Does anybody know dishwashers well?

[recycled sixtie]

We get a call from our tenants saying that the dishwasher(16 years old) does not work. This is a mechanical dishwasher and not human so I will omit the pics!
The water does not enter the dishwasher at all. When it was working properly the water would exit no problem. I do not know the brand of built in dishwasher but can find out.

For those of you that know dishwashers would you be inclined to replace it or fix it?

Your thoughts always are appreciated!

Cheers, Guy.

[nota]

likely a bad relay if lucky
or the control switch/timer [expensive and hard to find 16 years post production]

[wdfifteen]

Technology has changed on the high end machines in the past 16 years, but if you get a $250 machine it will be similar mechanically to the ones I used to work on 40 years ago. If water doesn't enter is most likely a clogged intake screen. Cost to DIY is $0. If the valve itself is bad DIY cost is $20-$40 dollars.



Another possibility is that the tub is full due to a drain problem, and the overflow switch won't let the fill valve open. Check this first.

[id10t]

Or a water tube is clogged with deposits.... do you have hard water? Run an in-line water softner?

[Bill Douglas]

16 years is a long time for a dishwasher. Buy them a new one

[ckissick]

I wish I knew this one.

[red-beard]

I'm married to a dishwasher....

[zelrik911]

Maybe the door isn't closing properly (or the machine doesn't think it is closed) & no water will be let in as a safety feature.
Sometimes there is adjustment to properly realign the door - but I had a machine where the internal plastic had cracked around the button & dial board, inside the door, it was too big a job to save the machine. I suspect the door had been slammed often to make it close and start.

[mikesride]

I second Nota's idea....Check the float first. Our broke off once as something wacked it while being loaded. A dab of crazy glue and the things now on year five post repair. Good luck. (BTW friends just bought a new maytag at lowes for under $400.00 if it non-repairable)

[fintstone]

Personally, I would buy a new one unless you do the repairs yourself. Once rental appliances get old, the tenants begin to break them all the time (because the other associated parts are old too) and the service calls and tenant annoyance add up quickly. If you replace it because it is broken, you can generally write off the expense while keeping the value of the home and rent rates high.

I just replaced all the appliances in one of my rentals that were about the same age. I will raise the rent for the next tenant for the "modern kitchen" plus I have a more valuable investment. I may also replace the counters next time it is vacant so I can claim a "recently renovated kitchen". It is good when you get to pick the timing on such efforts as you can get good deals on multiple appliances, find sales and get matching sets. It also allows you to justify increased rent when the current lease expires, unlike a single appliance replacement. Nothing like new appliances to keep a tenant a few more years or a crappy kitchen to make the lady of the house to start getting a bit of wanderlust.

[Kraftwerk]

" a clogged intake screen " Bingo. Look for the inlet before the pump there you will find the screen, The Old Magic Chef used to get all "calked-up" every 18 months like clock work I would have to clean it out then it would be good to go for another 18... Adding an inline pre-filter before the machine would have been the way to go. Now have a Jenn Air which has not given me that problem ( yet ) Repair don't replace! Show the renter how to repair it if they like to do that kind of thing.

btw: I bough the Jenn Air used and malfunctioning for $23 ( it was like $550 new!) fixed with $8 worth of parts has been going strong for 5 years now.