Kenmore Portable Dishwasher

Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

Help Support :

First run was a success. It is extremely quiet which I was surprised at. Washing was very good using a Finish Quantum tab that came with it. I was kinda concerned with the stainless pan as it had a few pieces of hardened cheese from last nights pasta but it came off completely. My water ranges from 135 to 140 degrees so that may have helped. Except for the upper rack being too tight for my mugs I'm kinda happy with it
 
Last night I ran a load on Pots and Pans with Hi Temp wash. Cycle time was 2 hours and 4 minutes. Not as bad as I thought it would be. I did notice that it does a few purges throughout the cycle but it could have been the soil level that I had in there. I haven't used Normal yet but the One Hour wash does a respectable job. Heated dry in my opinion is kinda useless. My dishes dry quicker if I flash dry them.
 
@washerdude - There are two purge methods that I know of that Whirlpool machines use.

1. Prerinse purge - After the main wash, the machine fills with fresh water for about 10 seconds, then runs the main pump for a few seconds to agitate any remaining soils and detergent in the sump, then drains and proceeds to the rinse. For the PowerClean/UltraWash, the pump only turns on once for around 5 seconds, followed by a full drain. On Voyager machines, and the new resource-saver models (the Tahoe platform, from what I've found in WP service documents), the pump will cycle on and off for a few seconds at a time before draining. This clears the sump enough to usually only need one rinse afterwards.

2. Automatic filter purge - Whirlpool implemented this on the Voyager design, and if I'm correct, the new Tahoe design as well. This purge is done during the prewash and main wash portions of the cycle. As the machine pauses to test the turbidity of the water, it will decide whether a prewash is necessary or if it can proceed into the main wash without draining. It also decides if AFP's are necessary, and if so, the drain pump will kick on while the main pump is circulating water. This creates negative pressure in the filter chamber, and with the downward spray of the lower wash arm, the dirt particles are forced down and out the drain. The fill valve also kicks on for about ten seconds to replenish what was pulled out. This way, the accumulated soil can be removed without dumping the entire tub. The Tahoe works essentially the same way, pulling soil trapped in the manual filter out through the bottom.

My Maytag-Voyager will usually do two or three AFPs between the prewash and main wash if the load is of medium soil, usually skipping the drain and proceeding to dispense detergent, which in my opinion is the best method because the water isn't fully hot and is also soil-laden, so the enzymes in the detergent get a good workout and they're able to work well because the temp is gradually rising. I've only had it drain the prewash and fill for a separate MW a few times, and it was for a super nasty load. I've never had anything come out less than sparkling, and it cuts water usage down to maybe 3.5-4 gallons, and that's with all three arms running full force.
 
@murando351

I remember reading one of Bob's (Appnut) posts from a long time ago related to the filter-purges on his then-new Whirlpool machine. What you've described sounds very familiar. 

 

Its cool to learn how these self-cleaning filters work!
 
My old Elite would drain prewash water and fill for main wash even when it did not purge any soil out of the filter.  If the water was "dark" as in lots of hot chocolate mugs in winter or if I'd baked a peanut butter fudge cake that had chocolate residue from mixing bowls of batter and frosting as well as respective to sauce pans for cooking parts for batter and frosting.  But most of the time it would have enough soil to trigger one purge minimal during prewash.  On my new one, I've only used Smart Wash & Pots & Pans.  It does the pause and assess soil level on Smart wash during the prewash but not on Pots & Pans and obviously not on the 1-hour Express Wash.  The latter reminds me of an old fashioned dishwasher--prewash, rinse, main wash, and two rinses.  With heavier soil, it does 3 post-wash rinses.  Andrew, do you know anything with regards to the new KAs and Kenmore Elites with the Clean Water Wash/MicroClean filter systems?  I'm curious as to if it ever does any actual purging of heavy food soils out of the filter system like my old one?  I've not subjected the machine to heavier soil yet but no doubt will with all the cooking and meals upcoming.  But with company, I won't be able to sit in front of the dishwasher like I've done for the past 3 weeks. 
 
@appnut - Currently, I do not. So far I can't find any literature on the MicroClean at all besides sales brochures. There is a retailer resource site that has videos directed at salespersons, but even it is vague as to where the machine holds the soils between drains. I posted the link that Johnb300m posted on another thread.

You have officially planted the "new bug" in my head for these new dishwashers. I've been toying with the idea of getting a TOL Whirlpool machine for a while. Hearing good words here and there have pushed me more toward that direction, and now hearing from the Bob himself that they are, in fact, impressive machines now has ants in my pants to go out and look and buy one. On Whirlpool's side, the WDT920 is gorgeous in black ice, and it seems solid enough from looking at a few in stores. That silverware spray bar seems a better idea to me than Kenmore's 360 TurboZone or KA's similar ProScrub, at least for my needs. I haven't looked as much into KM or KA's machines mainly because of price, but I'm also not as fond of the idea of the mechanical wash arms.

The real question is: Will Whirlpool bring the CleanWater/MicroClean system to their native machines, and will they add the black stainless steel option? Because if they do I'll all but take out a mortgage. Lol

 
I'm very impressed so far. Yesterday after Thanksgiving dinner I ran a load of pretty heavily soiled dishes and just a few pots that could fit. Pots and Pans with High Temp wash. 2 hours later not a single reject. Emptied after my guests left and filled with glasses, dessert plates, extra silverware, a few pots, and a baking dish that held the turkey. Normal cycle with no options just to try it. Probably took about 90 minutes. I believe it did only one post wash rinse but once again everything was squeaky clean.

I imagined that after 2 weeks and about 8 loads of dishes that I should check the filter since I said when I got this dishwasher that I will never even slightly rinse anything anymore. Not a spec or a trace of anything on either filter! This may be one of my favorite dishwashers that I've ever owned.
 
Clean Filters

That's awesome that the filters have stayed so clean.
My parents' GE has the filter cylinder too, and theirs also stays mostly clean except for the spot nearest the wash pump inlet. A white slime forms there.
Otherwise everything else is squeaky clean.
 
Update: This dishwasher has exceeded my expectations except for the racks which need to be wider between the prongs. I am continually impressed with the washing ability. I rotate between One Hour Wash and Pots and Pans with Hi Temp. When I got this dishwasher I said that I was going to go outside my comfort zone and allow more baked on soils and scrape much less to see what it could do. Except for 2 rejects that were my fault due to loading, this dishwasher obliterates every stain.

Filter cleaning: Non existent. I've checked the filter probably 6 or 7 times and have found nothing except for a very clean piece of potato in the bottom of the tub that was too big to pass through the upper filter.

Running time: Pots and Pans with Hi Temp clocks in at about 2 hours and 4 minutes. The few times I selected Pots and Pans with Sani Rinse comes in at about 2 hours and 40 minutes. Because the results are so outstanding I don't even mind. It's also very quiet as it does it's job

Rating: A solid A
 
purges,

low end machines may have a purge feature in the control board, but not a turbidity sensor to sense soil particles.
This Kenmore is of the most basic Whirlpool Point Voyager DW design.
It does not wash only the top rack. It must provide ample water pressure to drive both wash levels together.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top