Kenmore BOL DW finally died....

[whirlcool]

Last night I went to turn on our absolutely BOL Kenmore dishwasher (which is about 14 years old) and it filled with water normally but instead of starting the wash cycle when the fill was completed, it just sat there and hummed. Wouldn't drain, but when you turn the knob on the front, you can hear it trying to do different things (various clicks and noises), but instead of working it just makes a loud humming noise.
We checked the bottom of the machine to make sure nothing was impeding the wash arm. It turns freely.
So I assume the motor is shot. Since it is so BOL, we decided to go DW shopping today.
We are going to look at Maytag and GE models. Anyone feel one way or the other about either of these brands?

 

[whirlcool]

I should say that in our last house we had a MOL Maytag Jet Clean unit that was really great, very sturdy and cleaned well. We bought it in 1993. But from what I understand those models aren't made anymore?

 

[2drumsallergy]

Capacitor

Hi Allen,
It could be the Motor Capacitor which will cause the motor to hum and not start. or it could be the wash pump seal has started to fail allowing water into the Motor bearings causing it to seize. I'm not familiar with your machine but a Capacitor should be easy to replace and only cost a few dollars.
You need to be careful with Capacitors as they can hold a charge, so always use an insulated screwdriver to short the two terminals before attempting to remove it, and always unplug the machine from the mains before starting any repairs.

David

 

[volvoguy87]

Maytag!

We have a mid/late 1990s Maytag Jetclean and it is the best dishwasher for the money anywhere (new purchases only). It has flexable racking, it holds a huge quantity of dishes and gets them ALL clean EVERY time. Go to a Maytag showroom (a big box store won't have good enough customer service) and ask which Maytag to get that is the old Maytag design. The local Maytag place here said the lower end Maytag dishwashers were Whirlpool clones and the MOL and TOL units were the old Maytag design.

Best of luck,
Dave

 

[whirlcool]

Dave:

Thanks for the advice. We looked again at Maytag machines since the last Maytag we had operated just as you described, cleaned great each and every time. So we settled on Maytag MDB6701AWS. It has a ton of features and the price is pretty reasonable. The only thing I kind of worry about is that it's a computer controlled model. Has Maytag been pretty reliable with their control boards?

We also decided to replace our range as well with a Maytag MGRH865QDS stove. Gas with convection oven. With discounts we can walk away with both of those for about $1200.

 

[j2400]

There is a Maytag dishwasher here, made about 2000. The one part that has broken is the latch, and that design was, apparently, prone to breaking. Apparently, some repair people would carry a replacement handle kit at all times, simply because it broke so easily. It looks like the design of latch is still used by Maytag--at least, store models have a similar looking latch. The part might be better now, but I'd treat it gently.

I seem to recall that someone posted a few monthsa go on this forum about a Maytag dishwasher that had control board problems.

Still...I'm not sure that Maytag is any worse than its competitors. As we all know, most appliances aren't made to last anymore.

 

[whitekingd]

FIX IT!

If the dishwasher performed well, then fix it! It is better built than a new one.
That is just my opion. Good luck either way!

 

[whirlcool]

The Kenmore we have is a GE BOL style, I've seen the same unit with the GE name, the Kenmore name and the Americana name. Usually they are sold for $149.00 and are still available.
We just wanted something a little quieter and also a better match to the quality of the house. This was a good opportunity to replace it.

 

[stevet]

Oy Vey!

How did you ever deal with a machine like that? Must have been so noisy though some of them did actually perform well! You should be happy with the Maytag designed unit. My sister has one with the bobble top sprayer at the top of a tower in the middle of the rack but it manages to do a good job but really long cycles on it.
The newer machines have the separate wash arms and delivery tubes freeing up the whole bottom rack. Good Luck I am sure you will get something good.

 

[volvoguy87]

BOL Kenmore

Some friends had a BOL Kenmore dishwasher. We called it the "Dish Warmer and Moistener" because that was all it could do. It could get dishes wet and warm, but could not clean them.

What do you think of the Maytag?
Dave

 

[whirlcool]

The Kenmore actually cleaned half way decently as long as you kept the hot water tank up to 140F or so. It was just so noisy, you could hear it all the way across the house!

The Maytag set range & DW won't be delivered until Nov 20. We have some cabinet work to be completed before they can be installed.
Of course photos will be taken and uploaded when available!

 

[appnut]

Oohhh!! Just in time for turkey day!!!!