Frigidaire Dishwashers- why the hate?

chachp · May 9, 2020

Decisions, decisions....

This is a friendly place for discussions 99.9% of the time. Every once in a while, we’ll have a little flare up but that’s to be expected when you have so many opinions for and against any topic. When I don’t like a post, I usually just ignore it. If you run away, you give them the power they are after. In my opinion ignoring them is much more powerful.

 

The reality of the situation is when you post on this site you are likely to get as many opinions as there are replies. We all have different criteria by which we measure things. In addition to that, some people will analyze the shit out of something before making a decision (like me I am one of those I just don’t post it all) and some make decisions purely on impulse.

 

You should buy the machine that meets your criteria. Me personally, my Bosch experience couldn’t be any more opposite than yours. Our Bosch will clean anything we throw at it. Yup it takes 3 hours, but I’ve adjusted. When I need something quickly I either use the Speed cycle or wash it by hand. It’s not the end of the world. 

 

So, here is my opinion on this topic. I haven’t read every one of your posts but it seems to me that you have tried a number of dishwashers in your house. Maybe I have you confused with someone else and if I do, I apologize. But if you have, and every one of them has produced poor results then maybe you should look beyond the dishwasher for your solution.

 

There are so many variables like water hardness, detergent, rinse aid, incoming water temperature, etc. you may just have to find the right combination for your situation. I had to do a lot of experimenting to find a combination that worked well for me because I have very soft water and everything foamed.

 

You started your post singing the praises of the Maytag you had. I don’t know what model it was but the Maytag I had for about a year in the old house was great. Is it an option to fix the old machine and continue to use the machine that worked so well for you?

combo52 · May 9, 2020

Nearly All Modern DWs Can Clean Very Well, BUT

Because a user interacts with a DW a lot when loading, unloading, being near the machine when in use and the sounds it makes and even what it looks like there are going to be opinions all over the place of which machines are best and worst.

I have read engineering studies on Vacuum Cleaner design and you have the same issues with vacuum cleaners, some people love a certain model and other people are ready to throw it in the dumpster, and again it is partly because you interact so much with a vacuum so much when using it, Washers & Dryers do not have as much interaction when using them with the user and while many users have strong opinions it is a lot easier to live with for most users.

Our experiences of Bosch Accsentra DWs that we have worked on and discussed with our clients.

Number one service call, DW is not cleaning well, this has usually been a bad inlet valve with the DW not getting enough water and clogged filters and wash arms.

Other problems, wheels falling off the lower rack, broken detergent dispensers, broken plastic control panels, wording wears off plastic control panel, the machines are also difficult to keep level and attached to cabinets due to cheap flimsy overall construction.

Many people complain about limited loading options and smaller capacity and poor drying results, overall I would rank Bosch Accensta DWs about equal with the cheaper Frigidaire DWs.

Best new DWs for least money, probably the cheaper WP products, best overall new DW are probably the current Maytags, That said I have seen no current DW that does not have possible significant shortcomings and will probably never buy a new DW for the rest of my lifetime.

Dishwashers hit their peak of performance in the US in the 1980s and this great combination of performance, durability and energy efficiency continued well into the 1990s. There are so many of these great lightly used machines out there going for almost no money that if you can fix things there is just no reason to ever but a new DW that is so ultra-tuned for noise and water consumption that they often have performance issues.

John L.

dustin92 · May 9, 2020

We have had several dishwashers, maybe I'm just being too picky. When we moved into this house, it had a Kenmore Ultra wash from 1998, and while it was a huge improvement over the builder grade GE in our last house, it was nothing special. Then came the Maytag Jetclean from about 1997, and that machine kicked butt. Not too noisy, got dishes clean and dry. Rarely if ever had a dirty dish. Then came the Bosch, which was kind of a mistake. It just never performed great.. Did fine with fresh loose food but nothing stuck on, and always left detergent residue and water spots, regardless of what detergents we used. I always kept the filters and wash arms clean, and it was getting plenty of water, I even tried adding some and it would just drain it back out. I re installed the Maytag after some minor repairs, but I'm pretty sure the timer has gone out, and to be totally honest, the whole machine is worn out. Cue the current Frigidaire, which is serving it's purpose but not particularly well.

zeldaella · May 9, 2020

I'm going to buy a Frigidaire dishwasher. What you say makes me a bit confused. I think I still will buy it. Hope it's OK

combo52 · May 9, 2020

Frigidaire DWs Have about The Worst Repair record

If you buy one make sure it is perfectly installed, and take very good care of it and treat it gently and you may have a decent chance of getting some good use out of it out of it.

John L.

petek · May 9, 2020

I have zero complaints with Bosch Ascenta I bought last year and I never rinse, and barely scrape stuff off. I convinced our neighbor next door to get one just after Xmas when her Kitchenaid, like mine, crapped out. She says she's never had such clean dishes. Maybe there's something wrong with yours because although I've heard complaints about the racks I've heard little to nothing about their washing performance

sudsmaster · May 9, 2020

Bosch bashing?

I routinely use Corelle dinnerware and have no problem whatsoever loading it into my 20 year old Bosch SHU-43CU dishwasher. It gets them sparkling clean, using Finish Powerball tabs.

Normally, however, I hand wash pots and pans, because I don't like letting them sit until a full DW load is accumulated. And it's so simple to wash a pot or pan in the sink.

I did modify slightly the cutlery basket, enlarging most of the holes to allow a slighly oversize flat ware set to fit efficiently. Just snipped some of the intervening plastic bars with wire cutters. Easy peasy.

brainardcooper · May 10, 2020

Poor Frigidaire...

I have had my Frigidaire Dishwasher (Model # FDB949GFS2) for almost 15 years. I run it 2-3 times per week, sometimes more. It just keeps working and working. Really like the option of either using the upper rack only, which I use often, or using the lower rack only. I have thought about getting a new one for the sake of getting a new on but it just keeps working and working. I used to always rinse the dishes before washing them as I couldn't imagine it cleaning them otherwise. However, I have recently started using Cascade Pods and I am really amazed at the difference between that and the Cascade powder. So much so that I have stopped rinsing the dishes (for the most part) before washing and it does a great job. I have only owned Frigidaire appliances and can't complain.

sudsmaster · May 10, 2020

I noticed that Frigidaire improved its DW design after I jettisoned mine. I think they realized the big plastic debris filter was a very bad design, and I *think* they went to a steel one instead. But I wouldn't swear on it.

I went Bosch after that, and henceforth any new DW I buy (should the Bosch finally bite the dust) will have similar features, including a hidden water heating element, and an all stainless steel tub. Anything else, IMHO, is a waste of money.

dustin92 · May 10, 2020

I was dishwasher shopping today and looked in a lower end Frigidaire- the screen/filter are identical to the original 2003 ones, and the upgraded 2009 model I scavenged for parts. The wash arms and racks look the same as the 2009 one. I'll most likely be going with a Whirlpool, for what it's worth.

mattl · May 12, 2020

<blockquote>
I did modify slightly the cutlery basket, enlarging most of the holes to allow a slighly oversize flat ware set to fit efficiently. Just snipped some of the intervening plastic bars with wire cutters. Easy peasy.

</blockquote>
Wow, those cutlery whatevers were the first thing I tossed, sorry I'm not going to spend my time inserting silverware piece by piece and taking it out the same way. I just toss stuff into the baskets some up some down and turn the machine on. Just as with dishes I've never had a dirty spoon come out. Tried to use my third rack for cutlery but found it bothersome too. I guess to each his own.

sudsmaster · May 12, 2020

Wow, those cutlery whatevers were the first thing I tossed

Actually on the SHU-43CU, the cutlery baskets had flip up lids, so if one doesn't want to use the partitions, one can just flip the lids up, and voilá.

I ran it that way for years, but last year or so I decided that some pieces were nesting in a way that wasn't so good, and tried flipping the lids down. With the mods this has worked out fairly well.

YMMV

henene4 · May 12, 2020

Never got that "Oh I hate loading it piece by piece sentiment" TBH...

No matter which way I turn it, at some point I have to sort the cutlery be it while loading or unloading.

Then I might just as well do it while loading and not risk poor cleaning.
And with a 3rd rack, if I sort cutlery while loading, unloading is a job of seconds since I just grab all of one kind at once and am done.
More hygienic as well since I only touch the handle-side once the cycle is done!

dustin92 · May 12, 2020

I have never used the flip down dividers on any dishwasher we've owned- we just load the silverware randomly, with handles up (eating end down) which puts the business end closer to the spray and ensures I don't touch the surfaces we eat off of while unloading. Silverware facing up is a big no in our house.

chachp · May 13, 2020

Third Rack or Silverware Basket?

This could certainly turn into one of those wildly debated topics, so I’ll get in ahead of that and add my two cents. I echo Henrik’s comments about the silverware seems to be cleaner in the third rack vs. the silverware basket and that unloading is a lot faster while only touching the handles.

 

Your gonna sort going in or coming out. If I take a couple of extra seconds to organize them when I load the third rack, then unloading is a breeze.

 

I think it’s just a personal preference. I like opening the door a small way and sliding out the top shelf to add a spoon vs. having to open the door the entire way to pull out the bottom rack part of the way to add the spoon.

frigilux · May 13, 2020

My 2008 LG turned me into a ‘third rack’ guy for silverware. I was cooking a lot back then and the cutlery rack allowed me to liberate the bottom rack of its large silverware basket permanently.

It wasn’t a matter of which rack provided better cleaning; for me it was all about the real estate gained. As far as speed of loading and unloading flatware, placing the pieces individually never really bothered me.

Sigh...God, I loved that LG. Largest capacity of any dishwasher I’ve ever had. Cleaned the grimiest pots and pans superbly. Had a very effective short cycle. Was so quiet...and it had interior lights! Talk about a cheap trick to make the stainless steel interior absolutely gleam, but I loved it.

sudsmaster · May 13, 2020

Well it has never occurred to me to put flatware into the basket business side down. I'd be concerned about nesting occurring which would be less visible and more likely to result in incomplete cleaning. That said, I do place sharp steak knives point down, in the corners of the basket, to minimize possibility of injury from stumbles and falls. I don't put high grade high carbon stainless cutting and slicing knives in the DW.

Perhaps one of these days I'll try flipping up the basket lids and try loading with handles dangling in the breeze. What's the worst that can happen?

vacerator · May 14, 2020

I have to wash my fine flatware

without the lid, as the tops don't fit through the slots.

henene4 · May 14, 2020

Manufacturers over here usually state to load knifes handle up, the rest handle down for better cleaning.

lakewebsterkid · May 14, 2020

Frigidaire DW Hate

My grandparents have a MOL machine from around 2009. The machine does a decent job, but does require the high temperature wash and sanitize rinse for best performance. They wash (scrub) every dish before they put them in the machine so poor performance isn't an issue. They generally use the Water Miser cycle to just eliminate one of the pre-washes. It is probably ran twice a week and the only thing wrong is the detergent dispenser does not open if you shut it. For about 3 years it was ran daily. Not too bad for a Frigidaire of the time.
As far as a Bosch not performing well, you might want to give that machine a decent cleaning. The Normal cycle on my machine cleans better than the Pots and Pans cycle on my old Point Voyager machine. We almost always use Auto and have great results. It also holds significantly more than the Whirlpool did. Dirty spatulas etc. always are placed in the second rack.
A relative has an older Maytag Jetclean. If I recall correctly, it is a DWU8860. That machine does perform very well. It really is a gem when rinse aid is used. As someone else mentioned, it isn't very loud. However, capacity on the bottom rack is poor and badly organized because of the 'top spray arm'. Otherwise, it is a very good machine.

Frigidaire Dishwashers- why the hate?

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