1991 Kenmore Quiet Guard Plus Dishwasher

[97prizm]

Hello All,

My dishwasher finally gave up.It looks like a crack in the base. My dad and I flushed out the drain line etc and still a leak from the bottom. My question Is ...Is there a fix for this or am I looking at a new dishwasher? To be fair I've replaced seals as was needed. Any consensus as to what cleans well? All help Apreiciated.

 

[dkryan]

Let it go.

You've gotten "loads" of good service from that dishwasher. Literally.

In terms of a new dishwasher, you have to ask yourself how you've used your recent one. Once a day? Pots and pans?

We replaced our Kenmore dishwasher (and it did a great job for a lot of years, though for not as long as yours has lasted) with a Kitchenaid from Lowe's. It's very quiet and cleans well.

One thing you will have to get used to is the fact that new dishwashers take a long time to complete their cleaning cycle. As in a "normal" wash/sani rinse/dry/extra dry cycle is easily three hours in our new Kitchenaid.

And it's not any shorter in an LG or Bosch, either, unless you use "express" wash cycle.

Happy shopping.

 

[eljefino]

Yup, they basically steam the food off now. I think mine only uses 4 gallons per load, and is similarly cheap on electricity.

$230, but they sabotaged the trays so I can't fit anything in usefully. I may have to steal some better trays from the town dump that fit.

When you go to look, don't assume you're going to fit 12 dinner plates and 12 glasses like the pictures. Remember your odd shaped cooking tools too.

 

[dkryan]

97prizm,

One big consideration is how well your soon to be retired dishwasher dried your dishes and whether or not you were satisfied with that drying performance.

A lot of newer dishwashers use a circulating fan to dry the dishes. And regardless of the dishwasher soap and rinse aid that you use, NO dishwasher will get plastics 100% dry. I read numerous complaints about the Bosch line of dishwashers not getting dishes dry due to not having a heating element to assist with the drying cycle.

Our Kitchenaid uses the aforementioned circulation fan for the initial drying. We use the "extra" dry feature which then kicks in the recessed heating element to ensure the dishes get dry. Except for the plastics.

As always, your mileage may vary.

 

[Rolla07]

Id try and fix it or see if it can be fixed. 30 yrs out of it? You'd be lucky to get 10 yrs on the junk they sell now...

 

[MParr]

Time for a new one. Any of the Whirlpool brands are good (Whirlpool, Maytag, Kitchen Aid). GE makes good dishwashers, too. If you go for a Whirlpool made brand, make sure it vents out of the door. There has been molding noted on the higher end models that do not vent out of the door.

 

[Revving2Redline]

Simple fix...Tell her its her turn.

 

[Skippy722]

I'd just buy a new one... if there's a Sears Outlet near you and you don't care about scratch and dent or floor models, you can get a really nice one for dirt cheap. I upgraded all my appliances except the microwave with ones from there, took 3 years but they're all stainless steel Whirlpool's (USA made) except the microwave which is an Amana.

 

[Donald]

Look on Consumer Reports. There is how clean a dishwasher gets dishes, how energy efficient, how quiet? Many now have a evaluate how dirty the water is to determine how much washing is needed. My washer calls it "sensor wash". I like a washer that has an option to boost the wash and or rinse temp. I never use a heated dry,

I would replace the dishwasher. You are at a point of throwing good money after bad.

 

[Donald]

Look on Consumer Reports. There is how clean a dishwasher gets dishes, how energy efficient, how quiet? Many now have a evaluate how dirty the water is to determine how much washing is needed. My washer calls it "sensor wash". I like a washer that has an option to boost the wash and or rinse temp. I never use a heated dry,

I would replace the dishwasher. You are at a point of throwing good money after bad.

 

[ET16]

You can get a good used one at a Restore for cheap.

 

[itguy08]

Head over to repairclinic.com with your model # and see if they sell the base unit for your model. For many Whirlpool (what your Kenmore most likely is) models the base and motor are modular and can come out easily. It's about $200 for the whole unit but if you like the washer and don't want another it may be worth it.

 

[danez_yoda]

I just bought a new whirlpool to replace my 2003 maytag that has a broken plastic handle on the front that i would need to buy a new door to replace.

It came with the house (builder grade) and was loud.

I got a new 47dB whirpool and wow is it quiet!

Comparing to my maytag that did a great job cleaning is the following observations.

1) Whirlpool always has a moldy smell. I washed it out with vinegar and it still has a smell when it has been closed for a while. This is a common complaint but unexpected.

2) Whirlpool is super quiet. I can wash anytime during the day with no issue with noise. A light him and a light whish sound is all you get. Kind of pleasant vs the tornado vortex the Maytag was famous for.

3) Cleans dishes surprisingly well for such little noise.

4) Get one with the extended drying time. Weak drying performance of today's dishwashers are due to the low energy directive. They cant fire up the big heating element by default like the old days. If you pay or the extra drying time option you can override the default weak drying performance. its still not as dry ole Betsy use to get them (plates would burn your hand) but acceptable.

5) Those pods work well. I was not a believer on Cascade pods but they work very well with less mess than the liquids and powders.

 

[Lubener]

Originally Posted by 97prizm
Hello All,

My dishwasher finally gave up.It looks like a crack in the base. My dad and I flushed out the drain line etc and still a leak from the bottom. My question Is ...Is there a fix for this or am I looking at a new dishwasher? To be fair I've replaced seals as was needed. Any consensus as to what cleans well? All help Apreiciated.

Your Kenmore bit the dust just like Sears will soon do. Stay away from them with your purchase.

 

[StevieC]

The new ones are junk compared to the old ones, if you could find replacement parts or can patch it up somehow I would.

 

[Skippy722]

Originally Posted by StevieC
The new ones are junk compared to the old ones, if you could find replacement parts or can patch it up somehow I would.


My old GE one sucked, only thing it had going for it was it was about an hour to wash and dry. My new one has a 1 hour cycle though if I really needed it.

But to mirror danez_yoda, those Cascade pods are great, especially the top of the line ones. I've put things in my dishwasher that both my mother and wife said wouldn't come clean, and they came out absolutely spotless!

 

[StevieC]

We had a 30 year old KitchenAid and the thing was a friggen tank. Made lots of noise, cleaned the dishes really well and lasted forever with minimal in repairs. Mainly door seals wearing out from being used like it was a restaurant unit.

 

[Skippy722]

May be Apple's to oranges comparison in my case. A cheap white plastic GE that was likely the cheapest thing they could get vs the stainless steel Whirlpool lol