RCA Whirlpool dishwasher - the 'telephone dial' one - Dayton OH - $50

[turquoisedude]

I fainted briefly when I spotted this... IIRC, this could be the 1959 model since it has the 'telephone dial' timer control. And it's turquoise! I am sick that I can't act faster on this (I'd love the chance to pretend I was Lydia Brennan using it... LOL) but if someone else can save it, please do!!

https://dayton.craigslist.org/app/d/vintage-rca-whirlpool-dishwasher/6775180986.html

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

WOW Paul, this is <span style="font-size: 24pt;">SO</span> interesting, I have never seen or even heard of a dishwasher with this "telephone dial" control, very cool!

 

"Do you have a pile of dirty dishes?   Just dial "WHirlpool-2149"

[this post was last edited: 12/19/2018-14:01]

 

[turquoisedude]

Holy moley! I've been contacted by a former AWO member and he said he'd be willing to pick this up and hold it for me!!!

 

[parunner58]

Does anyone have pictures of what the inside looks like?

 

[turquoisedude]

If the machine is what I think it is, the wash arm would look like this one. This is in my '61 Whirlpool top-load portable, so the racks would be totally different, more like in the 2nd picture (a 1964 model)

 

[DADoES]

 
The model appears to be SKU-90-0 (K = 1963?).  Serial PR358497.  How does that translate?

 

[steved]

literature

here's a few pages from a brochure..... note that page 4 shows the rack from the top loader

 

[turquoisedude]

OH Steve!! Thanks for posting these.

I sure hope this all works out...

 

[twintubdexter]

no doubt about it...

...that is very cool. Now of course you'd have to buy one of those Seeburg Console Stereos and hunt for the elusive remote control unit too.

 

[peteski50]

whirlpool phone dial!

I am so Happy to finally see a closeup of the timer dial. I have only heard so many things about this DW but was never able to get better specs on it! I couldn't tell for sure but is it a 2 level wash? And is their a detergent dispenser? Would love to take one out for a wash!

 

[peteski50]

whirlpool phone dial

I found these photos from a old posting - is it the same machine - doesn't look like it has 2 level wash?

 

[steved]

Good eye, Peter

I tried my best to see an upper wash arm but no dice. I dug through some old Whirlpool dishwasher stuff and discovered that the early wash arm models (late 1959-61) only offered the lower arm. Sometime in the early 60’s (62,or 63) the upper arm with the large feed from the bottom arm showed up. That brochure I posted earlier must have been from that 62-63 time. I’m lacking other literature from that period. Side note: they offered budget built-in impeller models that featured the GE bow tie impeller!

 

[peteski50]

whirlpool phone DW!

Thanks Steve - the picture I posted with the lady loading it is I think from late 1958. Do you know if the bow tie DW's were actually made by GE?

 

[appnut]

Whirlpool bow-tie dishwasher

Next door neighbor had that dishwasher from when the house was built Spring 1961. Tomturbomatic has discussed this before. It was so cheaply made, the bottom rack slid on a molding from the tub being formed initially, I don't think the rack had roller wheels on it. Tom can correct me if he sees this, but I think this was made by American Kitchens and/or D&M. The dishwasher wasn't made by GE--GE didn't even offer one with a drop-down door and racks that pulled out.

 

[steved]

Doubt it

Hi Peter, I don’t think GE ever made dishwashers for Whirlpool. I think this was their first foray into constructing their own machine. Their previous models were the American Kitchen/D&M design. Looks to me like they were borrowing ideas from both GE and D&M, with a little Hotpoint (recirculating system) thrown in.

An early Haier dishwasher? LOL!

 

[tomturbomatic]

A friend's apartment in Atlanta (The Brookwood at 26 Alden Lane and famous for the brassiere cup-shaped green sun screens on the balconies) had the dishwasher appnut describes. The lower rack was the angled GE style, but remember, GE lower racks just sat in the tub of the roll out or portable. Unfortunately that meant that the GE rack had no side rails like you see in the Imperial model pictured so when it was pulled out to load, you could not load a skillet along the side of the rack or even in the corner because there was nothing to support it from behind. Its control panel was much plainer with a timer knob to turn a long thin pointer, nothing like the telephone dial.  I don't even remember if it had a detergent dispenser; definitely a builders' model. While it had the GE impeller, I don't know if it had the GE pump & motor which would have made it better at disposing of food than almost any other impeller machine.

 

[turquoisedude]

Tom, I have a top-loading portable Inglis version of the Whirlpool-with-a-GE-Bowtie-Impeller and it has the GE-style pump with reversible motor. The cabinet looks just like the cabinet on my 61 Whirlpool portable top-loader and the racks have a very 'D&M' look.

 

[appnut]

Tom, no dispenser other than a little rack-mounted mesh device to hold a dosage of powder.

 

[toploadloyalist]

Did any laundry washers ever have a rotary phone dial control?

 

[firedome]

what a cool d/w...

hope you get that one Paul!

There's one of those Seeburg consoles for sale right near here at the moment, price has been dropped from $800 to $500, I'm waiting for $50! LOL

 

[cycla-fabric]

Machine is later than 1959

I have an issue of Consumer Reports December 1959 issue and it rated dishwashers and the RCA Whirlpool FU-70 was top rated as it had two washes instead of one and a very effective filtering of the wash water. It did a very good job at cleaning dishes. This machine has to be newer as the control panel is newer than the picture they show in CR. Your machine may prove to be a later edition of this machine. Good Luck with the phone dial Whirlpool machine.

Doug

 

[turquoisedude]

Saved!

The dishwasher has been picked up by a friend in Cincinnati!  He said the machine is in very good shape and appears to be low-mileage.  I hope to get out there to pick it up in mid-January.  Wheeee!

Best. Christmas. Ever.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Do you think it is safe to cross the border into the maniac nation?