MetaChat - I just fixed our dishwasher

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21 July 2009

I just fixed our dishwasher It took three hours.→[More:]
The hard water deposits were like white frosting, gumming up everything. I've never seen them this bad.

Each time I take it apart I forget something about reassembling it.

I'm also amazed at how cheap the components are. Anything that's not under direct stress is built with plastic about the same gauge as a Revell model car kit from the 70s.

Oh, and I manage to break something small each time. This time it was a plastic screw receptacle in the door. I was convinced I'd broken the door latch and disassembled it unnecessarily.

Usually I'm cleaning out the food grinder thing, which has attracted mystery fibers in the past. This time there were just those thick deposits. I think I went through a gallon of vinegar and destroyed a toothbrush cleaning it out.

I'm going to buy myself a new tool tomorrow.

Other highlights include googling my name and the brand of the dishwasher to find my notes in an appliance forum from May 24th, 2007, although I've fixed it since then. It's just that the 2007 message had a link to a pdf of the manual.

Incidentally, I'd stay away from the Whirlpool Quiet Partner III. It is neither quiet nor your partner.

post by: craniac at: 01:43 | 11 comments

This does not sound like a good time.

posted by gomichild 21 July | 04:16

You're very industrious. Three hours is a long time to be scraping off hard water build-up. I don't envy you that job. Have you considered using CLR?

You know, regarding how cheaply made some of those parts are, I suspect we are supposed to replace these appliances instead of fixing them. At least I think that's what the company hopes. Dad had a small metal thingy break off from the fridge some years ago and they told him they don't even replace parts anymore, he should just get a new one. When he was telling me this story he referred to the guy as an ass hole and then said he just welded the piece back together.

What kind of tool are ya buying? Something with lots of volts and attachments?

posted by MonkeyButter 21 July | 04:18

Appliances like dishwashers used to be made out of cast iron and Bakelite, now they seem to be made out of aluminum foil and packing foam.

posted by octothorpe 21 July | 07:34

Could you come to my house now, and take a look at mine? I can't figure it out (it won't drain); the website was useless; and I can't afford to have anyone come out and look at it. I'll make you a cheesecake!

posted by redvixen 21 July | 12:31

I find this thread deeply disturbing as I just moments ago bragged about my superpower being the ability to overload a dishwasher.

*pets dishwasher nervously, makes soothing sounds*

posted by BitterOldPunk 21 July | 13:14

Part of the three hours was comprised of going online and looking for a spring that I thought I had lost from the door latch but in fact never existed.

Also, the top rack dishes were still looking chunky so I pulled apart the top sprayer arm and cleaned out the deposits and caulked it back together, but really should have used silicone. It's drying right now, so hopefully this will work.

I wasn't really industrious, just thinking about the $400 it would cost to replace the dishwasher.

posted by craniac 21 July | 13:35

Also, I never did figure out what the mystery fibers were that were clogging it previously, but they have since disappeared.

posted by craniac 21 July | 13:36

Aren't dishwashers great? I mean fantastically fucking great?

My mom hasn't had a dishwasher in about ten years, thanks to my dad. Now that he's in the home, it was one of the first things I bought.

posted by dhartung 21 July | 23:23

Dishwasher's are Satan's tool. I can wash dishes faster and with less water and electricity and have them in the cupboard in no time at all and the detergent is cheaper too.

posted by arse_hat 21 July | 23:43

I can wash dishes faster and with less water and electricity and have them in the cupboard in no time at all and the detergent is cheaper too.

Awesome. Come to my house and teach me. (Although part of the problem for me is that the hot water makes all the pains in my hands much, much worse.)

I suspect my son would have botulism without the boiling hot super temps the dishwasher provides.

posted by anastasiav 22 July | 00:16

If you can't put your hands in hot water I can see your problem but outside of that I don't know how anyone can't do dishes faster and cleaner than a dishwasher.

posted by arse_hat 22 July | 00:29

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