[Shop-talk] Dishwasher dilemma

[John T. Blair]

At 12:41 PM 1/7/2008 -0500, PJ McGarvey wrote:

>Installed a lightly used GE Dishwasher I bought locally, into my rental
>apartment this past weekend.
>
>When I turned it on, it made an awful sound that appeared to come from the
>pump.  Shut it off right away.  Tried a couple more times, same thing.  I've
>heard some electrical motors that have started to go bad, there is usually a
>grinding, whining noise, maybe a smell.  Didn't sense any of that.  Had no
>idea at first what it was, but I was tired, it was late, so I left instead of
>curse at it.

PJ,

My first thought is that the bearings for the motor are shot.  Did you look
at the motor?  See any whiteish stuff around it.  Usually an indication that
the seal between the motor and the inside of the DW is bad.  Then the water
getting into the motor kills the bearings.  

>Thought about it later and realized that the nice guy that sold it to me said
>he didn't have the screws for the kickplates, but had put the kickplates in
>the dishwasher when he moved it.  So now I'm thinking some little sheet metal
>screws are banging around in there, making that noise.

That's definately a possibility.  Try turning the motor by hand and see what
you feel and hear.  But the screws should be down around the motor shaft.
You should be able to see them, and fish them out with a magnet on a stick.

>My question is, has it possibly been damaged beyond repair?  A new pump motor
>costs $135.  I bought the D/W for $175.   Tough call there.

WOW!!!  $175 for a used DW?  I replaced the motor in my old DW years ago,
and it ran about $100 for the motor and impeller assembly.  So the $135
doesn't seem bad.  Is this DW a high end commercial unit?  I don't think
I paid $250 for my current DW new.  Yes you can spent a lot of $$ on one
with a stainless steel tub (inside), but why.  Just so it doesn't stain
like the plastic ones.  I can live with the stains for $400 or more.

Especially if this is a Rental place, you should be able to get a new
DW for under $300.  I just looked at HomeDepot.com and you can get a DW
for as little as $200 up to over $1.4K.  

If you can't find the screws inside the DW, I think I'd take my losses and
got buy a new unit.  You get new baskets, motor, heating unit, valves,
and a new interior for just a little more than you'll pay for the motor.

>Anyone ever attempted something like this?  Just not sure if it'd be worth
it.
>I would plan on bringing the whole thing back to my house, and disassembling
>it, then testing it before I put it back.

I did it on the original one when I bougth the house.  When the replacement
motor failed, I said the heck with it and bought a new unit for about $250.

To replace the motor in my old unit, the motor and impeller assembly came
out as a unit.  You had to jack the motor up into the DW.  The new one pressed
down into the DW.  Actually that was very simple to replace.  Just expensive.

John



John T. Blair  WA4OHZ     email:  jblair1948 at cox.net
Va. Beach, Va             
Phone:  (757) 495-8229

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