Frigidaire Dishwashers- why the hate?

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Well for about the 3rd time, it's definitely NOT a MAYTAG. I'm becoming a little less impressed with it as time goes on... A dirty dish here, some kibbles and bits left there, today I took a plate out of the cupboard with dried cheese on it.. Always some sort of crud left in or around the filters.. The search is on for something else! If all else fails I may just reinstall the defective Maytag (lost the final drain cycle in the timer but works otherwise) but I feel like that is a last resort.. Could cause problems down the line. I don't hate this Frigidaire at all, it's a perfectly adequate dishwasher, but I'm used to a machine that will wash the chrome off a trailer hitch, and this one just won't. I feel like this sits one notch above a builder grade one-arm-wonder GE.. it does clean dishes.. Adequately.. But not amazingly. It's acceptably quiet, and makes an attempt at drying. No more no less.
 
I found these timers on ebay.....according to repairclinic this is your model maytag.

for some reason it won't link.  Every time I put the link in it just goes to a search page.  Anyway, there are 3 timers on ebay.

part number 12001533

 

 
 
I may do that, but in all honesty the Maytag's tired.. I got it well used secondhand probably 5 years ago, and it's been used, HEAVILY. The racks are rusty, adjustable tines held together with zip ties, has a rattle during drain cycles that sounds like a worn bearing, and will occasionally pick up a loud squeal about halfway through the wash cycle. It still washes flawlessly, but I'm afraid it's just lived out it's useful life. Not bad for 23 years old.

On another note, the Frigidaire seems to be producing acceptably clean dishes for the most part.. I just don't think it's going to be staying long. I pulled out 2 dirty spoons (looked like redeposited food) from the lower rack tonight and 2 marginally clean (but extremely hot) saucepans (one was used to boil eggs and still had water marks, the other used to boil pasta had starch stains). The upper rack was clean except a spatula on the flip down shelf that had cheesecake filling on it. Washed with a Cascade pod on Normal Wash, Hi Temp, Sanitize, Heated dry. I opened the door and shook both racks after the final rinse, then continued with the heated dry. Everything was 85+-% dry. My statement stands.. It's an adequate dishwasher but nothing more.. I wouldn't expect it to remove anything cooked or burned on, not even on the pots/pans cycle.

That said, what would be the "ideal" dishwasher to look for on the used market? I'm looking for a cheap machine that will wash the chrome off a trailer hitch, then produce DRY dishes.. All within a reasonable amount of time and relative efficiency, low noise level would be great. I may start a thread dedicated to my search for the "perfect" dishwasher... I've seen some of the new offerings from Whirlpool and Kitchenaid and I"m not impressed, and the 2-4 hour cycles times seem to be standard across the board.. Too long.
 
Why?

Because they don't care to. That would cost more, and increase the prices. Remember, the parent is AB Electrolux, a global conglomerate sourcing parts from low bidders first. It's been their way since they closed their europena plants, except Hungary, and began sourcing from China. Frigidaire quality wasn't the former GM quality under White Comsolidated, and AB-Lux bought them out afterward and it became even worse. Our neighbors post millenium SxS Fridge was only 12 years old, and wasn't worth repairing when the unit went out after control board replacemnt, and evaporator damper before that. same model as the one on the "Reba" show later seasons, not her Hotpoint.
 
I did use the Pots/Pans cycle the other day and aside from pre selecting Hi Temp wash and Sanitize, it seemed to do about the same as Normal, although it took considerably longer.. Still had the dirty dish or 2 if I recall. I did a light load tonight on Light wash- Both racks with Hi Temp wash and heated dry, and it seemed to do ok, aside from a couple chunks of food that were jammed in the lower spray arm after the cycle. Re washed the dirty spatula from last night, and STILL had cheesecake residue on it, now washed down to a dry residue, which easily wiped off. Mine obviously wasn't a low end machine new and I would be disappointed to see a mid to high end machine perform this poorly... There.. I said it.. POORLY.
 
Frigidaire DWs, Why The Hate ?

Hi Dustin, Well I think you answered your own question along with a lot of others that have chimed in. When you started this thread I figured you would soon figure out why FD DWs are not highly regarded.

 

And once you get one of the DWs listed below you will also see the many flaws in the design and performance of even the MT DW you had. The MT standard tub DW like their Tall Tub models that came later were both interesting designs with a lot of interesting engineering designed into them, but both had many reliability problems and both are disappearing fast from Americas kitchens.

 

As far as the best practical slightly vintage DW, I think that most will agree is a 1985-2006 WP Power-Clean or Kenmore Standard tub Ultra-Wash DW.

 

John L.
 
Keep in mind

I had one from this series in Florida. These were still made by WCI. If you look at the bottom wash arm, all the jets are at the end of each side. For the reasons mentioned above, I had the same trouble with dishes not getting clean, I use to adjust the amount of detergent I used, thinking it was me and because of the reduced amount of water it used.

Watching some of the youtube vids, and now that Electrolux is making these, I do think they are much better and the spray is more powerful. I would consider getting one today.
 
I found a slightly newer Frigidaire, also free, which had a bad wash motor, but also newer style spray arms- the lower arm was a direct fit, and with just that replaced, the performance improved, I could actually hear water hitting the top and sides of the tub! Today I completely disassembled both machines and transplanted all the electronics and working wash assembly into the newer style tub, which has a direct feed to the upper arm and not that silly funnel. Also has a 3rd arm above the top rack. I used the racks from the newer machine, since they are only slightly rusty and no broken tines. It still uses the same check ball float system to engage the 2nd and 3rd level arms. The holes in the spray arms are slightly smaller than the old ones, so it sounds like it's getting better pressure. The machine looks the same but sounds like something is actually getting washed inside. Currently running it's first wash, we will see how things come out!
 
Frigi-Junk

Dustin,

From you photos I see (in pic #4) that your Frigidaire DW has the same fatal flaw as the one I bought around 2000: a flimsy debris screen, about the size and shape of a 33-1/3 rpm long playing record. The heat from the element above will warp it to the point where it gets wavy and then lets all sort of kibbles and bits through to sully what should be clean dishes.

You got your Lemon-aire for free, so might I suggest putting it back on the curb and getting a real dishwasher? Like a Bosch?
 
Funny you should suggest I purchase a Bosch.. I have a Bosch Ascenta that's 2.5 years old.. I feel like it's a dishwasher for someone who doesn't cook.. Because it doesn't wash. It does fine with pre washed dishes and minimal detergent, but I don't prewash so a teaspoon is not enough to clean a load of dishes. Otherwise it leaves dishes filmy and water spotted, even with rinse aid, and any combination of products we have found. It doesn't dry anything, and the racking is horrendous. I can almost deal with kibbles and bits left over that I can see, but not film and detergent residue. Plus it takes a minimum of 2 and a half hours. It is quiet and efficient, I will give it that, but I wonder HOW efficient because all we ever used was the hottest heaviest cycle, and even then, sometimes twice.

I suppose the reason I haven't gone out and bought a new dishwasher is because the Frigidaire is still working better than the worst dishwasher I've ever used, and my boredom during the covid 19 is making it function better.. I originally got it because I couldn't afford a new one, abd now I'm pretty sure it's just the challenge. Last night's light load came out great, I did install the filter from the newer unit, which isn't warped as my original is. I may well go out and buy a new dishwasher now..
 
Suggest using Finish Tabs with a Bosch. I tried using some Costco gel-pack DW detergent, and had the same problem with film and deposits. With Finish tabs, problem has not recurred. Along the way I also had to replace the drain pump, which was easy enough, and part was relatively inexpensive on-line.

Also check that the washer is properly draining at the start of the cycle - I can hear when mine is sucking air out of the sump and that indicates to me it's done a complete drain. If not, I do a combo button push to force a drain, then restart the cycle. I don't think it's a Bosch problem. More a problem with the air gap on my sink, which sometimes clogs.
 
I've tried finish and they foam horribly in our water, and leave a nasty residue. I've had good luck with Sam's club Ultimate clean pods and recently Cascade original pods (oddly enough they seem to leave dishes less filmy than Complete or Platinum pods), along with some liquid Cascade Complete in the prewash cup. Yes the Bosch was working properly, and it was filling and draining properly.. We bought it new and it was just never that great. I figure it was just one of those things, it was the lowest priced Bosch available at the time so I figured we were getting what we paid for so to speak.. A BOL dishwasher.
 
It's funny

every single place I've lived, including the house I grew up in...I've never had a Frigidaire brand of any appliance. However, my grandma had a GM Frigidaire washer. Every place I've ever lived has either been GE, Kenmore/Whirlpool.

Doesn't Elux make Frigidaire now? I know I hear good things about Elux washers (not sure about dishwashers)

About Finish foaming. I can use Finish powerball with no issues, but I can't use quantum at all. Way too much foaming and it stresses out the dishwasher, and we have hard water. Luckily, it was a sample of Quantum I had so I never bought any. I remember when the dishwasher finished, everything was spotless so it worked well. I just felt like if I used it (even with good results) that it would shorten the life of my dishwasher just hearing it struggle and making noises I had never heard it make before when washing until I used that stuff.
 
How very odd--100 miles down the road I've got a cheap Bosch that does a wonderful job. I replaced a PowerClean Kenmore with it--been happy with it--only fault I might cite is the racking is engineered to work well with Corelle but not so much Dansk stoneware. The last 30 seconds of every wash cycle, and the first 15 seconds of every cycle is a drain sequence to get rid of any of the condensation from the drying process.
 
Cleaning performance aside, the Bosch racking system doesn't work well with corelle either. Nothing seems to fit where it's meant to fit and the racks are made for plates cups and bowls, not cookware.

I thought this forum was a place for friendly, productive discussion of appliances.. Maybe I should just post less.. Or not at all.
 

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