain any offers. [email protected]

 

[recyclewasher]

can you post some detailed pics and

Model and serial# data tag pics?

And estimated shipping weight?

What's your asking $ pri$e?

 

[skipmiller]

Ling Temco Dishwasher

My father bought one of these dishwashers new back in 1967 - 68. He installed it in the galley of the family's 38' motor yacht. It was a bit unique, but it worked.

The water was pumped by a long cylinder made out of perforated stainless steel, with a rotating vane in it, the water was forced out of a slot that ran the length of the cylinder. The cylinder itself was rotated back and forth by a lever attached to ???, so the slot would also rotate back and forth, creating the up-and-down motion of the water spray visible on the video. When it was turned on, the water flowed continuously but the flow was restricted. First it filled a boiling chamber (more later) and then into the d/w itself. When deep enough, the water was picked up by the rotor within the cylinder.

After a set time, the water input was shut off. and the water would drain out. At the same time, the boiler was turned on. Steam would enter the cabinet and heat the dishes to sanitize them. When the boiler was boiled empty, the d/w was shut completely off. The very hot dishes dried quickly upon opening the door.

Sorry I have no photos nor literature for this machine.... It was a long time ago!

-Skip