Posts Tagged ‘dishwasher’
Appliance Surgery
We’re not sure whether the kitchen appliances have been updated in the 27-years since this house was built, but we do know they have a fair amount of mileage on their components. Last week, Cyndie opened the dishwasher door to a shockingly loud CLANK!, crash.
I thought she had yanked it open past a plate or utensil that was somehow snagged. I was wrong.
A few pulls of the door revealed it wasn’t something inside the dishwasher that broke. Root cause diagnosis was made easy by the added evidence of a stray string suddenly appearing from the bottom right corner of the door. I figured a spring had broken, but research revealed the door “cable” that attaches the spring is a common weak link.
I did call local retailers for parts, but unsurprisingly found none in stock. Without having positively confirmed with a service person that I had correctly identified the part needed, I took the risk of ordering the replacement kit online. The site I landed on offered a video demonstration of the process that lie ahead for me.
It gave me confidence it would be something well within my ability.
Now all I needed was the parts.
Through the miracle of tracking, I could watch as my package reached Wisconsin, but failed to be delivered. A day went by. Then another. Finally, the tracking information updated. Even though it was still showing it would be delivered that day, it was now listed as being in Fargo, ND.
Oops.
Fargo must be where they figured out the error of their ways. It was rescheduled for delivery the next day, thank you very much.
While I was outside monkeying around with my chainsaw-on-a-pole to clear low-hanging branches, the delivery truck snuck up the driveway and left my parts on the doorstep. In no time, I was on the floor in the kitchen, re-enacting the video I had watched on replacing the door spring cables.
Put another feather in my cap, and add a little more time on the life of our old KitchenAid.
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Nuisance Items
Sunday dawned to an open agenda for us at the ranch, and I had it in mind to chip away at some small nuisance items that have been lingering, but not demanding immediate action.
Recently, the rope gasket around one of the fireplace doors came loose and it flaps around, getting caught out of position when the door is swung shut. Also, Cyndie has been saying that the soap dispenser on the door of the dishwasher is not working correctly. I planned to do some online research for both topics, so started there.
I quickly refined my search for rope gasket replacement kits, and then learned that one of the pieces, specifically, the one that has come loose on ours, is glued in place. Seriously? What glue do they use for that!? Something non-flammable, and able to endure extreme heat and still hold, I hope. I redirected my search to looking for a dealer in my area.
Being located as close to the Twin Cities as we are, I often question whether I should be looking in Minnesota, or Wisconsin, for good and services. Usually, results are better when searching Minneapolis/St. Paul. I found a couple of options for moderately convenient dealer locations in Minnesota for our fireplace. Then I checked Wisconsin and discovered a renewable energy expert company just 5-miles from us in Ellsworth. That’ll do just fine. I’m hoping to visit them today and discuss my situation with a knowledgeable professional.
Next, to the dishwasher.
I had pretty good luck finding a service manual and parts list for our model. Troubleshooting advice was harder to uncover. It appears the dispenser assembly will be about $70, and is in stock, if that ends up needing to be replaced. I decided to remove screws in the door and get inside for a look. I’m guessing my odds of making it better are about equal with my chances of making it worse. It didn’t leak when I started, I sure hope it won’t when I’m through.
I got to the business side of the dispenser and found a solenoid that should release the soap door latch. I removed the solenoid and then rigged up a way to put voltage to the coil. It worked, so I put it back together to test it again, in place. That also worked. The soap door popped open when I triggered the solenoid. Unfortunately, that leaves me to think it isn’t receiving a signal from the controller during the cycle. I don’t know how to test that. We are down to calling an appliance technician.
With luck, we might find someone who knows a little plumbing, too. While I was working on the kitchen floor, and Cyndie was occasionally using the sink, I found we have a leak around one of the sink drains. I developed a suspicion about it when I reached for the box of dishwasher soap, and the bottom appeared to have gotten wet at some time. I was keeping one eye under the sink as she used it, and caught it dripping.
My plumbing expertise is limited to tightening a nut or a fitting, to get a better seal. I tried turning a nut under the drain, and it turned rather easy. I was hoping to feel it get tighter, but it didn’t. It started to deform the rounded metal underside of the drain that it pushes against. I stopped and checked to find it still leaks. Whatever I was doing, it wasn’t helping.
I decided to stop trying to fix things for the rest of the day. I’m gonna need to learn a bit more about plumbing or we’ll be facing the added expense of another visit from a service person.
Relative Something 