Vintage DW Pro in SF Bay Area?

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kate

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Sep 7, 2009
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I have been excited to finally install my KDS-18 in the place of a vintage GE unit, but we were not able to remove the GE. We are more familiar with the KDS and KUDS. Do we have a not yet retired pro somewhere between San Jose and Marin County?

Many thanks,
Kate
 
Lee's Appliance may be able to help

Lee's Appliances may be able to help you. They are located in Brisbane and only works on stoves and dishwashers. Lee has repaired appliances for many years and has repaired my In-sink-erator dishwasher.
 
Connection at front had been removed but it still seemed to be pinched in place at the top. The sink is quite close to the other side of cabinet wall, but that space felt clear. It's possible new counter was installed after DW so we weren't sure what might have been done at that time. Thought it might be best to turn it over to someone familiar with the old GE.

I'm also keen to locate a qualified expert, with vintage KA dishwashers in several locations.
 
And thank you for the referral to Lee. I will see if he goes to Menlo Park and Sausalito. I had a great guy in Marin but he retired, as they often do.
Thanks very much!
 
It sounds like maybe there's a screw or other fastener from the replaced counter top that could be blocking something on top of the dishwasher.  If there are leveling feet on it, you can screw them in as far as they will go in order to lower the machine, but that may only help if you can access the rear feet as well as the front.  You could also try to slip something like a yardstick into the space between the dishwasher and underside of the counter top to attempt to locate whatever is preventing extraction, then see if there's any way to mitigate the problem without harming the machine.

 

The KitchenAid should be a cinch to install once the GE is out of there.
 
I think Ralph could have hit the nail on the head there.  Did you lower the feet?  With my dishwashers, including my vintage GE, I do have to lower all the feet in order too remove it, otherwise it's too high to come out, as it won't clear the top of the cabinet/counter.   It's the same story when installing them -- I have to push them into place with the feet lowered and then I can raise the feet once the dishwasher is pushed back into position.

 

Good luck!

Mark
 
My apologies, I probably should have asked if you had raised the feet (screwing them further up into the base) thereby lowering the dishwasher.

 

My references to "raising" and "lowering" were in reference to the effect it has on the height of the machine rather than what you're actually doing to the feet.  Worded badly.  Sorry!
 
Thank you very much. It does sound like the feet are the key. Hopefully they have some spare height now.

The model number on the GE is GSC702-06 HA, if that tells us the age, or whether it offers different points of attachment.... We are not concerned about saving it.

Kate
 
Greg, it sounds to me like Kate just wants the GE out of there one way or another.  I assume this was supposed to be a DIY operation, but there may be a need for a pro to figure out what's in the way of extracting the GE so it can be replaced with a KitchenAid. 

 

I can't say I would care about the GE either, and I'm sure the goal was to keep it viable in case anyone was interested, either here or on some e-classifieds site.  If this project requires sacrificing something on the GE, or even the entire machine, I support Kate 100% in this endeavor, whatever it takes.
 
I'm sorry I missed the last few entries. The GE was elderly and had stopped rinsing the dishes, a good excuse to use my KDS-18. It turned out to have no wheels, just 4 l-shaped corner standards. The hang-up was a narrow board someone had added to the top of the cabinet wall... perhaps to help support the counter top, which we think came after the DW. GE and board were finally removed and KA installed.

It's wonderful! I haven't used the "open-placement-plan" before, am amazed at the flexibility. Raising the upper rack I have been able to wash the top of my vintage Russel Range on the lower rack, a welcome surprise.

The door seems heavy and I wonder if it needs new springs. Can someone please offer old and new part numbers for those? The door has a wood panel to match the previous owner's kitchen, and I wonder if there is a rule of thumb, or perhaps a rule, regarding the thickness of the door panel insert. Is there a type of paintable wood that would be at the lighter end of the spectrum?

And finally, we are too far away for Mr.Lee, but they referred me to a 40-year veteran who is nearby.

Thank you for all the suggestions.
Kate
 
Great news that the KitchenAid has been installed!

 

The wood panel on the front adds a lot of extra weight.  If no one ever adjusted the spring tension, that's why the door feels so heavy.  If you want replace the wood panel with one of the standard sheets, I wouldn't touch the springs.  If you're planning to repaint the panel to match your kitchen scheme, then you should adjust the springs. 

 

I can't remember which dishwasher I had that needed a spring adjustment.  It was either the notorious Thundering Thermador, which had a similar wood panel when I got it, or an ISE Classic Supreme KA clone.  One of the KA experts here can advise on the tension adjustment process.
 
Kitchenaid KDS-18 Problem

Yesterday, after about a month of use, the KDS-18 loudly failed. At the end of the pre-wash cycle there was suddenly a very loud sound like small pieces being spun around inside the door. I was close-by so I turned it off, looked inside and couldn't see anything different. Turned on again, the loud clanking resumed.

I don't have a manual, but on the inside the door has a 3-part soap dispenser, a holder for liquid rinse agent and another small container that appears to be for a powder, All that looks the same as it has.

If someone can guess the problem, is it likely that part(s) would be available?

Many thanks for any suggestions.
Kate
 
Kate,

 

I would theorize that the loud sound is coming from the wash arms, if any, at the bottom (or top) of the Kitchenaid-18. Or it could be from something getting caught in the debris chopper if any at the bottom of the DW. Not sure about that, but if so it sounds like it could be a fairly involved matter to fix that probably will involve removal of the DW from the cabinetry. Possible causes might include flatware falling down into the bottom of the DW. This is of course all speculation and sounds like you'll need someone to inspect the thing.

 

Myself, although I very much enjoy vintage appliances, I have a relatively recent Bosch DW which has been working quite well for about 15 years.

 
 
Loud noise, KDS 18 dishwasher

Definitely start taking the pump apart and see what’s making the noise. Something may have worked its way in there.

You will not have to remove the dishwasher to repair it. You can even replace the entire motor and pump assembly without moving this dishwasher unlike a Bosch dishwasher for example.

John.
 
Drain Impeller for KDS-18

Thank you all, and you were correct. A small piece of crockery, apparently from the previous owner, messed up the drain impeller. It has resumed working, but my newly discovered pro with 40 yrs experience suggests I should find a drain impeller.... before the next call.

Does someone among us have a spare KDS-18 drain impeller?

Many Thanks,
Kate
 

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