New Dishwasher

[atomranch]

Hello all,
I just purchased a Whirlpool DU850SWPB dishwasher with an extended warranty. (2yr) It's an electro mechanical control model which I am hoping will be somewhat reliable.

Do any of you have any experience with these models? What usually breaks first on these newer dishwashers. Just curious.

Also, how long is the drain hose that they ship with these newer machines. I was unable to find any information on the manufactures web site. The dishwasher will be about 3 ft from the drain.

Thanks

 

[volsboy1]

There not the best models no offense.I have used them and there tower wash system leaves a lot to be desired.The G.E. or Hotpoint tower wash seem to work better sense they have a self-cleaning filters and a grinder in it something the Whirlpool don't have.The filter is in the back of the machine and is just a grate.The G.E. or Hotpoints around the same price I think can still be had with a overhead spray without that space robbing tower in the top rack.G.E. has been using that setup on there standard tubs longer than I have been around and they can clean for example they clean better than my little over one year old G.E. Monogram that is sitting on my front porch.That is now a expensive dust collector or paper weight.I guess it all depends on how you load yours.I don't even scrape my dishes let alone rinse them if it don't fall off in the sink it goes in..

 

[combo52]

WP DU800 Series DWs

These are basic machines although they do have a soft food disposer and a soil settler chamber to collect and dispose of heavy soils like the type that you would see in an overturned glass after a cycle. These WP DW have been around since about 1991 and have been very reliable, certainly better than the real basic GEs and Frigidaire. If I were you I would try to get back what ever you paid for the extra year of warranty as you won't need it.

 

[qualin]

My own personal experience with electromechanical controls and Whirlpool dishwashers is a very positive one.

My parents had one that lasted them nearly 25 years, that was a 1984 vintage model.

The Roper we had in our house was a 1998 vintage and it was still working when we pulled it out of the kitchen to replace it with a Miele. That Roper had a lot of life left in it, but we got rid of it because it made a racket.

The biggest problem I can ever remember us having was usually the pump would go. In other words, it would fill but never drain. (This could have been due to a variety of reasons, but I recall the colourful words my father had after it had been repaired.) We only had to have it repaired twice in the entire time we owned it. Oh, I forgot that the door switch also went on it, but it went unrepaired for a long time. Imagine my surprise when opening the door and getting a bath instead!

My Roper has been pretty much trouble free and is doing a very good job in my fathers house. (He replaced the Inglis with my old Roper because it was actually leaking and sounded like a freight train coming to a stop while it was washing.)

My only advice is, never ever ever turn the timer backwards. This usually results in a replacement timer needing to be ordered.

 

[atomranch]

Adding insulation

Is is possible or advisable to add a layer of insulation to make the dishwasher quieter. I believe that the noise rating is 69db for this model.
The reason that I chose this model was that it fit a 24" counter top. The other models that I checked out were from 25" to 25.75" depth and I wanted it flush with the counter top edge.

 

[spookiness]

insulation, good question

This is a great question I was thinking about too.
I suspect I may need to replace a dishwasher in the next 6mo or so and my budget options will probably need to be sub-$400, not the quietest of models.

 

[volsboy1]

You have to ignore John sometimes,,LOL

He will argue with a fence post.He thinks any dishwasher that is not a Whirlpool is garbage.Don't bother with insulation that dishwasher is loud and I mean loud but that has never bugged me loud means it has power most of the time.I don't care for them because of the tower in the top rack but if you use good detergent like commercial with phosphates in it then it should wash but you do have to scrape because that grate in the back will always get food there.The disposer part must be new because the ones I took apart did not have it but that was a Kenmore.I had one in College at my apartment and when I moved there was a old G.E. Potscrubber that had buttons on it only and was a GREAT dishwasher but was jet engine loud..

 

[firedome]

It's kinda like a sports car...

turn off the radio and listen to the POWER! I love the Whoooosh! of the old KAs!
As someone else said, quiet is highly overrated.