Mce Saint
join:2007-10-03
Saint Louis, MO
 ·AT&T Midwest
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| Dishwasher Dilemma
2 years ago our (then) 5 year old dishwasher (lower end model) stopped pumping out water. Called service and was told, in essence, that the drain pump and motor were "one assembly" and that the cost to repair/replace was about the same as a new dishwasher. So we went replacement route.
Bought a new GE dishwasher (model # GHDA480N10WW) - which I think is a GE/Home Depot "exclusive" model (can't think of proper term right now) for about $400 and life was good until yesterday . . . when the same thing happened. Water does not drain after wash cycle. At first, I suspected a clogged drain because the second sink was draining very slowly too. So, I pulled the trap and - sure enough there was some "food sludge" that appeared to be jamming up the works. Cleared out the sludge - ran the disposal, checked the drain hose from the dishwasher (at the sink connection) - everything looked clean.
Re-ran the dishwasher - and crossed fingers. No go. Did it again. Still not draining.
Pulled the dishwasher out and checked the drain hose at the pump housing - no blockage. Pulled the hose off at the pump housing and - immediately - the contents of the dishwasher spilled on to the kitchen floor (oh, joy).
Since the water drained when the hose was disconnected from the pump - it appears that there is no blockage INSIDE the pump/motor preventing it from being pumped out.
Am I correct to suspect a bad drain pump and/or motor?
If so, can the drain pump be replaced without the motor assembly?
It LOOKS like I can buy the drain pump separately - at least from the online appliance parts supply places - for about $50 to $60. At least, in theory. But, again, in practice can the pump be changed without the motor (or is it advisable to replace both?). A motor (separately) is about $160.
Here's what I don't really want to do is call for a service/diagnostic at about $90. And then be told: "you're screwed" . . . then I'm out $90 PLUS the cost of a new dishwasher (another $400).
I just had THAT happen with a refrigerator. Paid $90 to be told the fridge was dead and it would cost just as much to repair it (had a blockage and, therefore, needed new coil, evaporator, heat exchanger, etc.) as it would to replace it.
With the diagnostic charge for appliance problems being 25% of the price of new dishwasher ($90 in my area) . . . and any additional parts and repairs (if needed) on top of that . . . should I just skip the diagnostic call and head straight to new purchase? |
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dgilbert
Good Bye My Friend
Premium,MVM
join:2002-06-15
none
clubs:
| call GE and ask them before you order the part. but since they show it sold seperately usually they can be replaced seperately. of course, it could just be that the clogwas right there and when you disconnected it you cleared it. i would put it back together one time to see.
and then tell your wife to quit putting dishes with food on them in teh DW. should also scrape most of it off in teh garbage, the disposal is to run the small stuff down, regardless of the commercials showing them eating pineapples.
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Lack of Preparation on YOUR Part does NOT Constitute an Emergency on Mine! |
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Jon
Premium
join:2001-01-20
Lisle, IL | reply to Mce Saint
Just a thought but is the disposal new? Are you sure the plug was removed? |
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Msradell
join:2008-12-25
Louisville, KY
| reply to Mce Saint
What are you washing in your dishwasher? Most of the new ones have a built in food grinder that will grind up any food that comes off the dishes. If yours doesn't make sure the next one you buy does. Our present dishwasher (middle of the line Kitchen-Aid) is 13 years old and hasn't had any problems. We never scrape our dishes or do any pre washing, we just throw the dirty dishes in. |
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Locutus65
A Closed Mouth Gathers No Foot
Premium
join:2001-05-24
Houston, TX
clubs:
 ·Comcast
1 edit | reply to Mce Saint
Try Repairclinic.com
Here is the specific link to parts for your dishwasher. I've bought parts from them before. They are great. Includes instructions for installing the parts yourself.
»www.repairclinic.com/Appliance-P···W-%3d%3d
You can also find the solution there by listing your symptoms
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The only thing we have to fear is Fear itself...... and spiders. |
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Mce Saint
join:2007-10-03
Saint Louis, MO
·AT&T Midwest
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to Mce Saint
A. The disposal has been installed for several years. Did it myself - yes removed the plug.
B. I don't tell my wife anything - well, actually I do, but it usually just ends with me snuggling up with the dog in his house.
C. I went ahead and scheduled a service call ($75). On the off-chance that it might be something odd. If it comes back as the pump, I'll get his estimate to repair. If that's not reasonable AND it's just the pump, I might try replacing the pump myself.
Thanks for all the help. Especially, thanks for the link to repairclinic.com |
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cdru
Go Colts
Premium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
| reply to Mce Saint
Do you prewash your dishes before putting them in the dish washer?
I had a similar issue last year with our dishwasher. Their was a small impeller that was used to pump the water to be recycled for cleaning or to drain out the dirty water after the cycle. Some how a pop can tab made it past two filter screens plus a small guard and lodged itself in the impeller, preventing it from spinning.
It may be possible that something has been sucked into the intake that prevents your impeller or pump from operating correctly and it's as simple as removing that object. |
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averagedude
join:2002-01-30
Mesa, AZ | Mine was a clear glass shard nearly invisible until I had all ready bought the replacement and was removing for the new installation. |
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jrs8084
Premium
join:2002-03-02
Statesville, NC
·AT&T Southeast
1 edit | reply to Mce Saint
It is a bit hard to visualize this: 
Are you saying that the hose going to the pump lets the water spill out, but the line (Outbound) to the disposer won't flow?
I don't know how newer GE dishwashers are designed, but on the older ones, a single pump drove the wash and drain cycles. That is, if the spray arms are working, the pump is working. When it is time to drain, a solenoid opens on the valve on the drain hose, and the water gets pumped out, instead of through the machine. How many hoses are connected to this pump?
Does that sound like your setup? If so, for whatever reason the valve isn't opening (clog, bad solenoid, bad timer, etc.) |
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Mce Saint
join:2007-10-03
Saint Louis, MO
·AT&T Midwest
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to Mce Saint
quote:
Do you prewash your dishes before putting them in the dish washer?
Me, personally? Yes. I pretty much clean the dishes before putting them in in the dishwasher. Of course, I'm old school (48 years old).
Now, the wife (35) and my child (9)??? Not so much . . . hardly at all (from MY perspective - they claim they do . . . 'course not to MY standard). Do I want to make a federal case out of how they do things? Again . . . wife 35  !!
I also will cop to not doing most of the dishes . . . I just get tasked with fixing stuff.
quote:
Are you saying that the hose going to the pump lets the water spill out, but the line (Outbound) to the disposer won't flow?
No. I don't think that's it. What I DID was check the hose between the disposal unit and the dishwasher. But, I did it "one side at a time." That is, I disconnected and cleaned the hose at the disposal unit . . . ran the dishwasher . . . it didn't drain . . . and THEN checked the end of that same hose at the dishwasher end. When I removed that hose connection at the dishwasher end, the water that WAS in the dishwasher drained out on to the floor. After THAT, I tried running the dishwasher again (since it was now completely empty), but it still didn't drain.
Based on all of that, I don't think I have a clog IN the dishwasher unit. I think there is something mechanically not operating correctly preventing the pump from ejecting the water. |
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HRM
God Bless America
Premium,MVM
join:2002-02-03
Darien, CT
clubs:  | reply to Mce Saint
IT sounds to me like you have a collapsed hose. If the only thing you undid was the hose to the drain, and it emptied the washer, the hose must be plugged.
No? That's how I read it. Maybe it's just me. |
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jrs8084
Premium
join:2002-03-02
Statesville, NC
·AT&T Southeast
| said by HRM  :IT sounds to me like you have a collapsed hose. If the only thing you undid was the hose to the drain, and it emptied the washer, the hose must be plugged. No? That's how I read it. Maybe it's just me. No, it isn't you-as I said, I am having a hard time visualizing this from the info posted. After the last post, I tend to have a similar feeling-there is an obstruction. Gut feeling: this is a simple fix. |
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Mce Saint
join:2007-10-03
Saint Louis, MO
·AT&T Midwest
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to Mce Saint
quote:
No, it isn't you-as I said, I am having a hard time visualizing this from the info posted.
Not sure what's so complicated. Here's a diagram:
[sink/disposal]--------------------[dishwasher]
Checked the hose "-------" by doing this:
[sink/disposal] "disconnect" --------------[dishwasher]
No obstruction in the hose or at the disposal unit on the "sink/disposal" side. Re-connected. And tried running dishwasher. No draining. So, I did it this way:
[sink/disposal]--------------- "disconnect" [dishwasher]
Again, no obstruction in the hose at that end, but the *dishwasher* (not the hose) drained out from the pump. As follows:
[sink/disposal] --------"disconnect" [dishwasher]~~~water |
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jrs8084
Premium
join:2002-03-02
Statesville, NC
·AT&T Southeast
1 edit | Your description isn't that hard to decipher, but how it relates to the design of the pump, drain valves-the physical hardware, etc. is what is making it hard. Taking a picture of the pump assembly of an installed DW is rather hard considering where it is located. We can't see this.
The pump could be bad, and the water draining is just from gravity.
But, FWIW, checking a hose for obstruction by inspecting each end is not a great way of checking it. As gross as it sounds, I would have tried blowing through it.
But, you have a service call made, so post back with the results. |
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Mce Saint
join:2007-10-03
Saint Louis, MO
·AT&T Midwest
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to Mce Saint
quote:
Your description isn't that hard to decipher, but how it relates to the design of the pump, drain valves-the physical hardware, etc. is what is making it hard. Taking a picture of the pump assembly of an installed DW is rather hard considering where it is located. We can't see this.
Diagram here: »www.appliancepartspros.com/parts···25689528
quote:
The pump could be bad, and the water draining is just from gravity.
Yes - that's what I think is happening.
quote:
But, FWIW, checking a hose for obstruction by inspecting each end is not a great way of checking it.
Of course, the drain hose is clear/"see through."
quote:
As gross as it sounds, I would have tried blowing through it.
Which I did . . . when the hose was disconnected from the dishwasher/pump . . . my thought is that it shouldn't matter whether the hose was still connected at the sink/disposal side since the disposal unit wouldn't be a "closed end". |
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zen1
@optonline.net
| check to see if the spray arms are ejecting water at a good rate, you'll have to bypass the door interlock to do that, and if they are working, then the pump is good, but the solenoid for draining is not working, it could be clogged, or not getting power on the drain cycle, that link given don't show an electrical wiring diagram, so you'll have to determine where that solenoid is. if you could back-feed water into the drain during the drain cycle, that MAY dislodge the clog if there is one in the drain solenoid, without having to disassemble anything.. |
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Mce Saint
join:2007-10-03
Saint Louis, MO
·AT&T Midwest
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to Mce Saint
It was the drain pump - probably from food particles (the intake side had food particles in it; the sump was dirty; and there were some shards of broken glass in the sump and under the sprayer arm.
Cost for diagnostic call ($75), parts (new pump $64), and labor to replace pump ($100) + taxes = $243.
Wow - that's some hourly labor rate for about 45 minutes of work. Anyway, new pump has a decent warranty on it.
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