KitchenAid KDS-18 Chrome Face Plate

[Brent-Aucoin]

Hi there,
Found a KDS-18 that I am taking apart to clean, and get ready to put in the house as the main dishwasher.
I was thinking all along that the face plate that is made of Chrome was just dirty, and had old grease on it. Well, now that I have taken it apart and started to clean it, it is not dirt. It looks as though they once tried to clean it with acid or something. I have never seen chrome eaten out like this.
Does anyone know if you can still get this face plate? Or do any of you have one around the house that you just might not use?
Any pointing of your finger in the right direction will be great. Or if you know of a why to "re-do" these, that would be cool also. This dishwasher is in such good shape, except this issue.
Hope you all are having a great weekend, and finding lot's of goodies out there. Mostly a face plate for a KDS-18 that you won't need.
Brent

 

[fixerman]

I have one in my warehouse. I will check out the condition of the faceplate and let you know what condition it is in.

 

[Brent-Aucoin]

Thanks Greg!
That would be great.
With you being a repairman, what dishwashers do you like the most?
Thanks again for checking!
Brent

 

[gansky1]

I have a couple extra of these as well Brent, I'm sure one of them will fit the bill. Congrats on the new aquisition, will you install it in the kitchen?

 

[Brent-Aucoin]

Hi Greg,
My plans are to install it in the kitchen.
What is in the kitchen now is a 6 month old Maytag Quiet Series three rack dishwasher. It cleans well, but takes so long too do a load. Even what is considered the "short wash" takes 70 minutes. I can't figure out why they are making these new dishwashers run so long. Any clues out there? What is considered "Normal Wash" is between 90 to 120 minutes. This is not "Normal" to me. This dishwasher is quiet, but not for me. I will keep it as a spare.
I think of all of the KitchenAid dishwashers that I passed up over the years, and could kick myself.
Do you know if there was a wash impeller at the very top of this KDS-18? The very top, above the top rack. There is not one on this one. On Repair.com, I can't find a part for this one. There is a hose that runs to the top, but not a impeller.
Are you still using your KA that you had in your kitchen during the convention? I remember seeing a picture of a beautiful Maytag in your kitchen. I am going to get in the kick of changing out dishwashers as I find them. Will keep me out of trouble.
Brent

 

[gansky1]

Hi Brent, glad to hear you are going to use the KA in your kitchen - you'll love it.

That impeller was still available when I was working on my KDS-18 so it may still be now. I actually have two of these machines now, found another one a few months ago. I'm planning on stripping the second one for parts and with many still being available from WP, there should be enough to keep your machine going for a long, long time.

I have the Maytag in the kitchen still, I do like it a lot. I'm planning on starting a kitchen remodel at the end of summer and am planning on making it a little easier to remove and install dishwashers than the horrible corner I have now - priorities!!

 

[Brent-Aucoin]

Hi Greg,
I had no idea that you had two of the KDS18's.
Well, I have been taking it apart, and cleaning it.
Please don't tell Robert this, but I ran it, with cold water. The pump dripped on top of the Motor. They have a spinning diverter that throws the water. Oh, is it supposed to be a fan? So, I then decided to run it in the sani cycle, and let it get all hot and very hot. Then when it ran, it did not drip.
Here is my question. Do you think that the pump seal is okay, and that it is dripping because I was using cold water? I think this machine also sat for a good while. If you think that I should just go ahead and replace the seals for the pump, how hard is this job?
I also need a new water valve. It drips also.
I tried to tighten the screws that hold the valve to the inlet, but they just turn and turn. I think that is why it is leaking.
You mentioned getting parts from Whirlpool. Are they on the web? Can I put in this model number, and something will come come up?
Do I sound like a fish out of water?
I loved hearing this dishwasher run, and all of the sounds that I remember from my youth, that is long gone.
I also love how much water is uses! I forgot about that!
Brent

 

[gansky1]

While you have the machine running with hot water, hold a piece of paper (paper grocery bag works well) alongside the motor. If you see even tiny drops of water on the paper, replace the seals. Is the motor quiet when it's running? A loud "roar" from the motor (not water or pumping sound) might indicate a water/seal leak as well. I believe the pump seal and impellers are still available from FSP, even the motor was within the last year. You should only need the model number to check a local appliance parts company as the prices will be fairly reasonable and a real person (with luck) will be there to answer questions. Any parts-house will have all parts diagrams and availability at their fingertips. RepairClinic.com will probably have many parts online, but they make your checkbook cry for mercy!

So, is your camera in the shop? Let's have some pictures!

 

[panthera]

maytags take forever

Last time I was in the 'States our elderly next door neighbour asked my help - her son had given her a new Maytag and it took hours to do a normal load - and, yup, over 70 minutes for a light load.
According to Maytag this is normal and desired. It guarantees cleaner dishes with less water, etc. The told me the Europeans all do it that way.
Well, yes and no. My Miele here in Germany does wash for guite a while - 78 minutes - But that is because it is heating the water to 65°C (150°F)twice - once the main wash, once the rinse. It is much quieter, uses half the amount of water, and gets dishes just as clean. My last one lived from 1978 to 2000. Got dropped during my move, was still working great. Still, the Maytag looked a lot more solid than the junk they were turning out when I left the 'States in the early '80s.

 

[gyrafoam]

I have the KAid Books/manuals and parts lists-----and I live right down the street.

 

[gansky1]

Cleaning equations...

Cleaning dishes (or clothes) is a balance of several factors, the cleaning solution - water, water temperature and detergent, mechanical action and time. If you decrease any one or more of these elements, the other has to make up the difference. Since most newer dishwashers are pumping much less water at lower pressures (makes them more quiet) and often cooler temps, the time has to increase to get the dishes clean. By far, the newest of the dishwasher cast-offs I see are Maytag, fewer GE and still fewer Whirlpool.

 

[sudsmaster]

My Bosch 43C DW routinely takes about 109 minutes per normal load. Doesn't bother me, because it's quiet and reliable and does a very good job of cleaning even stubborn dried on stuff. Plus it rinses at 161F, can't argue with that. But of course, it's not a vintage KA so it has no soul.

 

[Cybrvanr]

Yep, the seals for the KDS 18's are still avaliable, and will cost you between $15 to $20 for a kit with the seals, washers, and a new impeller too. Not a bad deal, and it will get your machine running like new!