Kenmore Dishwasher, intermittent weak wash and rinse
 

I have a Kenmore Ultrawash III dishwasher.
Approx. 15 yrs old.
SN: FD3334919
Model No. 1564990 (I think it's 99. Those numbers are a little worn
on the plate.)
Part No. FD3334919 (From the Sears installation manual. May not be
useful info.)

Sometimes the dishes don't get very clean and there is clearly food
residue left on the dishes. Some "stubborn" food as though the wash
cycle wasn't very effective, and some loose food residue as though
the rinse cycle wasn't very effective. Other times the dishes appear
clean except for a white residue left on the dishes, as though just
the rinse cycle wasn't very effective. Sometimes the dishes come
put fine, but the described problems seem to be getting worse over
time.

I've noticed that sometimes, starting at the beginning of the quick
rinse cycle, I can hear the unit humming but don't hear any water
swishing around. When I open the door and look in immediately, the
water isn't moving. When I close the door again the water starts
swishing. Perhaps the same thing is happening during wash cycle and
I just haven't noticed it.

Any idea what's going on, and what the fix might be?
Pump getting vapor locked?
Solenoid not switching properly?

Advice on fix versus replace? Again, the unit is about 15 yrs old.
We will be selling the house in another couple years.

Thanks for any advice,

Paul

Kenmore Dishwasher, intermittent weak wash and rinse
 

On Sun, 13 Apr 2008 21:52:08 -0500, Paul Stivers wrote:
I have a Kenmore Ultrawash III dishwasher.
Approx. 15 yrs old.
SN: FD3334919
Model No. 1564990 (I think it's 99. Those numbers are a little worn
on the plate.)
Part No. FD3334919 (From the Sears installation manual. May not be
useful info.)

Sometimes the dishes don't get very clean and there is clearly food
residue left on the dishes. Some "stubborn" food as though the wash
cycle wasn't very effective, and some loose food residue as though
the rinse cycle wasn't very effective. Other times the dishes appear
clean except for a white residue left on the dishes, as though just
the rinse cycle wasn't very effective. Sometimes the dishes come
put fine, but the described problems seem to be getting worse over
time.

Before starting a wash, do you make sure that no dishes are blocking the
rotating sprayer arm?

Kenmore Dishwasher, intermittent weak wash and rinse
 

"Paul Stivers" wrote in message
. 97.136...
I have a Kenmore Ultrawash III dishwasher.
Approx. 15 yrs old.

Any idea what's going on, and what the fix might be?
Pump getting vapor locked?
Solenoid not switching properly?

Advice on fix versus replace? Again, the unit is about 15 yrs old.
We will be selling the house in another couple years.

The problem is 15 years old. Pumps tend to wear and not give the same
pressure, spray arms clog. Rather than be miserable for the next couple of
years, get a new one for $500 and keep yourself happy and the new buyers
happy.

Kenmore Dishwasher, intermittent weak wash and rinse
 

clipped


Advice on fix versus replace? Again, the unit is about 15 yrs old.
We will be selling the house in another couple years.

Thanks for any advice,

Paul


I don't know if it applies to your situation, but might be worth a try.
Our dw leaked, so I
called the serviceman. He checked it out, only problem he felt was soap
residue causing
excessive suds which kept the water from draining. The solution was to
dump about a
quart of vinegar into the dw and run it through a cycle empty of dishes
or detergent. It worked.

I sometimes get cloudy residue on glasses, which is from too much
detergent. Wash them in full-
strength vinegar to remove the film. I really don't like dishwashers -
rather do them by
hand.

Kenmore Dishwasher, intermittent weak wash and rinse
 

Norminn wrote:

I don't know if it applies to your situation, but might be worth a
try. Our dw leaked, so I
called the serviceman. He checked it out, only problem he felt
was soap residue causing
excessive suds which kept the water from draining. The solution
was to dump about a
quart of vinegar into the dw and run it through a cycle empty of
dishes or detergent. It worked.

Thanks. I read about the soap residue (from a google search) and the
vinegar application (from the service manual.) We used 2 cups of
vinegar, though. I'll try more. I also cleaned the soap residue from
around the door opening and checked that the water level float was
working.

Paul

Kenmore Dishwasher, intermittent weak wash and rinse
 

AZ Nomad wrote:

Before starting a wash, do you make sure that no dishes are
blocking the rotating sprayer arm?

Thanks. We do try to check for that but sometimes could do better
about not cramming stuff in.

The thing is that sometimes the water doesn't circulate at all during
at least the first rinse cycle (just that humming noise I mentioned,)
so I don't think blocking the rotating sprayer is the main problem.

Paul

Kenmore Dishwasher, intermittent weak wash and rinse
 

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

The problem is 15 years old. Pumps tend to wear and not give the
same pressure, spray arms clog. Rather than be miserable for the
next couple of years, get a new one for $500 and keep yourself
happy and the new buyers happy.

Yes, that would be the altruistic thing to do. But what if it's just a
solenoid valve ;).