We finally fixed the dishwasher!

So, about 2 months after I initially broke our dishwasher, we finally got around to fixing it.

Just for reference, we have a Whirlpool dishwasher (model #DU1345XTVQ0) and I love it.  I just put some Bar Keeper’s Friend in there and broke it.  There was a slow, dripping leak coming from the motor area. (And it turns out, somebody (coughcoughBrian) often leaves napkins on his plates when he’s putting them in the dishwasher and those napkins weren’t helping either.) 

We ended up installing a new motor.  Thanks to the Internet, I found a motor at our local appliance parts store, Bell Parts, (you can also order online!), and some instructions on how to do it.  The instructions weren’t for our dishwasher exactly, but they were close enough that we were able to uninstall and re-install everything we needed to!  (It was also helpful to have our dishwasher’s manual and parts list in front of us, too!)

Again…I do not recommend that you do the crazy things we do (like take apart and fix your own dishwasher)…but for us, it was better than buying a new one! It might be for you, too!

So, I thought we’d have to take out the whole dishwasher, but we didn’t.  We could unplug and remove most things from underneath.  It was a little tight, and Brian and I took turns working down there. 

Eventually, we got the sump and motor out of there.

Here’s the floor showing through the hole when we got everything out.

Once we had the sump and motor out, we took off the old motor.  (It was so easy compared to getting all the stuff out from underneath the dishwasher!)  We did find some nasty gunk (Bar Keeper’s Friend + napkins?!)  on some screens in there.  I don’t know if that gunk was contributing to the leaking, but I cleaned it all anyway, to be safe.

Easy peasy was installing the new motor.

And then it was just a matter of putting it all back together.  Somewhere in the un-installing process, Brian got all kinds of cuts on his hands and he’s not sure how.  In the whole fixing process, we only got on each others nerves once and had to take a dinner break. Not bad. :)

Once it was all back together and running, it was soooooo great to see a dry floor underneath the motor! No leaks!

And now I have my dishwasher back.  I actually haven’t had a dishwasher for that long in my life…but it’s amazing how quickly I got addicted to it.  I mean, you put your dirty dishes in this magical machine and press a button…and pouf! They come out clean and dry! It really is like magic. :)

Have you lost anything lately, no matter how small, that you normally take for granted? :) Did you get it back? And are you as happy about it as I am? :)