Dishwasher Performance Testing

[frigilux]

Three spoons with gunk still attached. I was expecting the silverware rack to be the weakest performer, but save for these spoons, all was spotless.

I wish the cycle would have run the full 139 minutes. Maybe some of the unclean items would have fared better.

Had this not been a test of the Normal cycle, I would have used the Power Scrub cycle, which is about 2-3/4 hours long and uses the maximum-strength spray.[this post was last edited: 2/2/2013-13:35]

 

[petek]

Really interesting... That glass that was in the back right corner.. that is really surprising.   

You have to wonder now how the results might be using Finish Quantum with the exact same load.

 

[washer111]

Great!

Nice work Frigilux! 

 

I am surprised how clean the items came out - although some of it would be disparities in the thickness of our mixtures (esp. the Glue. Mine was thicker than waffle/pancake mix). Shame about those few items. 

Could you tell me how hot your Main-Wash was? Some of the soils I think would've come off much easier in cooler water (I think the higher temp cycle I used in my DD got rid of the sugary stuff, but baked more glue onto the bowls I tested). 

 

Again thanks for your contribution! Looks like the LG is a pretty decent performer (More so than the DD, one might suggest. Though the sensor will have fixed lots of the "problems" I had!)

 

[frigilux]

petek: I used to use Finish Powerball tablets, but they wreaked havoc with aluminum cake pans, etc. so I switched to Cascade Complete pacs as a daily driver. Have never tried Finish Quantum--maybe I should pick some up at the grocery store this morning. A lot of people say good things about it.

washer111: The owner's manual says the main wash temperature for the Normal cycle will range from 131-140 degrees. The final rinse temp is 152. And you're right: My flour/water mixture was closer in consistency to waffle batter, which may have made a difference. The photos were taken when the dishwasher was loaded. Six hours later (door open) the gunk was really dried onto the glasses and silverware (all other items took a trip through the oven). The dirty glass surprised me, as I always put things in the back corner and they come clean. Why did the glass right next to it come out perfectly clean?

At any rate, it was fun--and I hope someone with a vintage machine will offer to sponsor the test! I'd be willing to bet the water force of a vintage machine coupled with today's improved dishwasher detergents would ace the test.

 

[magic_clean]

Dishwasher

testing criteria discussion at the link!

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www.energystar.gov

 

[tomturbomatic]

Leslie, tell us, was the taller tub, shallower sump design an invention of the appliance manufacturers along with the government bean counters to force dishwashers to use less water per fill since there was such a shallow sump? It is so counter intuitive to try to spray water farther with a weaker pump that it makes me think there had to be a plan. It would seem that if you are going to use less water and therefore have a shallower head of water over the pump so that the pump cannot be as powerful, you would have a regular size tank so that the water does not have to be sprayed as far which would give you space at the bottom for a deep well in the sump from which a more powerful pump could suck water without cavitating. The bottom of the tank would be sloped from all directions into that well to return the water as quickly as possible to the pump inlet.