The reason it was hard to spot was the white sound blanket acted like a giant diaper and absorbed the leak. I think this is a leak that has been getting worse over time until the wet blanket started dripping enough for Kathy to notice.
The black inlet hose (Manufacturer Number 8531412) would cost over $30 with shipping from Sears or RepairClinic.com (where I bought rope and pulleys earlier), so I searched eBay and found a guy who just happened to have one with a $7.95 buy-now price, including shipping. It looked like he had taken apart a dishwasher and was selling all the parts. The photo (last one below) verified it was the right part and it appeared in good shape, so I bought it. This hose does not look like one that would wear out except mine had been damaged.
Meanwhile, to avoid having to wash dishes by hand for the next 6 days, I bought 99 cents worth of 1/2″ o.d. 3/8″ i.d. clear vinyl tubing from Lowe’s that fit perfectly. Lowe’s sells all kinds of tubing by the foot. Home Depot does not. I’m not sure how long the vinyl would last over time since hot water is being transported. I also think it might kink. The black and white tubes have ringed ridges allowing them to bend but stay rigid. But I’m sure it will surely last six days! The last photo shows water being transported through the clear vinyl tube. Two green twist ties at the top are helping keep the vinyl tube from kinking.
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- Black inlet tube feeding side tub valve. Thicker yellowish drain hose loop surrounds it.
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- Damage to black inlet tube on right of bend. Notice impressions in black rubber mat.
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- Under tub view shows black inlet tube connecting to on/off valve. The silver metal jacket inlet hose is horizontal below it. The yellowish drain hose loops up then back down (perhaps helps prevent back flow?)
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- Temporary clear vinyl replacement.
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- Inlet hose from ebay
Received the black hose from eBay and installed it. Exact fit. Dishwasher is now good as almost new. The temporary vinyl tube patch seemed to be doing just fine. It is like heavy aquarium hose, so not sure why not go with that and just check it once a year.
Hi Jeb, Your article describes exactly what is going on with our Kitchenaid dishwasher! I removed the dishwasher because we are having the kitchen floor replaced. On removal, I felt that the “big white diaper” on the left side was damp and also then noticed blistering of the engineered wood of the cabinet where the white insulation comes into contact with the side of the cabinet. The black inlet tube seems to be oily. It has a shiny look in some placed along its length as if it has oil residue on it. It also feels a tiny bit sticky, also supporting the oil idea. Not sure why that would be. The spring clips at each end seemed loose to me. I could quite easily spin them with my fingers. I have now re-installed the dishwasher (the flooring guy postponed by a month!), without fixing the leak. It must be a tiny leak – it has been in service for 6 years with no evidence except when I discovered it on removal. Also, at the time, I knew I would be removing it again in a month. At that stage, I will see about finding the leak and getting a new inlet tube if necessary.
Thanks for writing this article – It certainly has helped me understand what might be going on! – Graham
super blog post cheers for posting this, warren.