mrb627
Well-known member
I thought these machines with choppers were supposed to be self cleaning with no filters to be bothered with...
What the hell?
Malcolm
What the hell?
Malcolm
Kitchenaid Dishwasher FAIL
- Thread starter mrb627
- Start date
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Depends on user habits. The chopping blade does not contact the screen (probably to keep them both from wearing down quickly and to eliminate continuous noise). The screen can get clogged with fibrous/stringy food residue that is a challenge for enzymes to dissolve, bone fragments, paper from stray labels, twist-ties, etc. Dishwashers are not intended to be full-meal-deal garbage disposers, not even this design with a chopper mechanism.
magic_clean
Well-known member
Actually
the water level in the unit appears to be low. The water level after the full fill time should at minimum; touch the bottom of the heating element all the way around. For a 10+ year old machine, the water inlet valve should be evaluated too.
L.P.
the water level in the unit appears to be low. The water level after the full fill time should at minimum; touch the bottom of the heating element all the way around. For a 10+ year old machine, the water inlet valve should be evaluated too.
L.P.
mrb627
Well-known member
Water Level
I think the water valve is fine. There was plenty of water in the tub. The machine was clearly no level front to back, but I doubt that had anything to do with the sludge in the machine.
Malcolm
I think the water valve is fine. There was plenty of water in the tub. The machine was clearly no level front to back, but I doubt that had anything to do with the sludge in the machine.
Malcolm
magic_clean
Well-known member
Yup
the unit has a slight rearward tilt. However, for this pump in a stainless steel tub, the correct water level is reached when the water touches the bottom edge of the element. This is required for proper pressure and circulation.
Just saying'
L.P.
the unit has a slight rearward tilt. However, for this pump in a stainless steel tub, the correct water level is reached when the water touches the bottom edge of the element. This is required for proper pressure and circulation.
Just saying'
L.P.
I cleaned my mother's KA DW
last year and it was disgusting! Her's is identical to the one in the video. I think I took it further apart than the video did--I pulled the whole tube assembly out feeding the upper rack and the nastiness contained behind it was gross. It was something to the consistency of cooked grits. The sump area of hers had a bread tie, pistachio shells, a toothpick and various shrimp shell--not to mention the "rest" of the yibbles!
She kept telling me she was ready to kick it to the curb because it just did not clean dishes. What a difference in performance once it was cleaned out. I guess I will be doing the same thing this holiday season too.
last year and it was disgusting! Her's is identical to the one in the video. I think I took it further apart than the video did--I pulled the whole tube assembly out feeding the upper rack and the nastiness contained behind it was gross. It was something to the consistency of cooked grits. The sump area of hers had a bread tie, pistachio shells, a toothpick and various shrimp shell--not to mention the "rest" of the yibbles!
She kept telling me she was ready to kick it to the curb because it just did not clean dishes. What a difference in performance once it was cleaned out. I guess I will be doing the same thing this holiday season too
.whirlcool
Well-known member
A couple of years ago Karen put about 1/2 of a 2 qt pan filled with pasta in the Maytag we have. She didn't realize there was any left. She just flipped the pot over and put it on the bottom rack.
The next day we noticed a few yibbles in the DW, something we normall don't see. But the pot and other dishes were perfectly clean. A plain rinse afterwards cleared all the yibbles out.
But earlier this year our DW started to make some very strange grinding noises while running. It sounded like the motor was giving out. It would only do it on occassion. Finally I took the Maytag apart and found no pasta or yuck in there, but I did find a toothpick, some bread bag wire wraps and a small piece of bone. Removed all that, reassembled and no more problems or sounds.
What our problem was, as a member here pointed out, was that the toaster was on the counter right above the dishwasher. I am guessing debris from our using the toaster somehow fell into the dishwasher. We are not big toothpick users here so I don't know how that got in there. Anyway, we moved the toaster and leave the DW door shut all the other times to prevent a reoccurrence.
The next day we noticed a few yibbles in the DW, something we normall don't see. But the pot and other dishes were perfectly clean. A plain rinse afterwards cleared all the yibbles out.
But earlier this year our DW started to make some very strange grinding noises while running. It sounded like the motor was giving out. It would only do it on occassion. Finally I took the Maytag apart and found no pasta or yuck in there, but I did find a toothpick, some bread bag wire wraps and a small piece of bone. Removed all that, reassembled and no more problems or sounds.
What our problem was, as a member here pointed out, was that the toaster was on the counter right above the dishwasher. I am guessing debris from our using the toaster somehow fell into the dishwasher. We are not big toothpick users here so I don't know how that got in there. Anyway, we moved the toaster and leave the DW door shut all the other times to prevent a reoccurrence.
arbilab
Well-known member
When I moved into a 70s rent house (I later bought) the Potscrubber wouldn't scrub squat. Mostly broken glass in the washarms with other muck backed up behind it. Dislodging all that, it worked fine for 10 more years until the tub rusted out and home-warranty replaced it.
Seems there is little limit to how oblivious your everyday appliance operator can be. BTW, I rented it from the owner who occupied it immediately before, so no blaming indifferent previous tenants.
Seems there is little limit to how oblivious your everyday appliance operator can be. BTW, I rented it from the owner who occupied it immediately before, so no blaming indifferent previous tenants.
that's gross....my '97 Maytag has only been disassembled one time in 17 years...and all I found was a couple tiny pieces of saran plastic and a string likely off a dish towel as I dried my dishes with recessed bottoms that hold water. They don't make 'em like they used to. Maybe it's me, but I don't think those sideways pumps do as good a job.
I say: "Eat Everything On Your Plate!!!!"
-- Dave
-- Dave
I guess I'll address the elephant in the room...
Why did he start taking the pump assembly apart with the tub still full of water? The drain pump was obviously not an issue.... I'm surprised that didn't annoy anyone else.
I've never seen a self-cleaning filter/chopper dishwasher that bad. A filter machine, yes, most certainly. I doubt that machine has ever been disassembled in its entire life. It's amazing the variation between people that don't rinse dishes but know not to leave copious amounts of waste on them, and then the people that think you should dump the rest of the chicken stew in along with the pot.
My aunt on my dad's side (the one I'm not as fond of) has a GE with the filter. She's called me twice in the last year or so because the dishwasher won't clean, and will sound like it's choking on air. Both times I've cleaned and disassembled it, there's been the grossest goop caked on the filter and in the perforated bell that the filter sits over. She swears that she uses the Heavy cycle with Heat Boost, and sometimes the Sani-Rinse. She also says they scrape dishes, though the consistency of some of the stuff in the bottom is like stringy chicken pieces or almost dissolved noodles. I've tried to coach her into making sure that the only stuff left on the dishes is what can be melted and dissolved with hot water; if it's solid bits, get them down the sink drain.
Why did he start taking the pump assembly apart with the tub still full of water? The drain pump was obviously not an issue.... I'm surprised that didn't annoy anyone else.
I've never seen a self-cleaning filter/chopper dishwasher that bad. A filter machine, yes, most certainly. I doubt that machine has ever been disassembled in its entire life. It's amazing the variation between people that don't rinse dishes but know not to leave copious amounts of waste on them, and then the people that think you should dump the rest of the chicken stew in along with the pot.
My aunt on my dad's side (the one I'm not as fond of) has a GE with the filter. She's called me twice in the last year or so because the dishwasher won't clean, and will sound like it's choking on air. Both times I've cleaned and disassembled it, there's been the grossest goop caked on the filter and in the perforated bell that the filter sits over. She swears that she uses the Heavy cycle with Heat Boost, and sometimes the Sani-Rinse. She also says they scrape dishes, though the consistency of some of the stuff in the bottom is like stringy chicken pieces or almost dissolved noodles. I've tried to coach her into making sure that the only stuff left on the dishes is what can be melted and dissolved with hot water; if it's solid bits, get them down the sink drain.
mrb627
Well-known member
Filter
A machine with a filter probably would not have required a service call to resolve this issue. Goodness knows how long they have been operating that machine in this condition...
Malcolm
A machine with a filter probably would not have required a service call to resolve this issue. Goodness knows how long they have been operating that machine in this condition...
Malcolm
whirlcool
Well-known member
I think with having that much goop and yuck stuck in the filter/chopper area the DW would have developed an odor to tell you all was not well in there.
Is this the newer version with the smaller motor? Lets hope so... or not... I just want my old power clean back 
jerrod6
Well-known member
From what I can tell all of these Whirlpool units with the chopper have a screen that gets clogged. This has been going on for years. This is one reason I don't want a machine with this chopper or assembly. I prefer a machine with a fine filter I can see, remove, rinse under running water for 15 second an insert. The total time is less than 30 seconds and I don't get a service call.
WP Built Tall-Tub DWs With A Soft Food Chopper
This is a good thread but it has contained a lot of mistakes and and poor advice.
First big mistake was the repair video, the repair guy failed to diagnose or FIX the KA DW in question. The grinding plate behind the chopper blade NEVER CLOGS on these DWs unless the chopper is NOT TURNING, the KA DW he was repairing has a stripped drive for the chopper, the DW needed a new wash impeller.
If the chopper is not turning one of these DWs it will not get through more than a load or two without the screen clogging.
This DW design is easily the most popular DW design in use in the United States today, probably between 1/3 to 1/2 of all DWs are of this design today. These were made from around 2000 through early 2014.
The sludge that was under the filter plate that the repair guy removed first is a common sight in many different DW designs to day. You often see the same sludge under the sump cover of GE DWs and under the big round cover of MT DWs both regular and Tall Tub machines. We believe this build-up is caused by using too little detergent along with cheap detergents and too short a complete cycle for the job to be done.
I advise all my customers to day to use a good detergent tablet AND to add a table spoon or so of regular DW detergent to the open cup or just on the inside door of the DW. DWs really need two doses of detergent for great cleaning.
This is a good thread but it has contained a lot of mistakes and and poor advice.
First big mistake was the repair video, the repair guy failed to diagnose or FIX the KA DW in question. The grinding plate behind the chopper blade NEVER CLOGS on these DWs unless the chopper is NOT TURNING, the KA DW he was repairing has a stripped drive for the chopper, the DW needed a new wash impeller.
If the chopper is not turning one of these DWs it will not get through more than a load or two without the screen clogging.
This DW design is easily the most popular DW design in use in the United States today, probably between 1/3 to 1/2 of all DWs are of this design today. These were made from around 2000 through early 2014.
The sludge that was under the filter plate that the repair guy removed first is a common sight in many different DW designs to day. You often see the same sludge under the sump cover of GE DWs and under the big round cover of MT DWs both regular and Tall Tub machines. We believe this build-up is caused by using too little detergent along with cheap detergents and too short a complete cycle for the job to be done.
I advise all my customers to day to use a good detergent tablet AND to add a table spoon or so of regular DW detergent to the open cup or just on the inside door of the DW. DWs really need two doses of detergent for great cleaning.
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