Age
In my business, obviously, I hear this question daily. My first response is: How old is your dishwasher? If it’s over 10 years old, and you’re asking that question, then it’s probably time to replace it. In the past, I spent many days under cabinets replacing dishwashers, not all of which were even close to 10 years old. I gained a LOT of insight from this experience.
If you study the behavioral patterns of consumers, you’ll find that most have no idea how to operate a dishwasher correctly in the first place. That’s what a manual is for. But it’s difficult to have a real conversation with someone about their habits without leaving them feeling betrayed somehow, as if you are the reason the manual was never read or discussed or thought about ever. And I can’t disagree. Who thinks of this stuff?! There is so much going on in our daily lives that things like this become secondary in our daily routines. And the inevitable happens: Sooner or later, you have a failure. Now that “secondary” thought is at the forefront of your daily life, and it has your complete attention.
Smells
Ninety percent of the time, I hear the phrase... “my dishwasher smells.” This leads to a complaint about the brand or the particular model or flaw the homeowner has heard about somehow, someway, some time ago. But what it usually boils down to is to learn how to use and care for your dishwasher properly. And you should understand your dishwasher and how it works.
I will not get into the science of how dishwasher detergents have changed, but I will tell you this: Too much soap is never a good thing. With that said, the big question is:
What type of dish soap are you using?
If it’s a gel type, it may be that you are using too much. Gel detergent has a tendency to go unused and sit somewhere down in the pump drain area and collect debris, old food particles, etc., which then begins to smelly yucky, ESPECIALLY, if you pre-wash your dishes. After all... why even buy a dishwasher if you are going to just wash the dishes anyway? They are all effective at the most basic level, and some go far beyond the expectancy of what a good cleaning should do. I’m a music buff, and I always refer to the great bluesmen of the past who often stated that, “less is more, less is more.” The current soaps on the market are built to look for debris to clean. If everything is clean, it will then cling to glasses and plates. If you have ever experienced those little black-and-white flakes on your dinnerware, that’s unused soap deposits.
Bad installation
Sometimes, issues are caused by simply installing the dishwasher wrong. It could be placed incorrectly, sitting sideways, or tilted too far back or forward. The incoming and outgoing water lines could be crimped or closed off. The biggest culprit of all is the drain line placement. This has caused many a hassle and caused blame to be placed on a lot of things that did not deserve it.
I always ask people to go home and check that drain under the sink. You know the one. It’s the white rigged plastic line that gets in the way of all those re-usable bags and cleaners down there!! Most homeowners never give this line a second thought. And who would; right? But you should. This line is required to sit higher than the drain it’s connected to. The reason for this is to prevent anything from floating back down into the dishwasher after it has discharged, especially if it’s connected to a garbage disposal. If that’s the case, not only is the discharge running back into the dishwasher, but the waste from the disposal is as well!!
Maintenance
Studying the three problems I mention here is the best way to help you decide if you need a new dishwasher. Also having a look at those things mentioned should help with any maintenance issues you have. A fairly common feature on modern dishwashers is the clean-out trap or filter. Since you have acquired your new knowledge of cleaning dirty dishes, the occasional piece of debris may slip through that’s a little too big to be filtered out. These items will be retained in the filter area until removed. It’s very simple to clean out, and doing so will help save you a lot of needless repair bills and prevent further issues from occurring.
Purchasing a new dishwasher
Look for high temperatures during the wash times and sanitary cycles.
Additionally, I can’t stress enough the importance of a stainless steel tub. This not only helps with sound reduction, but it keeps everything sanitary and processes heat and steam in a way that only helps the washing-and-drying process. If you would like to discuss dishwashers in greater detail, or any other appliance for that matter, please contact me at jflecker@donsappliances.com or 412-835-2300, ext. 605.