KSD-18

[wrscott123]

Hey Friends! I recently picked up a KDS-18 here in Sun City AZ. it was a free find! After a lot of scrubbing and vinegar flushes, it’s up and running. I replaced the dryer fan, but it still doesn’t dry ver well No air seems to come out of the unit at the bottom of the door, as I remembered from my parents KDI-18. Any advice or suggestions? I got the service manual, but it doesn’t tell how to assemble the dryer port in the tub.

 

[gansky1]

Nice dishwasher, looks to be in good shape.  There is a little stainless steel disc in the chimney of the drying port in the tank, check to see if it's lifting up when the fan comes on to allow the air flow in.  

 

[combo52]

Poor drying in the KDS 18

That little desk at the top of the chimney inside the tank of the dishwasher as Greg mentioned should be loose each time you open the door you should hear a tiny rattle from that disc being lifted up by the rush of air.

Other than that the fans got to be running and the heater got to be coming on to do a good job drying if you open the door during the dry cycle you should be able to feel quite a bit of heat if you feel that little stainless steel dome in the back.

Of course if you push the energy saver Dry button only the fan runs there’s no heat turned on.

The KDS 18 series and later KitchenAid dishwashers did not dry as well as the earlier ones, with the advent of the 18 series they dropped the wattage to 800 W formally KitchenAid dishwashers have been 1100 W when these dishwashers were new we had quite a few dry and complaints on them when people of had an earlier KitchenAid dishwasher.

 

[wrscott123]

Thank you

Thank you for the advice. The disc does lift up when the fan comes on, and it heats. Must just be a design issue.

 

[combo52]

You could put the 1100 W heating element in if you want to super charge it a little bit.

But it wasn’t really the best drying system the vent should’ve been at the top of the door so air would continue to convict through the tank even after the machine shut off.

I had a dishwasher just like yours for 10 years in my kitchen and my other dishwasher was a whirl pool of about the same era and I only ever used air dry on both machines the kitchen aid didn’t dry it all on air dry you had to just prop the door open the whirlpool would completely dry the dishes with the door closed overnight on air dry because it had a natural flow convection system and no fan.

John

 

[vacman1961]

I remember growing up at home we had a KDS17A and during the winter Holidays when my Mother and Aunts were cleaning up the kitchen they would often open the window by the sink and when the dishwasher would go into the dry cycle steam would actually come out from between the door and access panel on the bottom when the fan came on. That was a great dishwasher. I just remembered when the cycle was finished and the fan turned off you could hear a slight ding when the flap would come down.