Doing it by Hand

I finished repairing the dishwasher on my own today.

It started a couple of weeks ago. The dishwasher had been getting louder and louder, making a grinding noise when it would switch cycles, and what had once been a so-silent-you-had-to-check-if-it-was-on dishwasher, was now a shaking-the-house-like-Godzilla dishwasher.

I had the brilliant idea to look up how to repair it on YouTube. It seemed like a pretty simple fix where you take out the motors, find what's blocking their bits, and put it all back together. I'm not mechanically inclined but I thought it looked easy enough and I gave it a shot.

Hell, what could go wrong?

The flood I cleaned up upon next using the dishwasher answered that question quite well.

I took it apart again. I looked over each little piece. I cried a little. I kicked things. I discovered a loose seal and found a local place where I could order it. I also spent a lot of time finding out that, no, Lowe's, Home Depot, and other big box stores do not carry parts like that and will not order them.

One little rubber gasket that costs $30 later and I had fixed the dishwasher!

Except it was leaking out of a completely different part now.

Fudgecake.

I took apart the motor that was leaking and looked it over. I couldn't find a direct cause but it was clearly this motor that was flooding my kitchen so after some debate we ordered a new motor for about $60.

Today I replaced the motor. Convinced that I had fixed everything and nothing more needed doing I put the dishwasher back together, put everything in its place and, instead of testing it, I put dishes in it and washed them.

I thought God had promised no more apocalyptic flooding but he lied.

I pulled it out of the cupboard area. Again. I flipped it on its back. Again. I looked at every single piece to see what the problem was. Again. I realized I hadn't put the bracket back in place that held the impeller motor where it was supposed to go and the entire thing had fallen out.

Oops.

It works now. It cleans the dishes and doesn't leak. It's quiet. I did a good job.

I never want to look at another dishwasher again.