Fix my washer
September 10, 2011 10:26 PM Subscribe
I have a countertop dishwasher whose window leaks. What kind of sealant might I be able to use to re-affix it or otherwise make my washer functional again?
First don't get me started on the stupidity of having a window on a dishwasher, does anyone want to watch their dishes get cleaned?
Danby DDW497-W White Energy Star Electronic Countertop Dishwasher DDW4
I welcome all suggestions. I've tried a gorilla glue epoxy. The epoxy lasted about a week before developing a leak. The dishwashing water gets to 152.6 F, if I only use the rapid wash mode it can keep the temperature down to 131 F. I assume it's the combination of heat, water, and temperature change that makes this tricky. I have a Loctite marine epoxy that is supposed to be good up to 300 F I plan to try next unless I get better advice from askme. Any nonsealant based solutions welcome as well!
First don't get me started on the stupidity of having a window on a dishwasher, does anyone want to watch their dishes get cleaned?
Danby DDW497-W White Energy Star Electronic Countertop Dishwasher DDW4
I welcome all suggestions. I've tried a gorilla glue epoxy. The epoxy lasted about a week before developing a leak. The dishwashing water gets to 152.6 F, if I only use the rapid wash mode it can keep the temperature down to 131 F. I assume it's the combination of heat, water, and temperature change that makes this tricky. I have a Loctite marine epoxy that is supposed to be good up to 300 F I plan to try next unless I get better advice from askme. Any nonsealant based solutions welcome as well!
Best answer: Yep, hortense is right, this is a silicone job. If for some reason the clear windshield sealant can't do the job, Permatex Black RTV will. Hell, I use it as a gasket maker for some pretty nasty environments.
posted by joedanger at 11:28 PM on September 10, 2011
posted by joedanger at 11:28 PM on September 10, 2011
Best answer: Thirded. Silicone caulk is perfect for this application. (Latex or Polyurethane caulk would be cleaner to work with, but they have a maximum service temperature of only 180-200 F). You need something that remains flexible when set. The epoxy would have just cracked.
posted by Popular Ethics at 10:38 AM on September 11, 2011
posted by Popular Ethics at 10:38 AM on September 11, 2011
I misread your post. Looks like 180 F is plenty, so Latex (or "latex blend") caulking should work too. The nice thing about latex is that its water soluble before curing, so it's easy to clean the excess off the window and your hands.
posted by Popular Ethics at 10:43 AM on September 11, 2011
posted by Popular Ethics at 10:43 AM on September 11, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks all, I will try the Permatex Black RTV and report back as to how it's working.
I'm aiming for overkill as the last sealant I tried was supposed to work up to 250 F but buckled under the heat and rapid changes in temperature. There are best answers in all of your futures in a week or two.
Any comments re: toxicity? Would silicon caulk be preferable from a things-in-contact-with-water-in-contact-with-glasses-I-drink-out-of perspective
posted by pseudonick at 12:17 PM on September 11, 2011
I'm aiming for overkill as the last sealant I tried was supposed to work up to 250 F but buckled under the heat and rapid changes in temperature. There are best answers in all of your futures in a week or two.
Any comments re: toxicity? Would silicon caulk be preferable from a things-in-contact-with-water-in-contact-with-glasses-I-drink-out-of perspective
posted by pseudonick at 12:17 PM on September 11, 2011
Silicone caulk should be fine, and it should not leach out anything toxic during the wash cycle. Do be sure to thoroughly clean the surfaces that you are caulking - you may need to scrape the epoxy off with a razor edge to make sure you have a good bonding surface for the caulk.
posted by blurker at 1:44 PM on September 11, 2011
posted by blurker at 1:44 PM on September 11, 2011
Silicone is used to seal glass aquariums, make seals on food storage, and for baking utensils. It is considered very safe. Make sure it is thoroughly dry according to label directions.
posted by oneirodynia at 2:08 PM on September 11, 2011
posted by oneirodynia at 2:08 PM on September 11, 2011
Not just clean, but probably also thoroughly degrease the surfaces you need to apply the sealant to. Any sort of grime/grease/dirt/soap residue/etc. can cause sealants to fail. Since it does need to be safe for food products I would probably use isopropyl alcohol to clean with, rather than a really good-but-nasty solvent cleaner (e.g. MEK). Might want to test it on another part of the plastic first though.
If it's possible I wouldn't just spot-reseal the window, I'd remove it completely, take off all the old sealant, scrape and clean/degrease the area of the door that meets it, and then reseal the entire window with a fresh continuous bead of sealant. That way you don't have the issue of the old sealant meeting new sealant anywhere around the glass.
posted by Kadin2048 at 2:42 PM on September 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
If it's possible I wouldn't just spot-reseal the window, I'd remove it completely, take off all the old sealant, scrape and clean/degrease the area of the door that meets it, and then reseal the entire window with a fresh continuous bead of sealant. That way you don't have the issue of the old sealant meeting new sealant anywhere around the glass.
posted by Kadin2048 at 2:42 PM on September 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
The most likely reason the epoxy failed is that when cured it was too rigid to deal with differential thermal expansion between the glass and its surround. Silicone (not silicon - sorry, pet hate) sealant is flexible when cured. To make a permanently watertight repair with silicone, you need three things:
1. A good bond to the glass.
2. A good bond to the surround.
3. A thick enough bead of sealant between glass and surround that differential expansion will flex but not tear the sealant.
You're unlikely to get all three of these without complete disassembly of the window and thorough cleaning of the glass and its surround.
posted by flabdablet at 4:50 PM on September 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
1. A good bond to the glass.
2. A good bond to the surround.
3. A thick enough bead of sealant between glass and surround that differential expansion will flex but not tear the sealant.
You're unlikely to get all three of these without complete disassembly of the window and thorough cleaning of the glass and its surround.
posted by flabdablet at 4:50 PM on September 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Also: Using MEK as a cleaner will not leave enough residue behind to poison your dishes, and will do an excellent job at removing just about anything (except epoxy or silicone!) from glass or metal, but will damage the finish of any thermoplastic it touches, except polyethylene or polypropylene. If you do use MEK, wear gloves and use it outdoors - it's readily absorbed by skin or breathing and it's not good for your kidneys.
posted by flabdablet at 4:59 PM on September 11, 2011
posted by flabdablet at 4:59 PM on September 11, 2011
This elmers stix-all is equivalent to the permatex
posted by hortense at 4:08 PM on September 14, 2011
posted by hortense at 4:08 PM on September 14, 2011
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posted by hortense at 10:34 PM on September 10, 2011