Zebra Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 (edited) I feel like a real dummy right now. Please be nice :lol: !  I have a 15+ year old dishwasher that needs to be replaced.  I don't know where to start!  I lived in an old apartment years ago, and a nice new dishwasher was professionally installed.  It was gross, because there was all this back-up in the bottom of the dishwasher every single cycle.  It was professionally done, but clearly done wrong. It was a very old house, on the second floor, and was the first time there was a dishwasher in the apartment.  I guess I am scared of having that happen again.   My house was built in the 70's and it has a dishwasher right now, that is getting old and has always been extremely loud.  We have a small house, with an open space living room/kitchen and it has driven me crazy for 14 years.  But, having an old dishwasher in a tiny house you have to scream over while it's running, and can't ever run at night because it's too loud, is much preferable to it not working.  :leaving:  I don't know if it's usual to call a plumber and have them check the plumbing, and help you pick out a dishwasher out first or what.  I don't know if I am supposed to just buy one and hope for the best?  Anyone been through this, and have any tips?  I realize this is a silly first world problem...   Edited February 19, 2018 by Zebra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 We just went to the local appliance store, bought a dishwasher, and had them install it. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted February 9, 2018 Author Share Posted February 9, 2018 We just went to the local appliance store, bought a dishwasher, and had them install it.  And that's what happened with the dishwasher in the apartment.  But then it backed up constantly and was unusable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 (edited) We bought one a few months ago from Lowe's. We paid for them to send someone out to measure and make sure the one we wanted would fit. If the person determined that the dishwasher we wanted wouldn't fit Lowe's would have worked with us to find one that would. The cost was (I think) $35 but since we did end up purchasing a dishwasher from Lowe's the $35 was credited back to us toward the purchase/installation price. We were very happy with the service. The salesperson in the store was great to work with, and the man they sent out was super nice and did a great job installing it. We were able to arrange for him to come measure the day after we were in the store, and once the dishwasher came in (it had to be ordered) he was very prompt in getting here to install it.  One thing we learned was that if you measure yourself make sure you take into account flooring height differences. Our kitchen has hardwood flooring but it doesn't extend all the way under the area where the dishwasher sits. That height difference was what made measuring for ours a bit tricky. Even though the height of the area where the dishwasher would actually sit was easy to measure, it wasn't so easy to figure out if we'd be able to fit the dishwasher from the higher wood flooring area (less clearance) into the area under the counter w/o wood flooring (more clearance). Is that clear as mud? :lol:  ETA: The person who measured/installed ours was a licensed plumber. Edited February 9, 2018 by Pawz4me 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 First of all, a new dishwasher is going to be a LOT more quiet than your current one. So you have that to look forward to!  The first time we replaced a dishwasher in our house we had a local plumber come do it. He didn't feel the original lines were done right so he redid them and installed the dishwasher for us, making sure it was level and all.  The second time we replaced it (we've lived here 24 years) we let Home Depot install since they were delivering it. We weren't happy with their service (they had to come back and reinstall it) so we wish we had gone with our familiar plumber instead. But who knows- the delivery guys were contracted out and they might have done hundreds perfectly. I'm sure they were good at what they did. We just have a really good relationship with our plumber and I know he wants to do it right.  Summary- you're going to love your new dishwasher and letting the big box store install will probably work out just fine. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 And that's what happened with the dishwasher in the apartment.  But then it backed up constantly and was unusable.  It might have been the float was stuck so it prevented draining, or perhaps the drain line had a kink in it. Sometimes during installation you have to be sure the drain line doesn't kink when you push the dishwasher into position. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 And that's what happened with the dishwasher in the apartment.  But then it backed up constantly and was unusable.  I think it is most likely that having it installed by the delivery people will work fine. It has always worked fine for us for the various appliances we've had installed. If it doesn't, you can deal with that when it happens.  1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 (edited) It sounds like your old apartment wasnĂ¢â‚¬â„¢t properly plumbed for a dishwasher. You know your current houseĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s plumbing does work with dishwashers.  The appliance store can send out the new one, install it and haul away your old one all in one go. And if thereĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s an issue you can call them. IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢ve actually had better luck with the installation guys from the appliance store than the time I got a plumber to correct the install on the dishwasher of a new construction home.  Take the opportunity to clean out the crud thatĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s accumulated under the dishwasher. Edited February 9, 2018 by LucyStoner 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 We didnĂ¢â‚¬â„¢t have good luck with the storeĂ¢â‚¬s installation. Hubby had to redo it. They set it on top of the nose and the door hit the cabinet when it was opened and left s mark on our new cabinet.  If my I were in your shoes, IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢d see if I could fine out that the install reviews at your local,Home Depot, or wherever. If not great, IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢d either have a plumber install it or shop at an appliance store instead if a big box store. Home Depot was great for buying our washing machine and installing it. So itĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s hit or miss if the install guys are good. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 We have had to have installs redone. Like once we got a new washer and dryer and they reversed the hot and cold lines. When they are installing, insist on running the dishwasher for a few minutes before they leave to make sure it looks ok. Ask them who to call if there are problems with the install. Check your local reviews. Most of the time it does go just fine. We got a new dishwasher in the past year. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted February 9, 2018 Author Share Posted February 9, 2018 We bought one a few months ago from Lowe's. We paid for them to send someone out to measure and make sure the one we wanted would fit. If the person determined that the dishwasher we wanted wouldn't fit Lowe's would have worked with us to find one that would. The cost was (I think) $35 but since we did end up purchasing a dishwasher from Lowe's the $35 was credited back to us toward the purchase/installation price. We were very happy with the service. The salesperson in the store was great to work with, and the man they sent out was super nice and did a great job installing it. We were able to arrange for him to come measure the day after we were in the store, and once the dishwasher came in (it had to be ordered) he was very prompt in getting here to install it.  One thing we learned was that if you measure yourself make sure you take into account flooring height differences. Our kitchen has hardwood flooring but it doesn't extend all the way under the area where the dishwasher sits. That height difference was what made measuring for ours a bit tricky. Even though the height of the area where the dishwasher would actually sit was easy to measure, it wasn't so easy to figure out if we'd be able to fit the dishwasher from the higher wood flooring area (less clearance) into the area under the counter w/o wood flooring (more clearance). Is that clear as mud? :lol:  ETA: The person who measured/installed ours was a licensed plumber. Ok, yes this makes sense.  This is what I want.  1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢ve done it twice.  The first time I bought it from a local appliance store. They brought the new one, hauled away the old one, and installed the new one. The electrical panel in the basement wasnĂ¢â‚¬â„¢t marked so wr had no idea which breaker the dishwasher was on. The installer figured it out in a way I was sure he was going to electrocute himself doing. IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢m sure he was in no danger, but it made me nervous. I marked the panel so weĂ¢â‚¬â„¢d know from then on.  The second time I bought one from Home Depot. They had free delivery and haul away so we went with that. I paid my BIL in beer and he installed it for me. When the pump died this past fall, I paid him in bread to replace the pump. I do have an appliance repair guy I would have paid to do it, but my BIL was cheaper.  Of the two, my BIL is cheaper, but in either case the install went fine and the dishwasher worked as it should. In your search for a dishwasher, IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢d also keep an eye out for an appliance repair person. They donĂ¢â‚¬â„¢t make things like they used to and the repairs IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢ve had to make (a fan in my fridge and whatever he did to get my gas stove to light normally) was way cheaper than replacing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted February 9, 2018 Author Share Posted February 9, 2018 You guys are so helpful and reassuring! FWIW, the landlord was my father and he was dying of cancer at the time. Whole long complicated situation, as you can imagine. Possibly, what I need is a therapist not a plumber because I have issues tied up with my dying father and dishwashers?  And yes, that was my attempt at morbid humor.  I think you guys are right, think the apartment probably wasn't set up to handle a dishwasher on the second floor, I think the installation person did a bad job and no one could handle following up on it, and I am hoping that because we have a functioning but LOUD dishwasher now, all will be well.  The idea that I may jump up and down and absolutely love the new dishwasher is making me giddy. Do I dare hope :lol: ?  2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 Buy from a reputable company that will fix it if something is funky with the setup.  That's what I did, and when they uninstalled my old dishwasher, they realized that my dishwasher was hardwired into the wall (something very rare). They were able to finagle with my new dishwasher and hard wire it into the wall. It was great and something that I could NOT have done by myself. Emily 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 (edited) Um. My advice is to save your old dishwasher out in the garage if it is still functional. You might end up wanting to swap it back in at some point.  Newer dishwashers are much quieter, but they also tend not to dry the dishes, to have extremely long cycles, and to clog up a lot. They don't all have garbage disposal grinders anymore (that's one of the things that makes them quieter), so you might have drainage problems more often, too.  Our old KA was almost dead 2 years ago, and what I found out about new appliances made me really glad that on his 4th try or so DH was able to fix it.  My impression is that, like clothes washers, dishwasher designs have not really caught up with the energy standards in a way that allows them to actually wash dishes well. So I'm hoping to limp my old miserable KA (early 90s) for another few years, and my extremely noisy but effective cabin DW as well, until the industry starts making good ones again. Unfortunately, there is no Speed Queen for dishwashers. More's the pity. Edited February 9, 2018 by Carol in Cal. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raindrops Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 We just got a new dishwasher, and I found the only way to get the dishes clean is to use two of the Finish powerballs and some citric acid. I put one powerball in the prewash, and one in the main wash, and then sprinkle about a tablespoon of citric acid into the main wash. Then, when it's done, I open the dishwasher while it's still hot, so it dries better.   1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 (edited) And that's what happened with the dishwasher in the apartment. But then it backed up constantly and was unusable. Â Pick a different store. Also ask local neighbors who they use for plumbing issues. Who locally has a high rating from Angie's List or BBB? Then find a dishwasher in your price range that you like and either have the store install it, or just deliver it and have your recommended plumber install it. Hubby installed a dishwasher last weekend - yes, it can be a do-it-yourself project, BUT it took him ALL DAY (he is NOT a plumber) and someone who does it for a living may be worth every penny! Edited February 9, 2018 by JFSinIL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted February 9, 2018 Author Share Posted February 9, 2018 Um. My advice is to save your old dishwasher out in the garage if it is still functional. You might end up wanting to swap it back in at some point.  Newer dishwashers are much quieter, but they also tend not to dry the dishes, to have extremely long cycles, and to clog up a lot. They don't all have garbage disposal grinders anymore (that's one of the things that makes them quieter), so you might have drainage problems more often, too.  Our old KA was almost dead 2 years ago, and what I found out about new appliances made me really glad that on his 4th try or so DH was able to fix it.  My impression is that, like clothes washers, dishwasher designs have not really caught up with the energy standards in a way that allows them to actually wash dishes well. So I'm hoping to limp my old miserable KA (early 90s) for another few years, and my extremely noisy but effective cabin DW as well, until the industry starts making good ones again. Unfortunately, there is no Speed Queen for dishwashers. More's the pity.  It already takes close to 2 hours, doesn't dry the dishes, and I have to scrape every bit of food off before I run it.   I don't have a garage, have a 900 square foot house, and live in New England.  Literally no space in the house, and I can't keep it in the yard.  But, that would be a nice!   Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 We just got a new dishwasher, and I found the only way to get the dishes clean is to use two of the Finish powerballs and some citric acid. I put one powerball in the prewash, and one in the main wash, and then sprinkle about a tablespoon of citric acid into the main wash. Then, when it's done, I open the dishwasher while it's still hot, so it dries better. Wow. Our new one is amazing - super clean dishes, super quiet, easy to clean filter, packing the dishes in closer than ever before. But we researched which dishwasher to buy and went with a higher end one.  I can't imagine going back to my old one.  Emily 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted February 9, 2018 Author Share Posted February 9, 2018 Wow. Our new one is amazing - super clean dishes, super quiet, easy to clean filter, packing the dishes in closer than ever before. But we researched which dishwasher to buy and went with a higher end one. Â I can't imagine going back to my old one. Â Emily If you are comfortable sharing, I would love to hear what you went with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 Wow. Our new one is amazing - super clean dishes, super quiet, easy to clean filter, packing the dishes in closer than ever before. But we researched which dishwasher to buy and went with a higher end one. Â I can't imagine going back to my old one. Â Emily What brand did you buy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashfern Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 We replaced ours last summer. Got a Maytag from Home Depot. Love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 pumbers do not help you pick out a dishwasher.  especially quiet ones are not necessarily better. I got a super super quiet one (high end kitchen aid.) . . . I'd rather have my old one (ge profile - when that was their higher end) back that made more noise (still quieter than most,) . . . . it cleaned much better, and the racks were very flexible for loading. sturdier too.  the fact that one backs up may or may not be due to installation.  it could be something wrong with the dishwasher itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 Yep, we were stuck between a Miele and a Bosch, and I think we will go with the Bosch. But itĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s not even a contest among other brands at this point because the performance has just been dodgy. We really need three racks and good solid clean cycles. The Bosch is about $1100 after debate and thatĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s not a small chunk of change, but for the performance the price is a steal. Low service and maintenance records too. We went with the Bosch, but with a lower-end one.  Emily 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted February 9, 2018 Author Share Posted February 9, 2018 For those of you that have a Bosch, I wasn't aware of the "emptying a food filter" concept until today.  Apparently it's the food particles being ground up that makes all the noise in older dishwashers.  Who knew!   What is emptying the filter like?  Is it like a dish drain, does it need to be emptied after every load?  Does it need to be cleaned and how often?   I found this whole comparison between "European" style and "American" style dishwashers.  If I want it to be quiet, it sounds like I am going to have to empty some sort of food filter.   Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acadie Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 (edited) Echoing previous posters--definitely get good measurements! The KitchenAid I picked out did not fit our unusual dimensions so we had to go with a slightly smaller Bosch floor model...and I'm so glad we did. It's fabulous. Â Purchased at an appliance store but had our awesome plumber install it. Glad we did--he recommended switching metal pipes for some flexible tubing and that's worked beautifully. Â I love having a reliable plumber! Â Amy Edited February 10, 2018 by Acadie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 How do you feel about the diagonal tines? For me those were a deal breaker. I need to be able to stand up tall pots in the bottom rack. Badly. Because I hate handwashing them. I really considered it, but the extra rack sold me.  1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 ItĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s not that big of a deal. I hooked mine up myself and IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢m not handy. TheyĂ¢â‚¬â„¢re going into unhook the water/drain and electric from the old one and rehook them up to the new one. The backing up is not so usual that IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢d worry about it. Mine has never backed up and I didnĂ¢â‚¬â„¢t even know what I was doing. It wasnĂ¢â‚¬â„¢t that hard. Just buy from a store thatĂ¢â‚¬â„¢ll do it for you and youĂ¢â‚¬â„¢re good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 For those of you that have a Bosch, I wasn't aware of the "emptying a food filter" concept until today.  Apparently it's the food particles being ground up that makes all the noise in older dishwashers.  Who knew!   What is emptying the filter like?  Is it like a dish drain, does it need to be emptied after every load?  Does it need to be cleaned and how often?   I found this whole comparison between "European" style and "American" style dishwashers.  If I want it to be quiet, it sounds like I am going to have to empty some sort of food filter.  We got a Bosch a few months ago. I don't remember exactly, but I think it was around mid-October.  This thread, and your post in particular, reminded me that I've never checked the filter. It's one of those things that I've kept looking at and thinking "I really should do that."  And so I did, just now.  There's nothing in it other than some clean water. It's simple--just unscrew it slightly and lift up and out.  We do give our dishes a (very) quick rinse before loading. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 We are probably going to have to get a stopgap dishwasher this weekend. It is SUCH a bummer. We have limped our old KA along for decades. It is so old that three years ago they stopped making replacement parts for it, and it needs a new motor.  I think we are probably going with another Kitchen Aide and crossing our fingers.  The Mieles are better quality but have to be maintained more, and also they look so sleek and beautiful that they will make the rest of our 80s kitchen look really bad. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted February 10, 2018 Author Share Posted February 10, 2018 We got a Bosch a few months ago. I don't remember exactly, but I think it was around mid-October. Â This thread, and your post in particular, reminded me that I've never checked the filter. It's one of those things that I've kept looking at and thinking "I really should do that." Â And so I did, just now. Â There's nothing in it other than some clean water. It's simple--just unscrew it slightly and lift up and out. Â We do give our dishes a (very) quick rinse before loading. Â That's a relief. Â We went to Lowe's today, and looked at their dishwashers (after mind numbing amount of research yesterday) and they are going to come to the house to measure, and then we'll order and have it installed. Â So, hopefully it will all work out! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 My current dishwasher has the diagonal ones. I just set pots on top of them or bend them slightly out of the way on our existing model :o See, the Kitchen Aides have vertical tines. Score! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen A Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 Regarding cleaning the filter on the Bosch--I sometimes don't clean it until I notice the clean dishes having particles on them. If I'm good, I'll rinse it every couple of weeks to a month, probably. Before loading, I take off most solid debris, but never rinse the dishes I put in. I seldom put in pans--mostly the dishes we eat off of and all our pyrex leftover dishes. And we run it about 5x/week, so not that often compared to most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 I empty it once every month or two. But I wash my dishes off pretty well before we put them in. Â This is on a cheap Amana in our rental though. The Bosch is going in our new place in a few weeks :) Â Â Did you guys build your house already? I must have been asleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 My last kitchenaid was a lemon unfortunately. Multiple service calls, the rack kept breaking, motherboard burned out, clogging every few months. I think it was that particular model (their top end one when I bought it Ă°Å¸ËœÂ¡) but I swore IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢d never purchase one again.  I hope yours gives you less trouble :). Our kitchenaid dishwasher before that was awesome so it was extra disappointing that the design had so many problems. I know they are not good anymore, but I think that if I HAVE TO buy one, they are as good as any of the other carp that unfortunately is crowding the market right now. And apparently I do. Unfortunately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 If your old dishwasher has any handy utensil baskets or other similar items, consider keeping them until you have some experience with the new machine. I found that the rack arrangement in the new one wasn't great for the mix of things we generally wash, but using the utensil basket from the old machine provided some internal structure that I could use to prop up baking pans and such, which meant I could fit a lot more in one load. Plus, I can now put my big cooking utensils in the small door basket that came with the new dishwasher, and put the bulk of the eating utensils in the much-larger basket from the old dishwasher. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 It might have been the float was stuck so it prevented draining, or perhaps the drain line had a kink in it. Sometimes during installation you have to be sure the drain line doesn't kink when you push the dishwasher into position. And the drain line must go up high before going back down to prevent back flow. If they didn't do that or it wasn't fixed into position - yuck. I did it myself but I didn't have an old one to dispose of. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted February 19, 2018 Author Share Posted February 19, 2018 The exciting update is, we got a new dishwasher 4 days ago!  I am THRILLED!  It was scary, but I put on my big girl panties and did it :lol: !  I got a Bosch 300 series, and it is SOOOO QUIET I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!  I could NOT BELIEVE THE DISHES WERE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE CLEAN WHEN I PULLED THEM OUT!  But they were!  :hurray:  My DD and I actually sat in the living room and watched a show on the computer, while the dishwasher was running.  It was amazing.  Later, DH and I laughed when the fridge came on and drowned the dishwasher out.  It does take a very long time to run, but who cares if you can barely hear it.  FWIW, our old dishwasher was 55 dcb, and the new one is 44 dcb.  Apparently, going much lower than isn't really worth the money. I also had no idea a week ago, but the difference between 55 and 44 dcb is apparently huge when it comes to dishwasher noise.  Now that I have experienced it, I've found it to be absolutely true.  It's not silent, but it's MUCH more reasonable.  It cost a lot, it's going to take some getting used to as far as loading, but the peace and quiet are well worth all that. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 Wow. Our new one is amazing - super clean dishes, super quiet, easy to clean filter, packing the dishes in closer than ever before. But we researched which dishwasher to buy and went with a higher end one.  I can't imagine going back to my old one.  Emily  Agreed. The only problem we have with our dishwasher is when we don't turn on Heat Dry because we have plastic in the bottom.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 We just ordered the latest Kitchenaid. It will arrive in two weeks. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!  It has a filter that is self-cleaning. And a 'top rack only' wash that I think will be valuable to me down the road when I'm too old to bend all the way to the very low bottom rack very well.   The utensil rack at the very top is detachable, and when it is out I can load dinner plates in the upper rack if I lean them over, so I can have a big crowd and wash two racks of plates at once.   The very shortest wash cycle is still 2 hours long, and that involves adding water heating and super hot drying. The longer ones are 4 hours. I find this ridiculous. But, it's supposed to be super quiet, and that means that I won't care if it continues after we go to bed. Plus it has a 1-24 hour delay start clock, so if it really is as quiet as advertised we might just set it to start at, say, 1AM, when the electric rates are really low. Since we have smart meters out here, I think that that capability will be increasingly valuable. Plus in general, in the summer I prefer to run it late at night so that the heat has time to dissipate before the daytime temperatures climb, so being able to program in a start time is really attractive.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 We purchased a new higher end Kenmore 2 or 3 years ago. I LOVE that it is quiet--so quiet we do not know if it's on unless we see the lights on the control panel.Â Ă¢â‚¬â€¹One thing I really like--the delayed timer. I can fill the dw after supper and set it to run after I've gone to bed. Love that.  I rinse my dishes (old habits) and I find they are not clean if I'm using dry powder dw soap. I must use gel. Probably has more to do with our water, but it's something I noticed.  Have fun with your new dishwasher!  1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree Frog Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 The exciting update is, we got a new dishwasher 4 days ago!  I am THRILLED!  It was scary, but I put on my big girl panties and did it :lol: !  I got a Bosch 300 series, and it is SOOOO QUIET I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!  I could NOT BELIEVE THE DISHES WERE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE CLEAN WHEN I PULLED THEM OUT!  But they were!  :hurray:  My DD and I actually sat in the living room and watched a show on the computer, while the dishwasher was running.  It was amazing.  Later, DH and I laughed when the fridge came on and drowned the dishwasher out.  It does take a very long time to run, but who cares if you can barely hear it.  FWIW, our old dishwasher was 55 dcb, and the new one is 44 dcb.  Apparently, going much lower than isn't really worth the money. I also had no idea a week ago, but the difference between 55 and 44 dcb is apparently huge when it comes to dishwasher noise.  Now that I have experienced it, I've found it to be absolutely true.  It's not silent, but it's MUCH more reasonable.  It cost a lot, it's going to take some getting used to as far as loading, but the peace and quiet are well worth all that.  Congrats! We also have a Bosch and mostly like it. The filter isn't a big deal to clean, but I've found when I take it out, I also need to take it apart to rinse it off. I do that every few months. I also use about half the recommended amount of detergent. We have soft water and I've found if I use the full amount, I have a lot of suds left in the bottom of the dishwasher. The salesman also told me the Bosch would clean better if I just removed the chunks of food and left everything else on the dishes. He's right. Between less detergent and more gunk on the dishes, I don't have suds in the bottom anymore. (But I still get clean dishes. :) ) I also don't usually close the door completely unless it's running. I've found it stinks if I keep the door completely closed. Visually you can't tell if the door is latched or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 We also have a new Bosch. I had no idea it was possible to like a dishwasher. I've never had feelings other than mild annoyance toward one. But we've now had this Bosch for a few months and the honeymoon is still not over. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth86 Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 The exciting update is, we got a new dishwasher 4 days ago! Â I am THRILLED! It was scary, but I put on my big girl panties and did it :lol: ! Â I got a Bosch 300 series, and it is SOOOO QUIET I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I could NOT BELIEVE THE DISHES WERE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE CLEAN WHEN I PULLED THEM OUT! Â But they were! :hurray: Â My DD and I actually sat in the living room and watched a show on the computer, while the dishwasher was running. It was amazing. Later, DH and I laughed when the fridge came on and drowned the dishwasher out. It does take a very long time to run, but who cares if you can barely hear it. Â FWIW, our old dishwasher was 55 dcb, and the new one is 44 dcb. Apparently, going much lower than isn't really worth the money. I also had no idea a week ago, but the difference between 55 and 44 dcb is apparently huge when it comes to dishwasher noise. Now that I have experienced it, I've found it to be absolutely true. Â It's not silent, but it's MUCH more reasonable. Â It cost a lot, it's going to take some getting used to as far as loading, but the peace and quiet are well worth all that. This is what we got and we are quite pleased so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Mine's about 60 decibels. It sounds like a jet engine. I set it to go off in the middle of the night or during a dance class when I have the music loud anyway. It's ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018   The very shortest wash cycle is still 2 hours long, and that involves adding water heating and super hot drying. The longer ones are 4 hours. I find this ridiculous. But, it's supposed to be super quiet, and that means that I won't care if it continues after we go to bed. Plus it has a 1-24 hour delay start clock, so if it really is as quiet as advertised we might just set it to start at, say, 1AM, when the electric rates are really low. Since we have smart meters out here, I think that that capability will be increasingly valuable. Plus in general, in the summer I prefer to run it late at night so that the heat has time to dissipate before the daytime temperatures climb, so being able to program in a start time is really attractive.   I've had two different dishwashers FLOOD when running. One was after we'd gone to bed. Thankfully, so very thankfully, I got up for a glass of water to find water running all over our wood floor. Otherwise the entire house would have flooded. Something had fallen into the bottom of the pan and jammed the sensor indicating the water level was full.  I don't leave the running dishwasher unattended for long periods of time, particularly at the beginning of the cycle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted February 20, 2018 Author Share Posted February 20, 2018 We just ordered the latest Kitchenaid. It will arrive in two weeks. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!  It has a filter that is self-cleaning. And a 'top rack only' wash that I think will be valuable to me down the road when I'm too old to bend all the way to the very low bottom rack very well.   The utensil rack at the very top is detachable, and when it is out I can load dinner plates in the upper rack if I lean them over, so I can have a big crowd and wash two racks of plates at once.   The very shortest wash cycle is still 2 hours long, and that involves adding water heating and super hot drying. The longer ones are 4 hours. I find this ridiculous. But, it's supposed to be super quiet, and that means that I won't care if it continues after we go to bed. Plus it has a 1-24 hour delay start clock, so if it really is as quiet as advertised we might just set it to start at, say, 1AM, when the electric rates are really low. Since we have smart meters out here, I think that that capability will be increasingly valuable. Plus in general, in the summer I prefer to run it late at night so that the heat has time to dissipate before the daytime temperatures climb, so being able to program in a start time is really attractive.  I have read very good things about the latest KitchenAid dishwashers.  The newest models are supposed to be a big improvement. I had it narrowed down to a Bosch and a Kitchenaid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted February 20, 2018 Author Share Posted February 20, 2018 Yay!  I love clean and quiet.  :0)  I just read yesterday that a decrease of 12dB means it is half as loud.  So it's not like a straight line but a geometric curve as far as decibel increase goes.  I didn't know my search for a dishwasher would lead to so much learning about math :lol: ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted February 20, 2018 Author Share Posted February 20, 2018 Mine's about 60 decibels. It sounds like a jet engine. I set it to go off in the middle of the night or during a dance class when I have the music loud anyway. It's ridiculous. And we're in 900 square feet on one floor, so we could not run it at night if we wanted to sleep.  But, now I am super cool and can run it whenever I want to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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