Noisy Door on Kitchenaid Dishwasher

[TechnicianBrian]

Model #KUDS01FLSS1, the door on this stainless steel tall tub dishwasher would make a loud noise when it was opened or closed similar to springs on an old bed. The unit worked just fine, but it was difficult to get in and out of without making a bunch of noise. Finally tired of the sound from their quiet running dishwasher, it was time for some expert service.



The doors on the Kitchenaid products are quite heavy and require a couple good sized springs in order to counter balance their weight. Both springs run along the bottom of the frame and attach near the rear leveling legs. The front of each spring is attached to a lanyard (looks like a shoe lace) which wraps around a pulley mechanism and then connects to the door hinge. When these lanyards break, the door becomes very heavy as I discuss in this previous post. The pulley consists of a stationary post, and a wheel on a shaft which the lanyard runs through in an 'S' pattern. This allows the vertical movement of the door hinge to transition into the horizontal movement of the springs.


Where the noise comes from is when the lanyard runs through the pulleys, it does so in a jerking motion due to friction. Each time the lanyard sticks to the stationary post, then quickly releases, the springs vibrate and make a harmonic noise. This friction can result in premature wear to the lanyards, but most often it is the noise when the door is used that is the cause for concern. The easy fix for this problem is to apply some grease like a white lithium to the stationary portion of each pulley to prevent the lanyards from sticking. But the grease is only a temporary repair because it attracts dirt and dust and eventually starts to cause more damage than it fixes. So for a more permanent fix, a new kit has become available to make this noise a thing of the past.

I installed this new door balance link kit (compare the photos above) which consists of a new set of lanyards, and a new set of pulleys which now have two wheels that move. With both wheels moving and no stationary post, there is no friction to create the unpleasant harmonic noise and the lanyards are subjected to less wear. Replacement of the kit was easy to do requiring the dishwasher to only be pulled out enough to change the pulleys.  Now the door on this unit is again as quite as when it's washing dishes.