Who repairs Kitchenaid Hobart KDS-18 dishwashers?

[combo52]

If three proffessional repair people have already looked

this DW, and advised against repair, it is time for a another DW.

 

As someone that has worked for almost 40 years as a KA DW repair tech I can tell you that this KDS-18 is likey to need quite a few repairs to get it back to good running condition.

 

KA DWs were very good machines, BUT they are more complex than most other brands and they were never the most reliable DWs, they did tend to be long lived because they were expensive and we made lots of money repairing them because people really liked them.

 

BUT fast forward to today, most parts are NLA, there are few guys that know how to fix them any longer, AND labor and service call costs have gone up by a factor of over 500% since this DW was installed in the late 70s.

 

The best thing to do is get a new Maytag DW or possibility a good slightly used DW.

 

John L.

 

[rp2813]

SMH

"If three professional repair people have already looked at this DW . . ."

 

John, I'm betting the literal meaning of that statement captures exactly what likely transpired:  They just looked at it.  Nothing more.  They pronounced it junk and didn't bother trying to diagnose anything -- because they didn't know how.

 

How many machines have been saved through posts on this site when they were pronounced Not Worth Fixing by one or more clueless young "professionals," but ended up needing only a simple fix that in some cases cost less than $10 and didn't even require a so-called professional to do the work?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jay]

Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions. My handyman father comes to visit this weekend, and I will carve out a couple of hours to get into the machine and give it a shot. Appreciate the graphics, tips, manual, and practical advice. Time to get my hands dirty...I'll keep you posted.

 

[askolover]

Gotta love those handyman fathers!  I learned everything I know from mine and now he calls me for advice!

 

[pdub]

Replacement Water Valve

These are plentiful on ebay. Part number is: WP417100.

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www.ebay.com

 

[stevet]

Got one of those!

In my garage. In fact, had it in my hand the other night thinking about this very post!
Can't go wrong at that price for a new one. Grab it!

If you want to go with the original 2 coil style, let me know. got loads of them as well!

 

[jay]

KDS 18 Time To Hang It Up

Hi everyone,

Original poster here. Thanks to your good advice and my dad’s excellent handyman skills, the dishwasher has been up and running for years now...but it’s stopped again and I think it’s time for a replacement.

Right now, the motor is trying but water isn’t coming in again. My area is subject to stay at home orders so my father isn’t able to come check it out and he isn’t quite up to it anyhow. Sadly, I’m looking for recommendations for a replacement. I’m thinking of an inexpensive maytag from Costco. I don’t need fancy, but I want something solid and well made, if that’s possible these days.

Thanks!!

 

[bradfordwhite]

Water valve problems are generally an easy fix.  If the motor is working, the racks are good, the door seals, and the timer is working, you're pretty close to perfect when it comes to dishwashers.

 

 

Is the float valve sticking or missing?

 

Is the screen on the water valve plugged with gunk?

 

Is the fill valve solenoid defective?

 

Is there a wire off or loose to the valve?

 

These are some of the things that would need to be checked.

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howtofixit.net

 

[combo52]

Non Filling KDS-18 DW, reply #25

Hi, You likely have a stuck open drain valve that is allowing the water to go down the drain as fast as it comes into the machine OR a bad inlet valve,

 

To test yourself without any tools or disassembly start the DW on a normal cycle, listen carefully to see if you hear water running into machine and maybe down the drain. open the DW in about 3 minutes and see if there is any water in the bottom ? If no is the water line under the sink hot ?, Is the drain hose under the sink warm ? if yes you might have a drain valve  that is stuck open, Try pouring 2 gallons of hot water in the bottom of the DW and close the door restart where you left off, if the DW continues circulate. water properly the DV is probably OK.

 

Note the DW will drain fairly early in the cycle, if you hear the DV click open then after 2 minutes poor another 2 gallons of water in thew DW.

 

If your DW passes these tests replace the inlet valve, DO NOT try cleaning the old valve, this often leads to leaks and even stuck open valves and floods, the picture of the dirty valve in reply #26 above is a bad example because even with the amount of stuff in the inlet screen that valve will still fill properly, that screen is far from being blocked enough to restrict proper operation, If the valve in the picture was not filling properly it is because the valve diaframe is bad and these valves are not considered serviceable.

 

Hope this helps, John L.

 

[jay]

She lives to see another day!

Good advice, thanks! Gave it one more shot before I purchased the new machine, and replaced the valve. Looks like the timer was also wonky. I watched a few more YouTube videos...and DW is running again. Everything else is as it should be, I think — motor is cranking, door seals and locks, racks are in decent shape, etc.

Never even noticed the little holes where rinse aid goes I guess. I’m a little nervous to try and tinker with it, but I’ll try it tomorrow.

Thank again