My interest in 60's to 90's KA is building. So... when did KA introduce forced air drying in it's dishwashers and when did that end? And did KA ever make residential models with stainless interiors "back in the day?" Greg
Kitchenaid dishwashers...
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I think forced air drying was original to the KD10, the first domestic KitchenAid by Hobart. It stopped with the 24 series. I do remember seeing a special order SS tub in a KDS17.
Forced Air Drying
Yes all KA DWs had forced air drying through the 23 series and all KA DWs had a separate heater in the blower unit except the 19 series for heating the air for drying the dishes. KA went back to a separate drying heater in the 20 and 21 series DWs and the higher end models had a separate heater in the 22 and 23 series models.
KA offered the option of a real SS interior on the KDS-15, KDS-16, KDS-17 and the KDS-18 DWs it was about $100 more. I have only seen the SSI on the KDS-16 models in our area. My brother and I each have a KDSS-16 DW.
John L.
Yes all KA DWs had forced air drying through the 23 series and all KA DWs had a separate heater in the blower unit except the 19 series for heating the air for drying the dishes. KA went back to a separate drying heater in the 20 and 21 series DWs and the higher end models had a separate heater in the 22 and 23 series models.
KA offered the option of a real SS interior on the KDS-15, KDS-16, KDS-17 and the KDS-18 DWs it was about $100 more. I have only seen the SSI on the KDS-16 models in our area. My brother and I each have a KDSS-16 DW.
John L.
joeypete
Well-known member
John...do you have a pic of the interior?? I don't think I've ever seen the inside of an older KA with SS. Cool!
washmeup
Well-known member
SS Interior
My mother had a KDS-17 when I was growing up and it had a SS interior. As I recall it was a special order?
My mother had a KDS-17 when I was growing up and it had a SS interior. As I recall it was a special order?
stevet
Well-known member
KDSS-16 Dishwasher
Our original dishwasher was a KDS-15 which we installed in 1966 and it provided excellent service but it was a noisy machine even after I insulated it to quiet it down. At the time, KA in Troy,Ohio recommended using that maybe 1/4" fabric padding that went under rugs so that was what I used. Hey, what does a 14 year old know about sound proofing? It worked a bit to quiet it down. Later on I used acoustical insulation from Radio Shack and that worked much better.
The real game changer was when I found a KDSS-16 lying at the curb on my way home from work in 1986 and took it home and rebuilt it and installed it in place of the 15. That stainless tank was like the day it came out of the box and all it needed was a water solenoid and motor which I had. I installed it without any additional insulation and just like that the machine was much more quiet than the 15.
The Stainless steel tank did not have the ringing, drumming sound that the porcelain steel tank had and was noticeably quieter. You would just hear the water hitting the sides and door.I did eventually take it out and re-insulated it with fiberglass batting and did the inside of the door and the back and sides and it was nearly whisper quiet.
Had that machine for a few years and then replaced it with a KDC21M which was worlds better than the 16 ever was and that machine lasted well into the 2000's and we took it with us when we moved from NY to FL.
Our original dishwasher was a KDS-15 which we installed in 1966 and it provided excellent service but it was a noisy machine even after I insulated it to quiet it down. At the time, KA in Troy,Ohio recommended using that maybe 1/4" fabric padding that went under rugs so that was what I used. Hey, what does a 14 year old know about sound proofing? It worked a bit to quiet it down. Later on I used acoustical insulation from Radio Shack and that worked much better.
The real game changer was when I found a KDSS-16 lying at the curb on my way home from work in 1986 and took it home and rebuilt it and installed it in place of the 15. That stainless tank was like the day it came out of the box and all it needed was a water solenoid and motor which I had. I installed it without any additional insulation and just like that the machine was much more quiet than the 15.
The Stainless steel tank did not have the ringing, drumming sound that the porcelain steel tank had and was noticeably quieter. You would just hear the water hitting the sides and door.I did eventually take it out and re-insulated it with fiberglass batting and did the inside of the door and the back and sides and it was nearly whisper quiet.
Had that machine for a few years and then replaced it with a KDC21M which was worlds better than the 16 ever was and that machine lasted well into the 2000's and we took it with us when we moved from NY to FL.
whitetub
Well-known member
Here's some pics that I saved from this website. From a long time ago. Very nice machine.
Steve!
Thanks for the pics!!!!
Thanks for the pics!!!!
joeypete
Well-known member
Wicked cool!! Thanks 
whitetub
Well-known member
They probably used the tubs from the commercial Hobart dishwashers at the time. Here's some pics that I found here a while back.
stevet
Well-known member
Verrrry interressting!
Was that always a commercial unit or was it modified to be installed in a home kitchen? Namely, the front float switch for overfill protection and the blower housing in place of the overflow drain?
Many Canadian versions of their American cousins were set up with different basic items.On the WM series, it was probably easiest to convert to what you have there and to even install the usual Kitchenaid top rack with the proper hardware but how clean the top rack items would get might be questionable with the short cycle.
Was that always a commercial unit or was it modified to be installed in a home kitchen? Namely, the front float switch for overfill protection and the blower housing in place of the overflow drain?
Many Canadian versions of their American cousins were set up with different basic items.On the WM series, it was probably easiest to convert to what you have there and to even install the usual Kitchenaid top rack with the proper hardware but how clean the top rack items would get might be questionable with the short cycle.
whitetub
Well-known member
I wouldn't know the story behind that machine. I found the pictures on the web. I noticed the commercial one does not have a detergent dispenser.
delaneymeegan
Well-known member
The commercial ones didn't need a dispenser. These dishwashers had only one cycle. One just added a scoop of detergent to the tub. They had shorter cycle that sterilized, as was required in a commercial kitchen.
These cycles didn't run as long a cycle as a home dishwasher. They had a fast heater and a thermostat on the bottom panel (shown in picture) to prove the DW was up the safety standards.
They usually did not have wire racks, like the home machines. They used plastic trays instead. These stood up to 160 degree heat better than the wire racks.
Hobart Undercouner commercial dishwasher
I used one of these in a commercial kitchen I worked in while in college. The machine was basically a 17 series without the racks, program switch, overflow switch, drying system, etc. The wash pump, filter, and wash arm where the same. It came in two versions: Heat sanitatizing or Chemical santizing. We had the chemical model. It injected a cholrine based solution into the rinse cycle. The heated version had a seperate water tank on it that held the water at 180 degrees.
They had a two step cycle with a drain period in between. The sequence was fill, wash, drain, fill, rinse, stop. When the door handle was raised the timer would reset to start over again. The last rinse water was used as the first wash water.
This worked fine when you were washing many racks of dished in sequence, but if there was more than an 8-10 minute pause between racks the wash water would cool off too much, and would not remove grease as well.
These machines were really just sanitizing units, not cleaners per se. The wash cycle was only 2 mins long, and the rinse about 1 minute. The dishes had to be rinsed thouroughly with the scrap sink sprayer before being loaded into the machine. The detergent used was good for grease breakdown/removal & light dirt removal.
With a little work this machine could be turned into a domestic unit, although outfitting it would be expensive.
I used one of these in a commercial kitchen I worked in while in college. The machine was basically a 17 series without the racks, program switch, overflow switch, drying system, etc. The wash pump, filter, and wash arm where the same. It came in two versions: Heat sanitatizing or Chemical santizing. We had the chemical model. It injected a cholrine based solution into the rinse cycle. The heated version had a seperate water tank on it that held the water at 180 degrees.
They had a two step cycle with a drain period in between. The sequence was fill, wash, drain, fill, rinse, stop. When the door handle was raised the timer would reset to start over again. The last rinse water was used as the first wash water.
This worked fine when you were washing many racks of dished in sequence, but if there was more than an 8-10 minute pause between racks the wash water would cool off too much, and would not remove grease as well.
These machines were really just sanitizing units, not cleaners per se. The wash cycle was only 2 mins long, and the rinse about 1 minute. The dishes had to be rinsed thouroughly with the scrap sink sprayer before being loaded into the machine. The detergent used was good for grease breakdown/removal & light dirt removal.
With a little work this machine could be turned into a domestic unit, although outfitting it would be expensive.
I stand corrected
This model appears to have an overflow float switch. The unit I used in college definitely did not have that (or the air inlet in the back). This is a later model, but other than the items I mentioned everything else looks the same.
This model appears to have an overflow float switch. The unit I used in college definitely did not have that (or the air inlet in the back). This is a later model, but other than the items I mentioned everything else looks the same.
toploader55
Well-known member
The WM-1 series cycle was Fill, Wash, Drain, Purge, Fill, Rinse, Drain Off.
The Wm-5 Series is when I lost interest and things became complicated. The 5 series is when the reuse of the rinse water for the wash started. Eventually Hobart incorporated a sump heater to maintain the temperature of the "Wash" water in between cycles.
I believe the 5 series also started a upper wash arm that resembles the KD18 series upper rack arm mounted on the top of the chamber spraying downward.
The WM-1 series was a straight up 17 series with a overflow drain amd NO dry unit. If I recall correctly this was a 4 minute cycle due to the purge in between the wash and rinse.
Incredible cleaners when hooked up to Hot Water with good chemicals.
And I believe there was a option for dual inlet valves. One valve being for a 150 degree Wash and the other Inlet Valve for a 180 rinse from a remote booster.
The machine the WM replaced was the UM series.
These UM ran forever. And would still be in service if Hobart still made the parts.
The UMs were offered with dual inlet valves known as the UM-4D
Right Steve ???
The Wm-5 Series is when I lost interest and things became complicated. The 5 series is when the reuse of the rinse water for the wash started. Eventually Hobart incorporated a sump heater to maintain the temperature of the "Wash" water in between cycles.
I believe the 5 series also started a upper wash arm that resembles the KD18 series upper rack arm mounted on the top of the chamber spraying downward.
The WM-1 series was a straight up 17 series with a overflow drain amd NO dry unit. If I recall correctly this was a 4 minute cycle due to the purge in between the wash and rinse.
Incredible cleaners when hooked up to Hot Water with good chemicals.
And I believe there was a option for dual inlet valves. One valve being for a 150 degree Wash and the other Inlet Valve for a 180 rinse from a remote booster.
The machine the WM replaced was the UM series.
These UM ran forever. And would still be in service if Hobart still made the parts.
The UMs were offered with dual inlet valves known as the UM-4D
Right Steve ???
We had one of the sanitizing units at the nursing home where I worked while I was in college for my RN degree. It was used for washing BEDPANS! I remember thinking about the similarities to mom's old KDS17A on the inside.
photos in reply #9
are of my Hobart that I modified for home use. I removed the overflow drain port in the right rear corner and replaced it with a blower from a 19 series KitchenAid.
I installed a float switch in the left front corner for overflow protection. It's installed in my kitchen and will be in use at the upcoming August wash-in here in Maryland.
are of my Hobart that I modified for home use. I removed the overflow drain port in the right rear corner and replaced it with a blower from a 19 series KitchenAid.
I installed a float switch in the left front corner for overflow protection. It's installed in my kitchen and will be in use at the upcoming August wash-in here in Maryland.
norgeway
Well-known member
I know
Some don't like the single arm machines. but I had a kds17 years ago that was the best dw I ever used. no matter what was baked on. it would blast it off. and I never had a problem with the top rack not getting clean. as for the noise. well. 45 minutes of noise beats 2 or more hours of quiet that really does very little. and when you opened the KA . the dishes were HOT and DRY!
Some don't like the single arm machines. but I had a kds17 years ago that was the best dw I ever used. no matter what was baked on. it would blast it off. and I never had a problem with the top rack not getting clean. as for the noise. well. 45 minutes of noise beats 2 or more hours of quiet that really does very little. and when you opened the KA . the dishes were HOT and DRY!
