GE Medallion 850 Dishwasher

[MaytagA710]

Hello! I am new here, I am over on VL, I have always loved appliances. I met the Maytag Man when I was younger, I have an autographed photo of him somewhere. I've wanted to collect appliances but I just never started doing it until I discovered this website and Vacuumland.

ANYWAYS. My First Dishwasher I bought is this 1986 GE Medallion 850. I found this on Kijiji for free, the people swaped it out 3 years ago for a new white dishwasher (I don't think they knew there are 4 colors you can choose from on this machine). The lady said she hardly used it as she washed as she cooked. Did it ever show that it was barely used! The racks are perfect, the machine even smells new. The door springs are still unused, the door will raise it self when the racks aren't out. The only thing that shows age is the chrome paint around the control panel.

 

[MaytagA710]

The inside is GEs TufTub, it also has the Multi-Orbit spray arm. I forgot to mention its a Potscrubber II. This would have GEs Super Racks right?

 

[MaytagA710]

From left to right: Potscrubber - Heavy Normal - Normal - Rinse & Hold - China & Crystal - Cancel

It takes about 50 minutes from start to finish on the Normal Cycle, and that's with no heated dry. These dishes come out so hot at the end of the cycle, they are dry.

 

[MaytagA710]

From Left to right: Heated dry on/off and Sanitize on/off. Delay selection, up to 7 3/4 hours! Wow! I have never used a delay cycle on any dishwasher. Does anyone use them?

The lights are neat to watch when you select a cycle and then cancel it, as the rapid advance motor on the timer pushes it through.

 

[MaytagA710]

And finally the GE badge and logos. This machine cleans exceptionally well, and in very little time to the new dishwashers.

PS this is a Canadian machine, made by Camco, model number GMB950XB117. You can find parts breakdown sheets on the Mabe website. There is a sticker on the neutral wire from the Canada Standards Association which dates its certification as "November 26th 1986"

 

[aldspinboy]

Kevin ...Welcome to A.W.

Yaaa for symbols ...Your interior is mint fantastic light blue racks !

There is nothing like the sound of GE Tower spray wash arms with that sweeping sound going across the upper control panel.

GE to me is the only company that in my life time and studied is they are always changing or experimenting with there wash arm systems.

That Canadian dishwasher would be great american find...I once almost had an oppertunity to get a GE Canadian washer with symbols and a WHITE tub which is rare here in the US.

But it did not work out.

Thanks for posting , Great machine !

 

 

 

Darren k

 

[appnut]

Would you mind taking a picture of the wash arm and tub at the bottom of the machine?  thank you in advance.

 

[bajaespuma]

Aferim!

I don't think this particular model was available in the US.

 

Figures; it's probably the best iteration of its kind. I've observed that from the late 1970's on,  all of the US companies produced better machines for export. The crap stayed home. How noisy is it? Also, if you could take a couple of shots of that beautiful blue detergent dispenser ( which I like best about your machine, they didn't use that lousy circular dispenser that was on the US machines), I'd be grateful. Use it in good health!

 

[peteski50]

GE

Welcome to the club. Really nice machine and much nicer than the USA models. I agree about the detergent dispenser. I hated the circular dispenser they came out with! Can you give a discription of the button fuctions.
Thanks
Peter

 

[MaytagA710]

As per requests!

Here is a picture of the spray arm and wash tower. I move the arm around so you could see the cog/pinion gear.

What is that filter-like device in the back corner? I see them on many GE machines. Before the drain line goes out to the sink, it passes through here, and there is a plunger that opens and closes depending on if its draining or not, what is it?

 

[MaytagA710]

Here is the detergent cup! Its still wet as it has JUST finished a cycle.

Don't worry folks, she will be well taken care of!

 

[MaytagA710]

Here is the dishes I just sent through. They always come out so clean. It is a bit noisy, but quiet compared to Whirlpool wash-tower style dishwashers. The noisiest part is definitely the drain solenoid.

As for a description of the buttons? Sure. Ill give the run down in the left-to-right order like in the photo I posted

The Potscrubber cycle (the flower symbol) does a Prewash, short rinse (as in fill wash for 30 seconds then drain), main wash (which is extended by 18 minutes or so), short rinse, long rinse and then another short rinse. I am not sure about Heavy Normal, I have never used it, I think it adds a short rinse after the prewash and heats the water up hotter. Normal cycle, which only takes 40 minutes with no heated dry (and is definitely not necessary for heated dry) is a prewash, wash, short rinse, long rinse and then off. Rinse & Hold is just a simple rinse and then off. As for the China/Crystal cycle, it's really neat as there is a hose that runs off the sump up to the switch that injects water into the pump and slows the force of the spray down. The motor still runs at normal speed, and it operates in the same sequence as normal wash.

And of course the heated dry and non heated dry, I have never used it as the dishes come out piping hot anyways they are always dry. I think the Sani function just super heats the water in the last rinse? I am not sure. Again, a function I have never used. I have never used the delay function either.

I love the symbols, I always found them interesting. Maytag, Westinghouse (pre WCI), and Fridgidaire up here in Canada never had bi-lingual machines, but GE and Kenmore/Whirlpool had bi-lingual machines. Inglis is definitely the king of symbols, especially on their washers and dryers. I guess symbols were a way to combat the messy look of bi-lingual labels.

 

[roto204]

Wow!!

Porcelain tub and a cool and different microfilter arrangement in the corner, instead of across the back--and a real detergent dispenser! This is like the super TOL Potscrubbers of yesteryear with extra goodies, merged with all the nice points of the old Hotpoints.

SO jealous! Enjoy that lovely machine.

 

[appnut]

Observations

The bottom rack is exactly like the one that came in my 1984 Hotpoint.  The top rack is like what was found in GE's GSD1100, like my sister had, which was different than the GSD1200's top rack.  I do envy the porcelain tub.  No wonder it still sparkles.  Actually, the PotScrubber cycle would end up heating the wash water higher than the Heavy Normal Cycle.  If you say the Normal cycle completes in about 50 minutes, then that awas the equivalent of the Light Wash cycle on my GSD1200.  I'm actually very jealous of the Sani option.  I wish that had been available for my GSD1200, was only available on the very TOL GSD2800.  Yes, an absolute beautiful integration of both Hotpoint and GE good features.  Personally, I dind't mind the other detergent dispenser everyone seems to hate. 

 

[appnut]

I wish the user manual was online like we have here in the US. 

 

[turquoisedude]

Congratulations! That is one fine dishwasher! I had the 1987 model in the first house I ever owned - thanks for the memories!!

 

[gr81nknox]

Wow!

I don't think I've ever seen a GE of that era(early to mid 80s) with so many buttons. Back in the mid 80s when we had a housing boom here(and my parents were looking to buy a new home) GE was by far the most common appliances found in them. Most of them had the BOL GE with just a cycle knob and two buttons for heated dry. One of the "upgrades" you could specify was a Potscrubber DW which added a another set of buttons, but that was about it. I remember the Kenmore of that era with the rapid advance timer and all mechanical buttons, but not the GE. Great find!

 

[appnut]

I don't think I've ever seen a GE of that era(early

MY GSD1200  that I bought May, 1987, originally appeared on the market in the early 1980s as their TOL dishwasher.  It had 6 cycle buttons, a cancel drain button as well as the heated/air dry buttons.  The timer was a rapid advance timer behind a plexiglass lexan on the panel. 

 

[whirlcool]

I have never seen a GE DW like this. It certainly is sharp looking. Just some masking tape and silver model paint will restore that chrome colored ring around the control panel.
You can tell it's low mileage because the buttons on the control panel and surrounding area look brand new. Great find!