Whirlpool Dishwasher Fill Valve Failed

[vacfanatic]

Well I got home from work on Friday and long story short I went to dry my hands with paper towels which sit on the holder above where the dishwasher is, and my socks got wet. I freaked out and for a good reason. My 2007 Whirlpool DU1055XTSB2 was dripping out from the bottom of the door. It had not been run for 2-3 days. I opened the door and the pan was totally full of water and overflowing. The fill valve apparently got slightly stuck and was allowing the water to leak in through the fill hole until it overflowed.

Wood floors and water do not mix.

 

[vacfanatic]

Here is the floor about 2 hours after having a fan on it... the finish had lifted and flaked off...

 

[vacfanatic]

1 day after... with dishwasher removed.

 

[vacfanatic]

Beautiful...

 

[vacfanatic]

I think I can get replacement flooring, this is standard size and Maple. The entire floor has to be sanded and refinished though... after 4 years of being installed. Sigh!

 

[vacfanatic]

I believe some of what built up in the valve inlet contributed to it's failure. If any of you have Whirlpool or Kenmore dishwashers, the front of the valve does come off with 4 screws and you can clean out the little filter just like on a washing machine. This was after 4 years of use.

 

[vacfanatic]

[No message]

 

[vacfanatic]

New parts are on order, and I've also ordered sound insulation that goes inside the front panel and toe-kick that came on more expensive models. There is already sound insulation on the sides of the dishwasher but I have it removed in this photo. I also took the drain pump and soil sensor out from the bottom while I had access to it to clean it up - the soil sensor was kind of nasty and there was a lot of gunk inside the drain motor magnet area. I may take out the wash unit later this weekend if I get bored. Good time to service things while I have it taken out.

Overall I'm very happy with this dishwasher, it cleans very well (with Finish Tabs) but not the new Cascade (garbage!). I'd love to have a Miele Dishwasher but it's simply not in the budget right now, and especially for a $25 fill valve that failed most likely to water conditions. I'm betting a piece of sand or small piece of calcium got through the packed screen and didn't let the valve seat completely, which ended up leaking water for 2-3 days until it overflowed onto my waterproof vinyl flooring.... er wood floor... sigh.

 

[combo52]

WP , KA AND KM DWs MADE BY WP

All these tall tub models are experiencing a high rate of this type of failure. If you can find a new valve for $25 let me know where, they are usually $60-70. It also looks like you my have a dip-tube failing in your water heater, that may be what all that white stuff is in the screen. Sorry about your floor damage, but this is why I would never put a wood floor in a kitchen, I see this type of damage several times pre week at my customers homes. I am surprised that insurance companies don't refuse to pay for floor damage to wood floors in kitchens and bathrooms. A wood floor should never be installed in a built up fashion in front of refrigerators [ even if they don't have ice-makers, they still can and do leak ] DWs and even sink cabinets.

 

[vacfanatic]

John,

I flush out my water heater about every year, and so far I just get some calcium deposits from it. Next time I drain it, I will take out the anode to look at it's condition. The water heater is only 4 years old.

Here is a link to the part I need from RepairClinic.com - very affordable.

Andrew

http://www.repairclinic.com/PartDetail/Water-Inlet-Valve/1481084

 

[whirlcool]

It looks like you have a high calcium level in your water.
Be happy that you had true hardwood floors instead of that laminate stuff. If you had, you probably would be replacing the entire kitchen floor! Laminate & water definitely don't mix!

 

[DADoES]

 
The RepairClinic link lists the part number under their stock/item number, not the manuf part number.

Looked up the model DU1055XTSB2 at SearsPartsDirect, which does include the manuf part number as 8563405 @ $38.85.

PartsTap.com carries it for $20.88 (shipping $6.50).
Part # W10158387 (8563405) at PartsTap.com
(Whirlpool part W10158387 at RepairClinic brings up the same item # 1481084 as your link)

AppliancePartsPros.com lists it for $20.86

 

[gansky1]

Sand and pebbles on tap.

How awful, I've seen this same trouble before with the WP d/w's and have heard of several LG's & others that drip water from the circulation pump seal that makes a slow-death for wood floors.  

 

Looks like a water softener would be a good investment once this trouble is over!  Recent water quality report in our MUD bill listed hardness at an average of 9-13 grains through the 2010 year.  The time of  year and where your water comes from (either the Missouri river, Platte River, wells, etc.) can make these numbers worse.  Sarpy County seems to have worse trouble with water as most of theirs is drawn from the Platte R. or wells, my parents in Gretna had theirs tested when they moved and it came out at 17 grains.  I had a Culligan water softener for a while that recharged whether it needed it or not and that pitiful thing used 3 bags of salt a month.  Now I have a GE softener I bought at Sam's with demand-recharge and low water & salt cycling so we only use 1/2 to 1 bag each month.  With all the vintage machines as a priority plus all the other benefits, it was a money saving investment in the long run.  I think it was around $350 or so, plus install but it looks like you're handy enough to get that done

 

[vacfanatic]

Greg,

A water softener is definately on the top of my list. It has been for some time because I hate descaling the shower. The hard water here is pretty bad in my opinion, and after I clean the shower with scrubbing bubbles, I have to clean it again with Lime Away to get rid of the hard water spots. I think I'm also going to switch to a braded water line on my dishwasher so I can go in every couple of years and remove the water valve to clean it out. The copper line is just a pain in the ass and I hate compression fittings. You don't even want to know how many F bombs I let off when we first moved in hooking up the refrigerator - those compresion fittings kept leaking on me I was like what the hell!

I also decided while the dishwasher is out of service waiting for parts, that I would tear it apart and clean and inspect everything. All in all it looks like it's aging very well. There was a ton of fluff and carpet fibers (no idea) stuck inside the mesh screens inside the chopper assy, and the thermistor / soil sensor and inside of the wash pack really needed a good cleaning. There seemed to be kind of a build up of grease in it, so I washed it all by hand in the sink with hot water and dawn. The dishwasher is now in the garage for testing. I have it running in service mode to make sure it does not leak anywhere.

I was extremely detailed on all gasket to tub sealing surfaces to make sure reassembly did not create any leaks. I have to say these whirlpool dishwashers are super easy to work on, and appear to be well constructed for the price point.

Andrew

 

[vacfanatic]

Danger my ass... more like danger to my wood floor!

 

[vacfanatic]

All clean

 

[vacfanatic]

[No message]

 

[vacfanatic]

Cap (Yes I discharged it before tinkering)

 

[vacfanatic]

Thermistor (Black Tip) and Soil Sensor lower bulb and eye I guess...

 

[vacfanatic]

Heater holes and wash pack sealing surfaces super clean before reinstall.

 

[mark_wpduet]

I have that SAME dishwasher (white)

Bought in April 2005. I came across this thread and it's funny because I have my water bill on the desk right beside me and it has the water quality report. I've never really known how hard the water was here in Lexington. It comes from the KY river (I think) and it says that the hardness levels leaving the water treatment plants in 2010 ranged from 52 (soft) to 450 ppm (very hard) or 3.0 to 26.3 grains per gallon....I'm thinking Lexington is on the high end of that........

Andrew.....You've taken that entire dishwasher apart. You seem to know WAY more than I do about repairing and DIY

 

[arbilab]

450ppm? Try ours, 1000ppm. And I've had worse.

Apparently Euro has a different scale (pun, get it?). Guess "million" wasn't metric enough for 'em.

 

[a440]

That's a lot of work.

You must really like this machine....

Brent

 

[vacfanatic]

Replacement Dishwasher Ordered

After I took it out to the garage and ran a few test washes, there is a leak in the vent seal that was apparent when I first took the door cover off when I took the dishwasher apart. It had a buildup of what looked like dried egg yolky substance, so I thought oh well might as well clean that assembly and the gasket. Well cleaning it made it leak LOL

That gasket is $27, but I just took it apart and put a nice bead of silicone on it, and problem fixed.

Then I noticed the bottom left of the door gasket was leaking a bit and fine mist was blowing out from the wash action, and eventually had a few drips on the outside of the bottom pan. I tried to reposition and reseat the seal, but same thing. The door seal was $17, so I put in an order for it.

I'm going to sell this repaired unit on Craigslist. The new unit should be here in a couple of weeks

Whirlpool Gold GU3200XTXB

Fully Integrated Dishwasher with Nylon Racks, Direct Feed Wash, Hard Food Disposer, NSF Certified Rinse, Energy Star Qualified and 57 dBA Quiet Partner IV Sound Package: Black

ENERGY STAR Qualified Dishwasher
Whirlpool Corporation is leading the charge to conserve energy and save you money. Most Whirlpool dishwashers have earned ENERGY STAR Qualification, reducing water consumption by 32 percent.

5-Level SheerClean Direct Feed Wash System
Gain extra room for more dishes by using a direct feed wash system without use of a tower. Channels water up and out of the back and top of the dishwasher to powerfully clean from five different angles.

Hard Food Disposer
Breaks down food particles. A self-cleaning filter in the wash module assures efficient cleaning, cycle after cycle.

Quiet Partner IV Sound Package
Whirlpool brand dishwashers offer many levels of quiet operation with this system of sound-reducing insulation.

Control Lock
Disables buttons on the control panel to help prevent unwanted starting or stopping the dishwasher.

Glass Xpress Cycle
Washes glassware or lightly soiled items in just 30 minutes.

NSF Certified Sani Rinse Option
Sanitizes dishes by eliminating 99.999 percent of food soil bacteria, as certified by NSF International.

Soak and Scour Option
Gently soaks, powerfully cleans and then soaks again to remove tough soils from dishes so you don't have to.

Cup Shelves
Bi-level shelves allow safe stacking of coffee mugs or can be used as stemware holders to secure your delicate glassware.

Flip Away Plate Holders
Maximize loading flexibility. The adjustable tines can stack plates, hold cereal bowls or flip completely away for large pans.

Fold-Down Tines
Cushioned tines keep dishes securely in place in the upper rack and easily adjust for flexible loading. You can easily make room for larger cups, bowls and containers by folding the tines down.

Light Item Clips
Conveniently secures lightweight items such as plastic ware and lids, so they stay put during the cycle.

Nylon Rack Coating
Durable nylon coating resists rust and prevents scratching.

More Features
Super Capacity
Direct Feed
Temperature and Soil Sensors
5 Cycles
6 Options

 

[mark_wpduet]

Andrew

Wish I had known. I have a family member who works for Whirlpool in Greenville OH and gets an employee discount.

 

[vacfanatic]

Mark,

Thanks - however I made out with it for only $375 from AJ Madison and got free shipping on the deal - no sales tax and have $100 in rebates too. MSRP for this is 699.

I of course would rather of had a Miele but I'm kind of funny when it comes to my kitchen appliances. They need to be the same brand or it bothers me.

I'll post more about it and her unboxing when it gets here.

Andrew

 

[mixfinder]

Set up a Set for Me

Andy,

You are the very first person besides myself I have met who has brand OCD.  I like all majors to be one brand (I am presently transitioning from GE to Frigidaire) my counter top appliances are all Sunbeam.  My cookware is Farberware Advantage, all the tumblers come from one set, cups all match, 36 place settings of one silverware pattern, shoes are Cole-Haan.  I can't stand mismatched table service, brands or sets.  I just feel better when everything matches.

 

[mark_wpduet]

Me 2

I'm weird about that too. Everything is Whirlpool here. Not by my choice....It's what the builder used..But I hated the dishwasher so I sold and got a new WP dishwasher when I moved in.....I think for some strange reason it would REALLY annoy me to have mismatched brands, even though it's silly when you think about it...

PS......You know what I did like the first month of living here? I was looking under the above the range microwave and unscrewed the bulb the WRONG way and it broke off into the outlet.....The light has never worked since. I was so Pissed at myself. I can't believe I did that.

 

[stevet]

Exchanging like for like?

Andy, I am glad you were able to rehab your original machine and was sorry to see what it did to you flooring. I will always keep an eye on my Kitchenaid Clone for valve failures but our water is definitely a whole lot "softer" than yours appears to be.

But I have one observation that maybe you can set me straight on.

You have a Whirlpool machine and it is now basically about as good as the day it came out of the box and you are now replacing it with what is, essentially, the same exact machine you already have.

I am familiar with the DU1055's as they are a good mid level machine and are very popular, They have all the cycles anyone would need, but the racks leave much to be desired in my opinion. My sister's machine is the same model as yours in white and replaced a Frigidaire that came with the house back in '96. It is light years better than the Frgidaire so they are happy.

Your new machine is definitely sleek looking with the integrated controls and stainless tank. But again, except for the nicer racks, it is mechnaically identical to the 1055. Please remember that while Stainless steel is nice , and inherently quiter, it will show every bit of the lime and other minerals you have in your water regardless of how much rinse agent you use.

You can tell me to take a hike, but I think you should reinstall the 1055 and invest the money you were going to spend on the WP Gold DW on a water softening system. It will provide much greater return on investment in the long run than the dishwasher will! Not just for the dishwasher's sake, but for all your plumbing and water using appliances.

If you want the snazzy racks, then check out the machines on CL and see if you cant pick up a Kitchenaid or Kenmore which has the larger bottom rack which takes up the space in the door where the silverware rack currently goes and puts one on the right side of the bottom rack. If it has the adjustable upper racks, it will have the dual outlet feed tube that will easily replace the current one you have and provide more versatility in the upper rack.Many of the upper racks will also have the fold down shelves for the cups on the sides like the new one too.

If you do get the new machine, then save the old one for spare parts as you can expect no more life out of the new one than the old one since they are basically the same. Any part or parts you salvage from it will be worth more than anything you can sell it for on CL or Ebay. And you will find so many machines of that type and vintage from all brands. In addition, they don't command high prices so you will not recoup your time and effort's costs.

 

[vacfanatic]

I'm fully aware that I'm exchanging it for a very similarly built model. Since I have all whirlpool appliances in my kitchen, I want to keep with Whirlpool for asthetic and resale reasons if I ever sold my house. The dishwasher didn't fail because of a design issue, it's because of the water quality that plugged up and trashed the water valve. I do have plans to get a water softener this summer.

The DU1055 Needed the following parts:

New water valve
New rinse aid cap
New air vent gasket
New door seal

Provided the fact that I'd have to spend about $100 in parts, and the uneasy feeling with it having 3 spots it was leaking, I decided to use the circumstance to upgrade to a better model. I had wanted to get one of the better models some time ago that was quieter and had the stainless interior.

Andrew