pump seal advice please!!!

[rollermatic]

i have not been working on or collecting any more dishwashers or washers this year. but i have a large group of dishwashers i am currently storing in a spare room. some have new pump seals i put in, others have the original seals and do not leak. all are in running order.

is it best to store these with water in the sump to keep seals moist or should i keep them dry until the urge hits to take them out again and run them. it could be a year or more before i get to them again.

this room is not heated in the winter either. would an antifreeze mixture work well? i was reading in my g.e. mobile maid brochure for one of my vintage machines and it said to put antifreeze in sump if dishwasher is stored in freezing conditions.

i can always add some heat to the room to keep temp above freezing during our relatively mild ohio winters here.

any advice would be appreciated. some of you experts have probably dealt with this issue before!

thanks

pete

 

[turquoisedude]

Hey Pete, good to hear from you again!   I have to store a good part of my collection in an unheated garage and I have been using plumbing antifreeze to keep the seals moist and the pumps from cracking when the temperature gets down into the minus 20s!

I have also been draining the the fill hoses (as most of my collection are portables) and I learned one thing the hard way - flush the fill hose out before using the dishwasher again.  I have experienced some kind of deterioration of the inside of the hoses that clogs up the fill solenoid - I guess the hose material dries up and flakes off. 

The antifreeze will wash right out when you do need to start using the machine again - I always run a stored machine on a regular wash cycle with detergent and that seems to do just fine.

 

[arbilab]

Might consider propylene glycol. It's a high boiling point alcohol so it tends not to evaporate. Highly water soluble, rinses right out, non toxic, cheap.

 

[yogitunes]

My Kenmore UltraWash recommends running a load, even if empty, once a month to keep the seals from drying out.......so water would be the so-called lubricant.....

for storage, I use windshield washer fluid, about half gallon for a dishwasher, a gallon in a clothes washer, relatively inexpensive, even for us who have several machines, just make sure to also run the machine to make sure the fluid gets into all of the hoses......depending on your individual machines plumbing

but also like Paul has said, drain out the fill solenoids, something I have never done before, and never had a problem, but theres always that one chance for it to happen.......

How's that Speed Queen solid tub coming along Pete?

-M

 

[firedome]

RV antifreeze, aka propylene glycol, is ideal... non toxic, and will preserve and keep lubricated seals &c. Get it at any auto parts store. I use it to winterize my washer and sink traps at my VT camp every fall.

 

[firedome]

BTW... having been a BioChem major and teacher, I can tell you that propylene Glycol IS NOT a high boiling point alcohol. Alcohols: methanol, ethanol, propanol, have altogehter different chemical structure and properties. Propylene Glycol is different than Ethylene Glycol (automobile antifreeze) in that it is not toxic, however I still wouldn't recommend feeding it to your dog!!

 

[rollermatic]

thanks for the advice

i feel you are all telling me not to store these machines for long periods with dry sumps and dry seals. it would make sense that a seal should be kept moist.

i'm especially concerned with a few of my machines where seals are no longer available like the beautiful frigidaire spin tube i got last feb. in chicago and also my old hotpoint from the late 60's. my 2 g.e. mobile maids and the g.e. bow tie impeller machines are also one's where seals are non available.

the sears kenmores i'm not too worried about, seals are plentiful, as well as most of my kitchenaids.

i will definately get active on this before winter hits. i just want to be sure that what i use will not hurt the pump seal rubber material.

as to the solid tub speed queen, i ordered a pump gasket for it and it came about 6 months ago! i have to put the pump and belt back on it, put the cabinet back on and hook up the funnel shaped fill metering device that lets it's solid tub have a variable fill level. then throw the top on, hook it up and see if it runs! i do need to get busy on that one!

and i have 2 rollermatics to tear down and rebuild plus one to put back together that's already torn down. i just have not felt any motivation to work on any of it this year! hopefully that will change here as fall comes!

thanks

 

[arbilab]

Propylene glycol is a common processed-food additive. You CAN feed it to your dog. And if you eat TV dinners you feed it to yourself.

NOT high boiling point? 370F is not "high"? Are you from Venus?

I'm not enrolled in your lectures, mate. I have formulated products with high boiling point alcohols, propylene glycol and triethanolamine. Have you?

 

[combo52]

PUMP SEALS IN DWs

Pump seals are made of neapreem rubber, carbon and or bakelite rings, ceramic rings and SS springs and rings. While it will not hurt to use an antifreeze solution in the sumps, it also will not hurt to let these seals dry out completely as long as you add water before you start to use the machine again. These seals and complete pump and motor assemblies can sit on the shelf for 20 years or more with no deterioration what so ever. The lack of water will not hurt any of these materials as long as you don't run them dry......

 

[rollermatic]

thanks

very good to know that the seals will last in a dry state as well as wet. a lot of good info has been posted here! i knew i could count on you guys to give your expertise and experience.

i can't be the only person here who has thought of this storage question. any of us with a dishwasher collection probably has some that are not used much or never at all for years at a time.

thanks again!