need help with SMEG dishwasher pressure switch

[gizmo]

I have been on the scrounge for a dishwasher for a friend whose cheap Chinese dishwasher isn't working.
I found a recent model (2014) Smeg, which retailed for over $1600 new, for sale on Gumtree for $20, not working of course. It was advertised as needing a new "aqua duct" ie: the anti flood fill hose. Story is the plumber removed the dishwasher to do some work, and once reinstalled it never worked again.

It is a semi-integrated model and by happy chance the door panel that came with it is a perfect colour match for my friend's kitchen. (antique white so a popular colour.)

Once I got it home and looked inside, I could see the problem - the inner hose of the anti-flood hose assembly was kinked back on itself several times, completely blocking the flow of water. All I had to do was remove the anti-flood hose assembly, immerse the end of the inner in boiling water to soften it, unkink the hose and press it back to shape, then cool it quickly to set the plastic back to shape. All good. I have added a cable tie to where it passes through the back panel so it can't rotate in future, which will prevent it kinking again.

Next thing I found was the door drops too fast when opened. The door hinge has two springs horizontal under the base of the dishwasher, they each connect to the hinge using a nylon cord around a guide. One cord had snapped. They are made with plastic fittings moulded onto the cord. Rather than wait for a new cord assembly to come by mail, I tried to refit the existing plastic bits to a new cord. I cut off the old damaged cord, tried to drill out the cord from the attachments but the drill wanted to go anywhere but the cord. I then resorted to heating up a jumbo paper clip over the gas stove till it was glowing red, then burnt out the cord from the plastic bits a little at a time. When I had a hole through each piece, I drilled the holes to size and threaded new cord in place, secured by knots this time instead of being moulded into the plastic. See photos. I show the good original from the other side which I copied for the repaired one.

When I fired it up and ran a maiden load, it seemed to underfill a bit. It was washing but the pump starved for water at times - it would pump OK, but once most of the water was up in the air, the pump started to slurp air and you could hear that the spray arm stopped turning. I opened the door and added a little extra water, once I re-started the dishwasher it performed perfectly. So I need to adjust the pressure switch to increase the water volume a little, an extra litre would be plenty.

My question is - how do I know which screw to turn? There are two screws on this pressure switch, one will be the "fill" level and one will be the "reset" level, but I don't know which is which. Can anyone help? The pressure switch is a Metalflex brand.

thanks.
Chris.

 

[bewitched]

Hi! If the machine performed well before the plumber disconnected it i think the problem you have it is still connected with the acqua stop assembly. there are two kinds of acqua stop, one, used on cheaper machines, is mechanical and cam be replaced easily with a common filling hose, the other is an electrical assembly made od two electric valves fitted on a box installed at the water faucet and a double tube and wires to operate the water valves. this kind of acquastop is connected directly inside the machine and cannot be defeated. it’s quite strange the machine doesn’t stop showing a fault error due to insufficient water inside. i don’t know which type of aqua stop you have but i would double check this area instead of messing around with the screws to adjust water level. also check filters and the hose from pressure switch to the sump for dirt inside of it. if you have an electric aqus stop then check the filter screen just where you connect the box to the faucet. since the machine is rather cheap you should have the mechanical type. in this case remove it, fit a normal hose and try again.photo attached show a mechanical (the one with red parts) and electrical acquastop.

 

[gizmo]

Hi Bewitched, thanks for your reply.

This dishwasher uses the electrical acquastop, with inner and outer hoses and a wire up between the two. The repair I made to the twisted hose is fine and there is no problem with the acquastop system now.

the hose is similar to the one in your photo 1, but the inner hose is a simple grey plastic hose like the outer one, only smaller diameter. As it has no reinforcing, it kinked easily.

The water level was a separate issue. The pressure switch was cutting off the flow too soon, when the sump was not quite full. it would start to wash but once a significant quantity of water was "in the air" the level in the sump fell too low and the pump would suck a mixture of water and air. it would cycle - once it got some air, the pumping slowed so the jets slowed or stopped. Once the water that had been up in the air fell back to the sump, the pump would get a burst of water and blast it up to the jets again.

I was too impatient to wait for a reply to this question, so I just tried turning one screw a half-turn tighter. It worked. The fill now continues till the sump is full and I have no more "sucking air" problem.

The dishwasher worked really well, I like it. It cycles between each spray level in turn - it sprays lower, then middle, then upper wash jets. The lower spray has the mini-spray-arm on one end of the main arm, which rotates in the reverse direction. Very clever.

I live at a bit over 400 metres altitude, the dishwasher came from close to sea level, maybe the change in altitude caused the problem? I don't understand if moving a washing machine or dishwasher to higher altitude will cause the water level to be higher, or lower?

Any way, it works perfectly now.

Ciao.