Dishwasher as parts washer?

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pishta

pishta

I know I'm right....
Joined
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Could I use an old dishwasher for a parts washer? Plumb the water intake and discharge into holding tanks of non flammable solvent? dont know if I would use the heater element..Maybe a filter in the pump inlet when pumping the used solvent up to the supply tank (I have an old Intex pool pump) Anyone ever try this? Put a wind up microwave rotisserie in there? Just wondering...
 
i think it may work if you use that water based cleaners. but i have not had any good luck with the w.b junk!. i think the chemicals in any other stuff would destroy the internals of the washer. or, maybe purple power would be ok in a dish washer. try it and let us know!.lol
 
If you used a stainless steel tub dishwasher and unplugged the heater it would be doable. You may need to clean the major crap off of the parts before running them through the dishwasher thus reducing the chances of clogging the pump. I would use an old dishwasher that is of a good quality...ex..- Kitchen Aid. I have an old ceramic tub Kitchen Aid in my van I pulled out of a customers house today that would be an excellent parts washer. This thing is a old Sherman tank of a machine. Make sure the solvent will not affect the rubber seals of the dishwasher. Otherwise I say go for it. Obviously NO FLAMMABLE SOLVENTS in the dishwasher.
 
I would be very wary about damage to the pump and seals, and depending on what the cabinet is made of.
 
Most dishwasher wont even get dishes clean without hand washing first.
Fumes from a flamible solvent could ignite too.
I think you're looking at a hot water rinse at best.
 
Back on the farm (old school) we would fill up a 55 gallon drum with water and TSP and get it boiling on a fire. Worked great on a few SB chevy motors.
 
"Purple Power is good ****, I put that stuff on everything!" Seriously, It's the only cleaner I use. I use it for dish washing, laminate floors, tile floors, car parts, toilets. It melts the grease off stove tops and pots and pans.
Now I'm not sure I would try it in a dishwasher (in a kitchen). I tried (way back) to use dish soap in a dishwasher and and involuntarily commited myself to also cleaning the kitchen floor, carpet and stairs.
 
I can say from first hand experience, that a dishwasher works great for a final clean. I can also say my wife was not amused.

Things to think about: Dishwasher detergent is pretty powerful stuff, and will degrease parts completely, so expect flash rust. You want the parts to be pretty clean do begin with. Easy-off and a couple quarters at the local car wash is a good first clean. You want to get 99% of the crud off first. Grit will hurt the grinder in the bottom of the dishwasher.
 
You could actually use the dishwasher outdoors. If you have a spigot on the side of your house/shop/garage, you only need to wire up a 110 plug and cord and get an adapter to connect the water source. As for the drain. If you are just using H20, you can let it drain out outside. Most of the kitchen Aid dishwashers have built in heaters and will heat the water. use a braided 96" water line and you could actually connect a couple lines together with a 3/8" adapter and you will have all kinds of length for the water supply connection.
 
I have a jet-clean that uses a water based soap. It's actually a pretty simple machine. But, beware of the state of Californina. I had to register with the state as a hazardous waste generator, and have to have a company come and suck the waste from my machine (from the Tustin area I believe), clean the machine and refill with water and soap. I run my machine at around 180 degrees, it seems to work best there. I'll clean a completely dissasembled trans (cast or aluminum) in about 5 minutes. You have to fill out paperwork for the state every June or so.

Never drain it yourself, that's a biggie if you get caught.

It's worth it weight in gold!!!!

Russ.
 
dustermaniac said:
You could actually use the dishwasher outdoors. If you have a spigot on the side of your house/shop/garage, you only need to wire up a 110 plug and cord and get an adapter to connect the water source. As for the drain. If you are just using H20, you can let it drain out outside. Most of the kitchen Aid dishwashers have built in heaters and will heat the water. use a braided 96" water line and you could actually connect a couple lines together with a 3/8" adapter and you will have all kinds of length for the water supply connection.
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Smart elleck. You talk like you do that for a livin or sumffin. LOL
 
Purple power, Super clean or any other cleaner that lathers will not work good in a dishwasher. Once it foams up there is no impact from the water spray, also the pump will hardly move foam, so no squirt from nozzles. I fix appliances for a living so I know from experience they don't like foam. You might try straight lye (sodium hydroxide) it is the main ingredient in purple power/super clean but it doesn't foam. You could even use the heater. The hotter it gets the more aggressive it is, it will eat aluminum if run long enough, faster with heat.
 
If I attempetd it, it would be from a 20 buck craigslist dishwasher that I will show absolutely no respect to. If it burns up, gaskets start to leak, pump fails..its just closer to the curb for the scrap guys to pick up for free. Not alot of investment on my end. Im just trying to find a place where I can set it up...Dang, this might work! http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/app/2760941719.html and the woodgrain will match...nothing!
 
pishta said:
If I attempetd it, it would be from a 20 buck craigslist dishwasher that I will show absolutely no respect to. If it burns up, gaskets start to leak, pump fails..its just closer to the curb for the scrap guys to pick up for free. Not alot of investment on my end. Im just trying to find a place where I can set it up...Dang, this might work! http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/app/2760941719.html and the woodgrain will match...nothing!
Click to expand...

Dude, you need to start hitting the Habitat for Humanity/Restore over on GG bvld. and Harbor. They got dishwashers there for cheap. Stock up. Set up a few in the neighbors backyard.....
 
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