On Fri, 22 Mar 2013 20:07:32 -0400, Joe Gwinn
wrote:

In article , Ed Huntress
wrote:

On Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:03:35 -0400, Joe Gwinn
wrote:

In article , Ed Huntress
wrote:

On Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:44:27 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Mar 21, 12:16*pm, Ed Huntress wrote:


'Really short of things to do today, eh, Dan? I wish you were here.
You could do something useful and help me fix my dishwasher. d8-)

--
Ed Huntress

Not really. I just moved my lathe to the basement from the garage. I
took it apart to lighten it, but the bed and headstock still weighed
about twice as much as I can lift. i am going to make a compression
spring for a fellow. So I take a break every now and then and look to
see if anyone is doing any metalwork.

g It sounds like my day, only I've been working on a frigging
dishwasher that suddenly started plastering lime deposits over
everything.

'All fixed now -- I think. Meanwhile, I did have to grind a special
tool to get the upper spray head off. Why they don't use standard
tools for that kind of thing, I'll never understand. You'd think they
were fastening hinges on a bank safe and wanted to make them
untouchable.

Lime deposits? Probably due to phosphate deprivation.

Joe Gwinn

Does phosphate take care of lime? I had the whole washer apart and
soaking in vinegar. I heat that the pros use dilute muriatic, but open
the windows first.

Phosphate prevents the accumulation of lime in the first place, and
will remove deposits slowly. Organic acids like vinegar or citric acid
will work faster.

One thing to be careful of is that there may be zinc aluminum diemetal
components that can be dissolved if one is too aggressive.

One thing to try is running the dishwasher empty using TSP (trisodium
phosphate) from the paint store. Us the same amount as if the TSP were
the old Cascade. Make sure you get real TSP, not something sold as
equivalent, like sodium silicate. Savogran is the right brand, but
gotta read the label.

If you have a lab supply company, another thing to try Alconix
"Alcojet" detergent. This is used in labs to clean scientific
glassware and equipment. Works really well on stainless steel.

http://www.alconox.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Alconox-Nonion...ed-Detergent/d
p/B003FZAQD8

Joe Gwinn

Thanks for the tips, Joe. Yes, I have real, 100% TSP. I'll try the
empty wash and use some with each load for a while.

I'm trying everything. Everything before the Alcojet first -- $35 for
four pounds?? That tilts my cheapskate meter, but if all else fails...

Yesterday, after washing a load but AFTER the vinegar treatment, I had
to rinse all of the stainless steel with vinegar and then wash by
hand. Enough of that!

And it happened all of a sudden, after years with no problems.

--
Ed Huntress