How do you unclog a bathroom tub and dishwasher of sediment unleashed
during a water heater repair?
Unclogging the showerheads & kitchen sink were easy but the bathroom tub
and dishwasher are still apparently clogged with sediment.
Do you know how to unclog the hot/cold water to the bathroom tub and
dishwasher?
Donna
PS I should have taken photos of the before/after shower head but I'll
start posting photos of the tub and dishwasher unclog so others benefit
from your advice which is never wasted!
Tub is no different than the sink. Depends on what brand of faucet though.
You may have to remove a front bezel. Go to the web page of the
manufacturer and look for instructions to replace the seals or cartridge.
Dishwasher may be more difficult. If you get lucky, you may be able to just
disconnect the water feed and clean out right inside the solenoid valve. If
not, you may have to remove the DW and remove the valve to clean it. Going
from memory, the feed on mine is right behind the bottom front panel. Check
the spray arms also while you are at it.
It sure looks different. There's no screen. Will look more.
> Dishwasher may be more difficult.
Will take it apart and post pictures.
If you mean there is no screen in the aerator, the problem is in the
cartridge. Remove the cartridge and clean it out.
Hi Edwin,
The tub seems different in that there is nothing to take apart on the
nozzle part that spits out the water. I don't feel a screen in that nozzle
like I did the faucets.
Here is the clogged tub outlet with the water on "full blast" which is
barely more than a trickle after the water heater replacement:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/donnaohl/2279157305/
Here is the tub with the water on the full close position; I don't see what
to remove to find a "filter screen"?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/donnaohl/2279157299/
I'm sorry for being confused but can you point to what in this picture,
showing the water at the most I can get out now (which is vastly less than
the day before the water heater was replaced) I should open up to clean out
the sediment?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/donnaohl/2279157295/
Am I looking in the wrong place?
Donna
PS I'm confused if I should post to this thread or to the long thread so
I'll try to keep an eye on both!
The clog is probably inside the assembly. I can't see from the picture how
to disassemble it, but it can be. The handle probably has a set screw
holding it in place. There is probably something that has to be screwed off
to get tot he diverter inside. Thee appears to be a screw holding the bezel
on at the 2 o'clock position. Perhaps there is one at 8 o'clock also? Hard
to say what tools are needed. Could be a snap ring or clip holding the guts
in place.
I think the other thread is dead.
You might want to check first the air gap and drain hoses from the air
gap to the garbage disposer.
Once you clean out the air gap and hoses, check for a broken belt used
to drive the pump.
Sometimes that belt just slips off the pump.
Replace it anyway because it might be stretched.
Then check your pump impellers. The wash impeller takes care of the
wash cycles, the drain impeller drains the water out. Check for broken
blades or shaft preventing the dishwasher from draining.
Before you go farther, check to see if the water shutoff valve
(located under the sink) is open or clogged. Remove the hose on the
dishwasher side to see if water gushes out. If not, clean or replace
the shutoff valve. If water is only dribbling out then put a pressure
gauge on the valve to see if you have at least 50psi. You can get
liquid pressure gauges from an automotive or plumbing store.
Always unclog the spray arms. Stick a paperclip or pipe cleaner into
each hole in the spray arm to ensure a smooth flow of water. These
holes are what spin the spray arm. If they are clogged, you get no
spinning action.
Next check your drain solonoid to see if it's stuck, preventing water
from draining. Smack that solonoid with a big magnet like those cow
pills if you have one handy. If not, mash it a few times with a
plastic mallet, taking care to only free up the solonoid if it's
stuck.
If the solonoid is ok, then see if the motor is stuck. This time, spin
the magnet around the outside of the motor to see if you can get the
vanes to move. Or stick wooden chopsticks inside the motor vents to
see if you can push the motor as sometimes the carbon brushes bend
against the copper commuter and the springs get caught.
Last, check the timer which runs the whole thing. And check the door
switch which turns it on.
I cleaned and checked the air gap and it was working fine albeit messily!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/donnaohl/2337210324/
As suggested, I opened up the blue solonoid and found the filter completely
clogged with sand!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/donnaohl/2336387621/
Even after removing the clogged filter, there was still sand in the lines!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/donnaohl/2337210334/
Only after a long while did the water finally run clear through the
solonoid.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/donnaohl/2337214306/
Donna
That was the wrong reference number.
The reference number of the water running clearly is
http://www.flickr.com/photos/donnaohl/2337241506/
The whole set of dishwasher repair pictures is at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/donnaohl
I hope someone searching for why their dishwasher suddenly stops working
can find this solution here, thanks to all of you!
If there is a sudden build-up of Sediment in your Hot-water line,
Replace the Dip-Tube in your Hot-Water Tank !!
Yukio YANO
>
> If there is a sudden build-up of Sediment in your Hot-water line, Replace
> the Dip-Tube in your Hot-Water Tank !!
>
> Yukio YANO
She already replaced the whole water heater, that's why the sediment got
knocked out of the pipes.
Thanks James Sweet,
Yes, when I replaced the water heater, not only did the dishwasher stop
working, but, every single faucet in the house stopped working, as did the
shower and the tub.
The only one left is the tub because I can't figure out WHERE the screen
would be on the tub (the output is a full inch in diameter!).
Where would the tub filter be?
"Donna Ohl" <donn...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:ZrhDj.23699$R84....@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net...
Usually there isn't a filter. Is it a single or three knob? Usually you can
remove the whole cartridge from the valve and clean it out.
Hi James,
Here is a picture of the tub.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/donnaohl
It is a "single".
http://www.flickr.com/photos/donnaohl/2279157295/
Are you saying the filter is behind the hot/cold selector knob?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/donnaohl/2279157299/
Donna
Once you have it apart, turn on the water slightly to flush it out.
Turn it off again and reassemble after cleaning and replacing the old
rubber/plastic that came with the new kit.
After what you've been through, this should be a piece of cake....
jak
jak
"Donna Ohl" <donn...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:esjDj.3534$Rq1....@nlpi068.nbdc.sbc.com...
Yep, that looks very much like the Moen my mom's place has, I just replaced
the leaking cartridge in that a couple months ago. Remove the handle, remove
the fascia, and then there's a clip you pull out and the cartridge pulls
out. Turn the water supply off first!