The moment you've all been waiting for...1975 Whirlpool Imperial 540 Automatic Dishwasher!!!

[peteski50]

1975 Whirlpool Imperial !!

Congrats on this Whirlpool machine. I always felt that the design should have been somewhat different with the upper spray arm design. I never understood why they didn't make a direct feed for the upper rack. I did have a 92 portable whirlpool with the power module and I loved it. Cleaned very well and was easy to load. I liked having the silverware basket on the door. Now I have a GE tall tub and that works very well also. Best of luck.
Peter

 

[retromom]

She is

Thank you all for the kind words. She truly is an "Imperial" find.

Pat: Everything on the interior (including the door) is white porcelain. The only plastic that I see are the racks, dispensers, and float. Say "Yay" for quality. I hate plastic interiors on anything (

Louis: Looks like your question about the upper spray arm was answered. We are thinking about getting a piece of plexiglass for the front so that we can watch (and film) her in action. BTW how would you fasten/seal it (temporarily, of course) so that the entire house wouldn't get sprayed? LOL

Jaune: According to the "Operating Instruction Card", the raised filter is a "pump guard". It states that "the pump guard section of the filter collects items that might clog or damage the pump, and is removable for cleaning."

The back row of prongs on the lower rack also drop down for larger items like pots and pans.

DavidM:

According to the "Consumer Buy Guide" that was attached to the dw, this model uses from 4.6 gallons (rinse-hold mode) to 13.9 gallons (super scour mode), and wash times range from 10 to 60 minutes. This is actually quicker than the Bosch, and holds a heck of a lot more dishes. H-m-m-m-m-m-m do I feel a replacement taking place? ;-)

Now that I am "beyond obsession" for these vintage dishwashers, I am going to "scour" the area for more portables; hopefully a toploader. Then maybe I'll change my name to "Retrotoploader". LOL

 

[frontaloadotmy]

P # 56980

Pat,
In about 1966 or 7 neighbors bought a newer larger house
near the old hood. My recollection is that it was a classic
1950's "Ranch Style" It featured Turquoise Whirlpool "Built
Ins". I can't recall if the timer was positioned lower or upper, like Venus' new portable; the knob was pretty much the same though. It had a "Bow Tie" impeller.

 

[agiflow]

thanks frontaloadotmy

I would love to find a WP dw from the late 50's or early sixties that used this bow-tie impeller.Older WP dishwashers from the sixties seem to be very rare.

 

[gansky1]

This is very nice - another grandma dishwasher for sure. It's amazing that the "Sidewinder" WP dishwash (spraytower BOL) I played with here for a while had nearly the very same racks as this one from the 70's and looking at brochures, the racking was much the same from as far back as the late 60's. I guess WP found a design that was a good balance between performance and production-cost effective and stuck with it for many years.

 

[agiflow]

I always liked the contrast between the light blue racks and the white tub. (i think i need to get out more)

 

[appnut]

Venus, the times given for the cycles, particularly for the superwash and superscour, are probably just estimates. I know SuperScour would have at least two, if not 3 water heat delays. The SuperWash at least the main wash and possibly the final rinse.

 

[agiflow]

Appnut...question,there is no designation for normal or regular wash,would super wash on this machine correspond to what would other wise be the normal cycle?

 

[appnut]

agiflow, you're correct in that assumption.

sequence is pre-wash, rinse, rinse, wash, rinse, rinse, dry.

In these olden days, note cycles D & E started on the 2nd rinse. That's how we used to get short/light washes.

Rinse & hold did the prewash and first rinse and stopped. YOu could either turn the timer around to the beginning to start the full load or simply push A or B cycle to resume.

That * on the last rinse could be for rinse & dry.

Venus, except for the water useage, I'm pea green with envy.

 

[appnut]

The

Hey, does anyone remember some WP models of the 60s or 70s was such that the rows for the top rack were horizonal rather than front to back?

Also, looking at that desppized water funnel in the bottom, as I call it, it just hit me that that type of thing is used in today's DuraWash WP dishwashers.

 

[agiflow]

Good eye bob,i was about to post that too.The wp bottom line of today was the mid seventies tol machine.

The normal cycle on my machine consists of a rinse,then the main wash and two rinses after.

I have to say WP is definitely good at clean up and refridgeration.

 

[david]

Somebody help me

Exactly when did Whirlpool start making dishwashers? I know they have at least been around since 1960, but before that?

 

[60skelvinator]

WoW!!!

Don't you just love it when people take GOOD care of there appliances? (It sure pays off later on!) I was suprised by how much this one looks like my 1971/1972 whirlpool under-counter model; yours has the exact spray arm, exact front, and exact timer. The one I have, has been in my kitchen since '71/'72 and is still in "like-new" cond.
Speaking of long-lasting whirlpool appliances, my '66 rca whirlpool dryer, and '60 rca-whirlpool refrigerator, are still going strong!

 

[agiflow]

david

59 i believe was the first year for WP dishwashers.

 

[mrcleanjeans]

1959 was the first RCA Whirlpool with the revolving spray arm principle that KitchenAid started for home use in 1949.Believe it or not, Whirlpool started making electric dishwashers around 1914,consisting of a round metal tub,a motor driven impeller, the racks,you'd load the machine, pour 1 gal. boiling water in the tub with a pinch of soap ,and washing soda,if needed,let run a few minutes manually drain into a bucket, repeat with clear water, lift lid, air dry.1935, dishwashers became automatic, starting with Hotpoint.In the 50s, only KitchenAid had a revolving wash arm,with 3 exceptions. In 1950, a private inventer with The American DW co.made a spray arm machine, and was fast gone.Around 1955, came the Waste King, which was the 1st with multiple cycles, having a floating power arm with 58 jets. In 1958, Hotpoint changed to the spray arm design, calling theirs Double Deck washing, consisting of a lower arm, a fixed tower with an oversized circular frisbee shaped head with spray jets. The 1959 RCA Whirlpool with filter stream washing, a single spray arm design, outcleaned ALL dishwashers ever made up until then, due to a great sprayer, a filter that gratly resembles today's euros , and an excellent cycle design. No puny 5 min. wash,two 1 min. rinses here. It had a pre-rinse, THEN the 1ST wash ,another rinse, a second 15.5 minute wash, two more rinses, dry. It was great, I had a portable version of it.

 

[coldspot66]

YAY for Whirlpool. Has ALWAYS been my favorite brand of appliance. I do remember reading about CU testing the 1959 W/P dishwasher, saying it was the best performer. They go on to say it cleaned better than the other machines WITHOUT detergent than the others did WITH detergent!!!!!!!!

 

[peteski50]

Whirlpool Dishwashers!

I would like to see the first ones Whirlpool made. Seems like a interesting design from the above comments.
Peter

 

[frontaloadotmy]

Congrats Retra

Well Done!!! Well Done!!!!
Bravo!!!; Venus. Wonderful that it has the porce/enamel door
too. In this new place I just got there is a Tall Tub Frigidaire. It seems to clean fine but I just hate loading the
silver ware and for that matter the racks bug me too. I always get "loading lock" on anything but my Wp. That Imperial looks pristine. I can't wait to see your next Vintage Find!!!
Dare

 

[appnut]

Agiflo, I hate to tell you, your "Normal" cycle used to be what WP and others called the short or light wash. All WP did was "rename" the cycle as "normal" so they could attain the energy star emblem. Today, on models with the "heavy" awsh cycle, it's as close to what Venus' SuperWash (Normal) cycle is. And Pots & Pans is what SuperScour is. Friends of mine have a mechanical Kenmore WP produced PowerClean dishwasher. PnP is Heated Wash, rinse, Heated wash, rinse, and heated final rinse. Heavy is Prewash, wash, rinse, rinse. Normal is Wash, rinse, and rinse.

 

[agiflow]

Right exactly appnut,....if i choose heavy wash on my machine,it has the 1st wash a rinse,main wash and two rinses after.P&P on my machine is the same setup as heavy wash,but the
two main washes and the final rinse is heated to 145 degrees automatically.

Does your ge dw consist of two washes in the normal cycle?