Whirlpool portable dishwasher - to repair or not to repair....

[volvoman]

Ok...I'm hoping you can give me some advice here.

About two years ago, I purchased an older (1995) Whirlpool portable dishwasher off of Facebook Marketplace. Model # is DP840CWDB2, serial FE2801357. And up until now, it has worked flawlessly.

In mid-May, I ran it on its usual cycle. After it finished, I went to unload it, and saw about three inches of dirty water standing in the bottom of the machine. Not knowing why this was, I ran the machine again to get it to pump out the dirty water. It did so, and all was well. Admittedly didn't give it much thought afterwards, as the dishwasher experienced no further issues afterwards.

Fast forward to last week. Ran the dishwasher. Went to unload it. Same thing. Tried cycling it a few times. I could hear the pump activating, but no water was coming out. After several more cycles, the machine finally discharged the dirty water.

And again...no problems since.

This leaves me with a few questions...

1: Is the pump starting to go?

2: How expensive will this be to fix? Keep in mind that I am *NOT* handy with a screwdriver at all, and will need to hire someone to do this.

3: Am I better off getting a new (or used) portable to replace this? If so, what brand should I be looking at? I'm leery, as I've heard that today's dishwashers take forever to complete a cycle, and just aren't as good as they used to be.

4: If this ISN'T the pump, what else should I be looking at?

Mrs. V thinks we should go new. I told her that I'd rather fix this, unless the cost outweighs the benefits.

Thank you in advance.

 

[maytaga806]

There is a drain trap in the right back corner of the tub, is there scum or crap plugging the top filter? Is there anything clogging underneath the trap in the drain itself? Check those two things before anything else.

For modern portable dishwashers, Whirlpool sells one that’s about 800$, plastic interior and exterior. Has a manual cleaning filter, does a great job of cleaning. GE sells one that’s made by the Chinese company Haier, with a stainless interior. I have one but if you do not use it on the light cycle, it’ll run for two hours plus. The maximum cycle is about four to five hours, it’s ridiculously overprogrammed because it cleans very well in a short period of time. This is the only full size portable that has a stainless interior. I’d probably go with the Whirlpool if I was you, better quality, and will last longer I’d say. But it does take at least two hours on the normal and greater cycles, does have a quick wash option that I believe is an hour or under that.

I would strongly recommend looking for a whirlpool Powerclean portable, I bought a 2006 four years ago in like new condition and I still find many in like new shape, they last years and years and years and have a high reputation of being some of the most powerful dishwashers made in the US.

 

[combo52]

1995 whirlpool clean wash dishwasher

There is a visible screen in the back center of the floor of this dishwasher. It’s very unlikely that’s clogged. It does not have any type of removable trap. It would be very obvious and you would have to have a whole pile of garbage on top of it to keep it from draining

Very little wet wrong with these dishwashers. It was a good pump system. The pump is not available as a complete assembly. There is a little rubber diaphragm in the pump assembly. That’s easy to replace less than $10. Every once in a while we see one of these bad .

But you sort of have to diagnose the problem is the drain pump running but it’s just not pumping out a lot of times on portable dishwasher. Something gets caught in the drain hose or it gets kinked somewhere as it pulls in and out of the cabinet.

If you can find an experience technician in your area that wants to work on this, it’s an easy machine to work on and it may be very easy to save it.

Good use dishwashers are out there sometimes especially portables if you have to get a new one I would get the whirlpool product that Chinese Thing that GE is selling is terrible.