My Whirlpool dishwasher

[gelaundry4ever]

johnb300m

I certainly hope they're not peeing on dishes. I like hearing water shooting from the bottom arm to the roof alone. To me, that's what a dishwasher should do. I'm sure chetlaham would agree.[this post was last edited: 4/29/2025-15:56]

 

[Chetlaham]

Jerome, I agree. I want to hear both the bottom and upper rack spray arms hitting the roof of the dishwasher.

 

 

Cleaning is a function of 4 things: time, chemical energy, thermal energy and mechanical energy. Reduce one or more of these and the others must compensate. Reducing mechanical energy is a double whammy, in that despite having more capacity dishes take 3 times longer to get clean. When you reduce the size of the pump motor you loose the ability to grind and process food particles requiring various levels of pre-washing before hand.

 

A good dishwasher can rattle glasses and flip over plastic bowls in the top rack.

 

 

 

[gelaundry4ever]

Good dishwasher

Also, a good dishwasher will sound like a powerful storm and you could hear dishes rattle or water hitting against them rhythmically. I want my dishwasher vents so not only could I hear what's going on, but smell it too.

 

[michaelz08]

@d-todd, did you ever get around to running that service cycle to see what is making the noise?

 

[Chetlaham]

Dishwasher Vents

Many standard tub dishwashers had what were essentially self sealing vents in that the louvers would block air when sprayed with water. During drain however, the vent would let air pass through like any other open vent. Those vents were the best in that they did not rely on cams, levers or wax motors to open and close.

 

I miss the smell of detergent then rinse aid during pump out. I miss the small bursts of steam that would come out on Potscrubbers with a high inlet temp and with the Potscrubber button depressed, then the continuous sheet of steam during pump out. Dishwashers with blower assisted drying like Maytag Jetclean would cause a volcano of steam to come out of the vent when the fan first switched on.

 

Modern dishwashers with side vents IMO just ruin cabinets and their controls. 

 

 

[johnb300m]

You guys are absolutely ridiculous.
I am GLAD my dishwashers don’t rattle glass and flip stuff over anymore.
Do you have any idea how annoying and expensive that is?!
Growing up we had GE dishwashers and it was a constant issue of things getting flipped over, full of murky water and food crumbs.
On more than one occasion, a piece of my mom’s glassware would be broken in the dishwasher.
Do you know how happy she was when we got our Triton XL with the gentler spray?
She was ecstatic. No more wet icky flips. No more risk of broken wine glasses.

And as a dishware own myself, I also appreciate it.

It’s why I put a voyager middle arm in my powerclean. The Tupperware flipping was ridiculous.

You two are ridiculous.
Thank goodness appliance companies won’t be hiring you.

 

[Chetlaham]

And the solution to that is proper loading, clips, press down tins and utility baskets.

 

Waiting for a dishwasher to do 3+ hours of washing while leaving food bits at the bottom of the machine only to become smelly overtime is ridiculous.

 

You're absolutely right appliance companies won't be hiring anyone who thinks like me and Jerome when people want quiet, capacity, sleek new looks, gliding racks, cleaning, drying, soil handling, reliability, durability, longevity and serviceability in roughly that order. 

 

 

A machine that can clean in circles in less than an hour will never be seen as a serious contender in the eyes of the public when it can be heard running or can't fit  the whole china cabinet.

 

[appnut]

Well, it's a lesson in what the market will bear, not necessarily what a designer wanats to shove onto the market.

 

[qsd-dan]

It’s why I put a voyager middle arm in my powerclean.

Is that compatible the other direction?

Maybe I can turn the upper rack performance in my PV from totally miserable to half way decent with a PC upper wash arm.

 

[johnb300m]

gsd-dan
It will definitely fit!
I must clarify, this is for the direct feed PC upper arm. NOT the tower feed.

Try it out. It can’t hurt.
I will caution, you may see a pressure loss in the upper rack since the PC arm has larger jet holes.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

chetlaham

I can't stand dishwashers without vents. I want to smell, hear, and feel what's going on inside via water spraying, smells of the process, and felling of the steam. Even some tall tub dishwashers did this. Now, modern dishwashers ruin the fun. Seriously. Thank God I'm not hired by appliance companies, because I am all about common sense. That's where Speed Queen Dishwashers could come in. As for gentle sprays, they're so annoying. I hate dishwashers that just pee on your dishes! They're nothing more than lawn sprinklers! If it can't wash, I don't want it! Dishwashers that take 3 hours! And yet the floor is still dirty! This is so stupid! I've had older dishwashers that were squeaky clean regardless of how dirty dishes were.

 

[stevet]

Enough is Enough!

All this bickering. This is what you all need to have as your dishwashers! All said and done!

 

[tolivac]

A dishwasher that takes 3hrs per load-I’ll wash by hand and use the time waster dishwasher as a dish rack!

 

[iiijohnnymaciii]

Reply #42

Why waste water and time? Just let it run while you sleep. 3rd rack dishwashers are so big that a family of 5 can fit an entire days worth of dishes in them. I never understood the need for quick washing unless you have a huge family or once or twice a year for the Hollidays. In the instance of having a huge family you would be better off having two dishwashers anyway.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

tolivac

I agree with you and feel your pain. These new "dishwashers" just leave the bottom of the stupid tub filthy. There's no food grinder in them anymore. Give me a storm in a box any day of the week that could take on any dishwasher detergent and rinse aid and I'll be a happy camper! And I want a real vent too! I want to hear and smell what's going on and feel the steam to know everything's working properly!
How hard is it for it to be done? Quiet dishwashers just mist your dishes! Not wash any of them! This is why dishwashers should have clear windows! I don't care what anybody says! I said my piece a million times and I can do it until I turn blue in the face! Norgeway would agree too!

 

[DADoES]

 
There're no other activities that can be done to make use of the time while the dishwasher runs?  Read a book?  Watch Dark Shadows on Tubi?  Mow a yard?  Nighty-night beddy-bye?

Jerome, have you considered sitting in your dishwasher while it runs to get the full-body sensory experience?

 

[michaelz08]

It’s really ridiculous how this thread has gotten hijacked into another “efficiency is bad, only 10+ gallons will clean, blah blah blah” circlejerk. It’s extremely disrespectful to the poster who started it to discuss his model.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

sitting in a dishwasher

If I was a dish like a plate, I'd consider it. It's the fact that these dishwashers use such tiny pumps that they have to take over 2 hours to clean, and still not even wash all the food down the drain. No wonder there are dishwasher cleaners out here for cleaning the machine. Older machines didn't need that kind of high maintenance. I mean, seriously. No disrespect to the original poster, but the state of appliances including dishwashers is abysmal.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

things to do

I may not have as much things to do, but most families will. Every time I've been in appliance stores or read reviews, they always say, "I want a dishwasher that just clean dishes." This is from busy families or older consumers, so that says something. Not only do I want more powerful dishwashers again, but I want phosphates back in our detergents again.

 

[maytaga806]

Yes QSD you can interchange any of those direct feed whirlpool arms infact you can take any of the upper arms out of a voyager and install them into the upper rack direct feed Powerclean or vice versa. We had a 2009 Maytag we parted ways either a couple years ago and I saved the upper arm for my Powerclean, it’s crazy how much faster it spins due to the smaller jet holes and better propulsion jets on the underside. The regular white or gray arms that came in the direct fed powercleans were very slow and didn’t have as many jets on the underside to target the silverware. This arm works exceptionally well when having the front utensil basket installed to the front of the top rack. It still blows items over though so I use my rack clips as much as I can to secure.

The arms are identical from the point voyager series to the direct fed powercleans same size and all, just smaller holes and improved propulsion jets.

 

[tolivac]

You are taking a risk when you run a heating-water using appliance while sleeping or not home. Do you want to wake up or come home to a flooded house or one that has burned. HVAC systems ,fridges are the few machines I use while sleeping or not home.

 

[combo52]

Dishwasher is in the last 10 years or so

Pose an incredibly small risk of house fires I think nothing of leaving my dishwasher clothes, dryers washing machines, etc. running when I’m gone do it all the time.

One of the major Appliances that actually started the largest number of fires over the last decades are refrigerators, and yet we kinda have to leave those running.

If major appliances are installed properly and you don’t put flammable things on top of them behind them keep your paper bag collection beside refrigerators, etc. there is very little risk.

Most home fires are started by portable heaters and extension cords, electronics things in plastic cases, etc.

Then, of course there is smoking, candles Careless use of fireplaces, gas and charcoal, grills, etc., to say nothing of stove top fires, over the range microwaves are a huge fire risk when something goes wrong in the stove top you have a lot of burning plastic very quickly.

John L

 

[qsd-dan]

Plenty of dishwasher fires still currently happening, they're all over YouTube. Control boards catching fire is still very common, particularly with stuck/welded heater element relays.

Fridges, freezers, HVAC and the water heater are the only appliances I have no full control over but always perform maintenance on them. All of the others are run when I'm home and monitor them, not worth the risk, especially the way corrupt insurance agencies function these days. Caught the original 49 year old pump failing on my 806 a few months ago while watching it go into the first spin cycle. I at least prevented the transmission belt from burning up and potentially a very angry motor trying to spin a near tub full of water that never drains.

At the old house, I always checked around the gas water heater every time I did laundry, especially when they got close to 8 years old and older. Caught 2 water heaters with very minor lower tank leaks before it became destructive. Always monitor ALL of your gear!

 

[gelaundry4ever]

dishwasher fires

This reminds me of GE dishwashers whenever they'd start fires.

 

[tolivac]

I have already lost a home from an unknown fire-so I am not taking chances of running things while not home or asleep. It’s a Russian Roulette chance! Not worth it to me-if you can lower the risk-do it. I don’t need to use portable heaters in my new place. The Trane heat pump unit gives year round comfort with no adjustments. The flood was a act of nature.

 

[tolivac]

Something else to think about-since I have gone thru the fire claim-the insurance company treated me well. Paid for my lodging and settled on the burned home until I could buy another. The place I am in now was paid for by settlement payments. No mortage payments on my new place. I was built in 2022. However no insurance co will insure me now. So if you collect on a settlement you may not be able to insure your replacement home.so that is why I am being extra careful.

 

[combo52]

Household fire hazards

Hi Rex, very sorry to hear about the house fire I guess the good thing is the new home with the sprinkler system. You don’t have much to worry about a major fire loss.

In any event, major appliances are very low risk of fire. The thing I worry about at my house is I have a number of old vintage tube powered radios, I only use them when I’m around and keep them unplugged. I’ve been warned by the guy that restored them for me what a fire risk they are.

John L

 

[tolivac]

My house does not have sprinklers. The place does have battery-line powered smoke alarms in the small hall and in the bedrooms. Even the forth bedroom over the garage. This is the only place in the house that has stairs. Most home in this development are made this way. Often sprinklers can cause severe water damage that could be worse than a minor fire. The detectors are largely maintenace free. You replace when failed. The worry on old tubed portable radios were those that used the “curtain burner” resistance cords for the filaments. Any tube gear I had was lost in the fire.

 

[combo52]

Wow, here in Prince George County Maryland

We have had mandatory sprinkler systems. Installed a new home since 1984. I’m surprised any part of the country is not doing that although maybe not really.

Anytime, I have a blazing fire in my house. I will take water damage over having the house burned down anytime or being overwhelmed and killed by smoke and flames.

Insurance companies give big discounts for sprinkler systems so I don’t think water damage is gonna be greater than a blazing fire in very many cases. The evidence is there in favor of sprinkler systems. They’re almost 0 deaths in houses with sprinkler systems in this country and no total structure loss.

John L

 

[cfz2882]

Dishwasher fires

I just got done watching videos of dishwashers that had arcing or fire incidents and was suprized to see some well respected brands involved...Looked like these all were caused by "arc fault" short in the door when water got into line powered connections or PC boards...An AFCI circuit breaker likely would have tripped before the arcing got involved enough to cause fire.Old TVs and radios with interlock cord were also guilty of causing arc fault fires when they got wet too many times...