WDF520PADM3 Dishwasher circ pump troubleshooting

[Chard]

My whirlpool dishwasher is 15 months old, and has stopped spraying entirely.

Relevant history: 3 months ago, my water heater started releasing dip tube fragments into the water supply, and I had to replace the water heater and the kitchen faucet, which was too clogged to repair. The showerhead and bathroom faucets needed their filters cleaned.

The dishwasher fills, heats, and drains normally, but even with the kick plate removed, I don't hear the circulation pump start at all. Is there someplace on it that I can test with a multimeter to see if it's working but clogged? Can it be unclogged or tapped with a hammer in the right spot? (You've all heard that joke, right?) If it needs replaced, is it definitely the circulation pump that's the problem?

My biggest worry is that I'll DIY a pump replacement and then it still won't work and I'll need a professional to repair it anyway. It's only a $400 washer, and at that point, it's probably cheaper buying a new one!

Also, if it is debris that caused the circulation pump to fail, would replacing a (still working) inlet valve be a good idea?

[Hiroshi]

Yes, place your meter leads into the two outer (blue-ish) wire locations in the motor connector and see if the motor is being sent 120V during a wash cycle, if not, replace the control board... Since the drain pump works, we can assume the ( F1 small triac load) fuse is ok.

The tiny amber beads could feasibly clog just about anything if there are enough of them present, but if they didn't clog the inlet valve, I doubt they could clog the circulation pump...

[Techonamission]

Checking 120V to the motor on the two light blue wires is important.  However, this dishwasher you have is notorious for the wash motor going out.  I replace one per week it seems.  Rarely do I see the controls go bad. You have to take the sump assy out to change the pump motor, so IMHO just replacing the entire sump/pump assy (costs is not much more) is easier. 

****Also if you are worried about cost, you can buy any part from appliancepartspros.com , instal it and if it doesnt work just return it for a full refund.  They have a 365 policy even on installed parts.    

Pump only: http://www.appliancepartspros.com/whirlpool-motor-pump-w10846093-ap5988881.html

Pump/sump assy:http://www.appliancepartspros.com/whirlpool-pump-motor-w10837026-ap5988710.html

[TheBenzLens]

This topic may be on an old thread, but the subject matter remains relevant...

My Whirlpool Dishwasher wdf520padm7 model was purchased new, installed and after about a year, the circulation pump seemed to have failed. Everything else worked properly, just not spraying/washing.. I bought a replacement part this past February, installed it and everything worked perfectly again. It is now November and my replacement part failed!!! 

Now the IMPORTANT PART: 

Before I ordered another part, I decided to completely disassemble the motor/pump and then I took a good look at everything. The actual motor unclips behind the impeller and detaches from the entire unit once you remove the wire harness clip that gives it power. After the motor half is removed, you can pull the rotor (the cyclinder attached to round part with the o-ring attached to impeller) out of the plastic barrel. I basically cleaned the entire barrel, rotor and the shaft that spins and lubricated all of the moveable parts in the assembly. Then I reassembled it, put it all back together AND IT WORKED PERFECTLY. 

So, moral of the story: don’t buy anything til you clean the entire motor assembly. Mine was BARELY gritty when I took it apart, but still spun freely. Once I cleaned and lubricated it, the difference was small, but that much easier to get the motor to initiate spinning. I know I’ll save a lot of people money because I am one of those people, minutes away from an eBay part replacement purchase. My first motor that I thought was burnt out probably had the same issue. My furnace blower motor had the same issue. Clean your motors!!! PSA rant over 

:)

 

[Techonamission]

well done, thanks again for a shitty design whirlpool