GE Dishwasher Pump Leaking Repair Guide
If your GE dishwasher pump is leaking this repair guide can help. A leaking dishwasher can be bad news for your floor, which is why it is very important to repair this problem as soon as you are aware of it.
Luckily this repair guide is
here to help. There are four places that GE dishwasher pumps will leak: the
tub-to-pump connector, the sump, the pump seal and the drain trip shaft seal.
Note that this page is referring only to GE dishwashers with older style pumps
with the motor in front such as the one below. Also note that over the years
these pumps have gone through some changes and may not look exactly as the one
in the picture.
Pump Connector
The pump connector is the most likely place for this GE dishwasher pump to
leak.
To check to see if the pump connector is the cause for your leaking dishwasher, remove the front panel and watch the washer as it runs. Look for a stream of water coming from the pump connector located just above the pump. There are two types of pump connectors, one has male threads that connects to the wash arm (part #WD18X206) and the other has female threads that connect to the wash arm (part #WD18X214).
Both of these parts can be purchased at AppliancePartsPros.com. Follow these steps for replacing the pump connector.
1. Pump all the water out the dishwasher.
2. Disconnect power from
dishwasher.
3. Remove the Wash arm. The hub at the bottom of the wash
arm should unscrew from the connector.
4. Remove the pump by removing the 5/16 screw at the front of the dishwasher
and loosening the clamp that holds the pump to the sump at the back of the pump
then removing the hoses (be ready for water). Note that if the dishwasher is
high enough off the floor you can replace the connector without removing the
pump completely, just remove the front screw and let the pump drop down to give
you enough clearance to slide the connector off the top of the pump.
5.
Loosen the clamp that holds the connector onto the pump and remove it.
6. Reverse steps for reassembly.
Sump
The sump can cause your GE dishwasher pump
to leak. If this is the case, when you check for leaks the leak will be coming
from behind the pump. You will have to order the sump by model number because
there are so many different sumps for GE dishwashers. You can order this part at
AppliancePartsPros.com. To replace the sump follow these steps.
1. Pump all the water out the tub.
2. Disconnect power from
dishwasher.
3. Remove the pump by removing the 5/16 screw at the front
of the pump. Then loosening to two clamps that hold both the sump and the
connector on. Then remove the hoses (be ready for water).
4. Inside the
dishwasher just behind the wash arm there should be a sump cover, remove it.
5. Once all of this is done the sump should pull out.
Note when
reinstalling the sump, be sure that the sump is pressed down in the grove good
or it will leak.
Drain Shaft Seal
On some GE dishwasher pumps there will be a drain solenoid such as the one below.
Sometimes the seal will go bad and cause your GE dishwasher pump to leak. If
water leaks around the drain solenoid during a drain cycle, the seal is bad. The
part number for this seal is WD8X181 and you will also need a push nut because
you will destroy the old one getting it off, the part number for the push nut is
WR2X7054. You can order both at AppliancePartsPros.com.Follow these steps to replace this seal.
1. Pump all
the water out the tub.
2. Disconnect power from dishwasher.
3.
Remove the drain solenoid actuator by removing the little E-clip on the end of
the shaft. Note be careful not to lose this clip, I don’t think it is sold
separately.
4. Remove the drain solenoid.
5. Remove the push nut. At this point you
have to be very careful because if you prize out on the nut too hard you will
pull the shaft out of the pump, this will break the pump beyond repair. The best
thing to do is to cut the push nut off with a pair of wire snips.
6. Using a small screwdriver or a knife, dig the old seal out.
7.
Read the directions that come with the seal to see which way to insert the new
seal.
8. Insert the new seal.
9. Press the new push nut back
onto the shaft.
When you push the nut back onto the shaft, be very
careful not to put too much pressure on the shaft. If you push too hard the
drain flap (inside the pump) will bind. The best way to do this is to hold the
shaft with a needle nose pliers up against the pump. Then push the nut onto the
shaft up to the pliers using a socket. Then you can pull the nut up the rest of
the way with the screws on the solenoid while holding the shaft with the needle
nose pliers.
If you get done and the solenoid will not operate the flap
is binding from pushing the push nut onto the shaft. At this point you best
option is to remove the pump from the dishwasher and use a screwdriver to
reposition the flap inside the pump so that it doesn’t bind.
Pump Seal
Note that when you reinstall the pump do not test run the pump. The pump
must have water when it runs. Some models run water before the pump runs and
some do not so the very first time you run the machine pour about a half-gallon
of water into the machine before start-up.
The pump seal can
cause your GE dishwasher pump to leak. If the pump is leaking between the pump
and the motor (be sure it is not coming from the connector above the pump) the
pump seal is bad.
The part number for the pump seal used on all of these type GE dishwasher pumps is WD19X10032. This part can be purchased at AppliancePartsPros.com. To replace the pump seal follow these steps.
Also see video at the bottom of this page.
1. Pump
all the water out the tub.
2. Disconnect power from dishwasher.
3. Remove the pump by removing the 5/16 screw at the front of the pump.
Then loosening the two clamps that hold both the sump and the connector on. Then
remove the hoses (be ready for water).
4. On the front of the pump there
is a blade, remove it by unscrewing it. You may have to hold the motor while you
turn the blade, otherwise the shaft will just spin and the blade will not come
off. The way I do this is I insert a screwdriver in the fan on the back of the
motor so that the motor can’t turn. Note do not insert the screwdriver too far
in the motor that it damages the motor windings.
5. Once the blades are off remove the cover by unscrewing it. Note that it is left-hand thread and you can turn it by placing something flat between two of the notches and twisting. I use a screwdriver as shown.
6. Remove the two bearings.
7. Unscrew the pump impeller.
8.
Separate the motor from the pump by removing the three screws.
9. Press
the old seal out.
10. Press the new seal back in and reverse instructions for reassembly.
Note when you dissemble the pump it will be much easier to remember what
order the parts go back in and what direction they face if you line the parts
up, face up, in order they come off.
!Important!
Note that when you reinstall the pump do not test run the pump. The pump
must have water when it runs. Some models run water before the pump runs and
some do not so the very first time you run the machine pour about a half-gallon
of water into the machine before start-up.
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