nmassman44
Well-known member
We just bought this dishwasher to replace a 15 year old Maytag dishwasher. We bought it at Sears on Clearance for $330. It originally went for $600. This dishwasher will reside in the tenant's apt.
New GE dishwasher GDF540H
- Thread starter nmassman44
- Start date
nmassman44
Well-known member
underside.
nmassman44
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racks
nmassman44
Well-known member
upper arm
nmassman44
Well-known member
lower arm
nmassman44
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stainless steel door
nmassman44
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both silverware baskets
nmassman44
Well-known member
I am running it thru a cycle to make sure there are no issues. Its not exactly quiet and this dishwasher has some power to it. In other words it aint peeing on the dishes to get them clean. The wash pump is smallish but packs a punch. I was surprised at how much, in fact it reminds me of a Maytag reverse rack JetClean wash system.The sound is very much identical to my ears. The arms alternate. The motor pauses and a diverter sends the water to each arm. The bottom arm spins fast and there seem to be targeted jets that get at the silverware baskets. The racks look like they can hold alot.
That thing holds a lot of cutlery for sure
Here's a similar unit
dishwashers.reviewed.com/content/ge-gdf570sgfbb-review
Here's a similar unit
dishwashers.reviewed.com/content/ge-gdf570sgfbb-review
A empty dishwasher is a lot more noisy than a loaded one. The water is only beating against the empty tub which makes a lot of noise. The dishes make a big difference in the amount of noise it will make. Once loaded it will quiet down.
That is a nice looking machine.
That is a nice looking machine.
mark_wpduet
Well-known member
It is nice looking
and it's nice to know that it's not "peeing" on dishes.
and it's nice to know that it's not "peeing" on dishes.
nmassman44
Well-known member
I do realize that when it is loaded it will sound differently. In CU the wash performance was rated very good and for the price we paid I thought its better than a cheaper BOL Whirlpool that was rated near or at the bottom of the ratings. Granted I take what they say with a grain of salt these days. I figured that this model was simple and since the tenant is "technology challenged" it would be ok. Will report on this works out...
Interesting!
I've been curious about these since they were introduced, I'm fascinated to hear what your tenants think of it. A lot of cycles and options for the money, and the ratings were higher than I'd expect them to be for a MOL GE. I'm not a fan of the flatware baskets hanging on the front of the rack(s) but if it can get the contents clean, this line may be a hit for them.
I've been curious about these since they were introduced, I'm fascinated to hear what your tenants think of it. A lot of cycles and options for the money, and the ratings were higher than I'd expect them to be for a MOL GE. I'm not a fan of the flatware baskets hanging on the front of the rack(s) but if it can get the contents clean, this line may be a hit for them.
nmassman44
Well-known member
One thing with this dishwasher is that if you open the door to add a dish, the machine will stop and when you close the door , one has to touch the start button again to get it going. Drying should be interesting since one has to use rinse aid, or the dishes wont dry. Steam can be added to Autosense, Heavy and Normal. It adds a half hour to the wash cycle. Wash heat is either Boost or Sani, cant have both on for some reason. Water use is close to 5 gallons for Normal and close to 7 for Heavy. Autosense will adjust the cycle based on soil level. It has a sensor in the sump area and a thermister for the water temp in the sump.
One thing that GE didnt do is put a strap around the tub to hold the insulation blanket. Its a rather thin blanket and when we installed the machine into the hole it kept sliding off. There is a "cover" if you could call it that where it feels like a fabric softener sheet. The insulation isnt fiberglas, its polyester batting. Build wise this machine is rather well made for this price point. Granted its no Miele thats for sure. I have to order the side trim panels for the tub flange since there is a good gap between the machine and cabinet.
Draining on this machine is interesting, it pulses meaning the pump is on for 5 seconds then shuts off and then restarts until the sump is drained out. Once drained it will sense and start the fill. Switching wash arms starts with the middle and upper arms going first then all the water power switches to the bottom. Its not dribble or lazy wash action here, water from the bottom arm reaches the top of the tank with quite a bit of force. The silverware baskets can be moved into the racks if need be and the slotplates on the baskets can be moved up and away for if one needs more space it can be had. There are jets at the end of the arms to get the baskets. Overall I think it should be a fine performer.
One thing that GE didnt do is put a strap around the tub to hold the insulation blanket. Its a rather thin blanket and when we installed the machine into the hole it kept sliding off. There is a "cover" if you could call it that where it feels like a fabric softener sheet. The insulation isnt fiberglas, its polyester batting. Build wise this machine is rather well made for this price point. Granted its no Miele thats for sure. I have to order the side trim panels for the tub flange since there is a good gap between the machine and cabinet.
Draining on this machine is interesting, it pulses meaning the pump is on for 5 seconds then shuts off and then restarts until the sump is drained out. Once drained it will sense and start the fill. Switching wash arms starts with the middle and upper arms going first then all the water power switches to the bottom. Its not dribble or lazy wash action here, water from the bottom arm reaches the top of the tank with quite a bit of force. The silverware baskets can be moved into the racks if need be and the slotplates on the baskets can be moved up and away for if one needs more space it can be had. There are jets at the end of the arms to get the baskets. Overall I think it should be a fine performer.
Had a chance to use one of these in a beach condo.
I really loved the racks, was my first tall tub experience.
Cleaning wise it did an excellent job as well, but have to say I only used heavy or normal with always one of the wash temp options selected.
On the downside were very long cycle times, annoying on and off cycling throughout the whole cycle (not only when it drained), and wet dishes even with heated dry selected.
But I think you`ve made a very good deal for $330 !
I really loved the racks, was my first tall tub experience.
Cleaning wise it did an excellent job as well, but have to say I only used heavy or normal with always one of the wash temp options selected.
On the downside were very long cycle times, annoying on and off cycling throughout the whole cycle (not only when it drained), and wet dishes even with heated dry selected.
But I think you`ve made a very good deal for $330 !
I have one of these machines in white. I have been very happy with it. When I installed it I ran a load without the kick plate to check the water connection was solid. I thought it was fairly loud, but when I put the kick plate back on it was very difficult to hear. It is so quiet I would not pay another dollar to reduce the noise. My guess is the gaps on the sides are the cause of your escaping noise.
It is not perfect but on the whole I really like the machine. The dry performance is not the greatest and I try to open the door when the cycle is over. With rinse aid the dishes are usually dry before they are room temp. Cleaning wise it destroys the builders special GE machine it replaced. The cycles are about 30 minuites longer but i rarely run it twice a day so that is not an issue for me. If long table knoves are placed in the lower center rack sometimes the detergent pack will not completely dissolve. On a quirky note the stainless door is a very good clean/dirty signal. At the end of every cycle it is very shiny, any drips from dirty dished going in will leave spots on the door. So spotted door equals dirty dishes.
It is not perfect but on the whole I really like the machine. The dry performance is not the greatest and I try to open the door when the cycle is over. With rinse aid the dishes are usually dry before they are room temp. Cleaning wise it destroys the builders special GE machine it replaced. The cycles are about 30 minuites longer but i rarely run it twice a day so that is not an issue for me. If long table knoves are placed in the lower center rack sometimes the detergent pack will not completely dissolve. On a quirky note the stainless door is a very good clean/dirty signal. At the end of every cycle it is very shiny, any drips from dirty dished going in will leave spots on the door. So spotted door equals dirty dishes.
New Gereration MOL GE DW
Hi Mike, I hope this new DW works out well for you and your tenant. I have installed just one of these DWs and was so unimpressed with the overall construction of the machine I will avoid selling another one. The main pump motor is the same type that are used in a lot of Frigidaire TT DWs and they often have a very short life, the motors just stop running, and on FD they are very expensive, hopefully GEs price will be more reasonable.
I will be interesting to see how these DWs hold up, one thing for sure I will find out in the next few years, LOl.
Hi Mike, I hope this new DW works out well for you and your tenant. I have installed just one of these DWs and was so unimpressed with the overall construction of the machine I will avoid selling another one. The main pump motor is the same type that are used in a lot of Frigidaire TT DWs and they often have a very short life, the motors just stop running, and on FD they are very expensive, hopefully GEs price will be more reasonable.
I will be interesting to see how these DWs hold up, one thing for sure I will find out in the next few years, LOl.
nmassman44
Well-known member
I already checked on the price for a new wash pump ...just in case...and its about $125...the rest of the parts aint cheap either. But I see what your saying though...for the usage and purpose it fit the bill. The tenant was wanting us to buy a Miele for his apt and I looked at how he cared for the Maytag and he never cleaned the front panel nor the control panel and black fingerprints where the latch is, I thought he wont take care of it and doesnt care of our stuff. The reason we bought a new one was the fact that the racks were rusting and tines were missing and two rack rollers were missing from the front corner. I wanted to just replace the rollers and get some touch up rack repair stuff and go that way. My other half said that he wanted to replace the machine since it was recalled for a leaky rinse aid dispenser and a potential for a fire. So its his money, not mine because had it been me I would have repaired it. The Maytag still runs well. New racks run about $150 per rack.
I thought the same thing about the wash pump motor that it was a tad small and looked "Frigidaire-ish".
I thought the same thing about the wash pump motor that it was a tad small and looked "Frigidaire-ish".
New Gereration MOL GE DW
Thanks for the information Mike $125 for a new motor is about $75 cheaper than a Frigidaire replacement pump and motor, lately GE has been much more reasonable on replacement part prices.
Thanks for the information Mike $125 for a new motor is about $75 cheaper than a Frigidaire replacement pump and motor, lately GE has been much more reasonable on replacement part prices.
Hope it holds up
I have the twin to yours, sans stainless door insert.
While I'm sure it makes the eco-nazis jump for joy, I am less than impressed with it.
I got this one new after a a 6 year old Kitchenaid died with a bad touch panel. Landlord replaced it, I had no say in the matter.
1. It takes my unit about 3 hours on normal with heated wash to complete a load. Kitchenaid nailed in less than 90 minutes also with heated wash.
2. Dishes come out sopping wet at the end of the cycle.
3. The door latch is basically a diamond shaped "wedge" if you will made from the same communist gray plastic as the tub. I have my doubts as to how many open/closings it will tolerate before the plastic wears away and the door no longer latches.
4. Forget using powdered detergent unless you want half a cup of dried detergent stuck in there. This forces you to use the tabs from Cascade or Finish.
5. Not one, but TWO filters that require cleaning and the secondary fine mesh filter does not have to be very dirty at all for you to notice a marked decrease in washing ability.
6. The lower wash arm has lots of play in it. So much in fact on the first cycle, it banged against the hold down clips for the heating element. I had to use some needle nose pliers to bend the clips down for the arm to clear. Same thing happens when I pull out the lower rack, it often catches on the lower arm.
7. Water pressure to top arm(s) is slow and weak and my unit does about 70% wash action on the lower arm, 30% on top. As a result, dried on bran flakes don't always get removed from the cereal bowls.
8. Cool looking blue lids for the silverware basket are useless with my Sherril USA made cutlery. The handles are much too wide to fit through the blue holes in the lids.
9. Even tried the heavy cycle to remove dried on egg yolk that was no problem for the kitchen aid. All I accomplised was a 4+hour run time on the machine.
10. Warranty is a paltry year. An older GE I used to have had at least a lifetime warranty on the GE engineered plastic tub.
Still, I rent so when it breaks, which it most certainly will, it's not my problem to deal with.
I have the twin to yours, sans stainless door insert.
While I'm sure it makes the eco-nazis jump for joy, I am less than impressed with it.
I got this one new after a a 6 year old Kitchenaid died with a bad touch panel. Landlord replaced it, I had no say in the matter.
1. It takes my unit about 3 hours on normal with heated wash to complete a load. Kitchenaid nailed in less than 90 minutes also with heated wash.
2. Dishes come out sopping wet at the end of the cycle.
3. The door latch is basically a diamond shaped "wedge" if you will made from the same communist gray plastic as the tub. I have my doubts as to how many open/closings it will tolerate before the plastic wears away and the door no longer latches.
4. Forget using powdered detergent unless you want half a cup of dried detergent stuck in there. This forces you to use the tabs from Cascade or Finish.
5. Not one, but TWO filters that require cleaning and the secondary fine mesh filter does not have to be very dirty at all for you to notice a marked decrease in washing ability.
6. The lower wash arm has lots of play in it. So much in fact on the first cycle, it banged against the hold down clips for the heating element. I had to use some needle nose pliers to bend the clips down for the arm to clear. Same thing happens when I pull out the lower rack, it often catches on the lower arm.
7. Water pressure to top arm(s) is slow and weak and my unit does about 70% wash action on the lower arm, 30% on top. As a result, dried on bran flakes don't always get removed from the cereal bowls.
8. Cool looking blue lids for the silverware basket are useless with my Sherril USA made cutlery. The handles are much too wide to fit through the blue holes in the lids.
9. Even tried the heavy cycle to remove dried on egg yolk that was no problem for the kitchen aid. All I accomplised was a 4+hour run time on the machine.
10. Warranty is a paltry year. An older GE I used to have had at least a lifetime warranty on the GE engineered plastic tub.
Still, I rent so when it breaks, which it most certainly will, it's not my problem to deal with.
yogitunes
Well-known member
nice dishwasher Mike.....I like the silverware racks...hope you see longevity out of it....
but as you and I both know of renters, and its even heard here, don't go overboard on buying an expensive one, they have no to reason to take care of it, but only complain of what's installed, and since its not theirs, they don't take care of them....but then again, thats what a security deposit is all about...I guess I lucked out so far, its been about 13 years with the same appliances, and they still look and work great!...
never thought about it before, but I also learned to buy dishes that FIT my dishwasher....if they didn't fit, what was the point of having either?.....with proper sizing, I fit a lot more in each load, especially if you can double stack items like cups...
but as you and I both know of renters, and its even heard here, don't go overboard on buying an expensive one, they have no to reason to take care of it, but only complain of what's installed, and since its not theirs, they don't take care of them....but then again, thats what a security deposit is all about...I guess I lucked out so far, its been about 13 years with the same appliances, and they still look and work great!...
never thought about it before, but I also learned to buy dishes that FIT my dishwasher....if they didn't fit, what was the point of having either?.....with proper sizing, I fit a lot more in each load, especially if you can double stack items like cups...
nmassman44
Well-known member
Martin thats exactly why we bought this dishwasher, its black front wont show dirt as readily and the price was right. I have been reading the reviews and some people have issues and others rave about the machine. CU rated the machine well, but not outstanding. I know about the drying issues some have and thats easy to solve, just open the damn door when the cycle is finished and flash dry the load. Problem solved. The silverware baskets slotted lids can be lifted up and silverware can be placed randomly and the entire basket can be loaded into the lower rack if wash issues arise.
Now something I have to address that has been frosting my cookies for some time now that I have noticed...for one thing water isnt cheap. I know here in Mass we pay thru the nose for water and as a landlord we try to conserve water as much as we can. While a tenant doesnt normally pay for water, they dont feel the sting of a $400 water bill every 3 months and piss and moan at how the "eco Nazis" are not letting them use as much water as they want. Own a home that has city water and sewer and your tune will change..big time. And on top of that with people cutting back on water usage by using front load washers and other HE machines, toilets, dishwashers, showers etc, these same utilites will piss and moan that they are not getting the revenue stream they were getting before people got conservative. Then the rates go up to make up for the loss in revenue...its a vicious f-ing cycle. Then costs have to be passed on in higher rents and tenants cant understand why their rent is going up because costs go up. And if you have a private well and septic system dont think that your immune to costs since your well can run dry, and the caca suckah man has to come and pump your tank out sometime.
Now something I have to address that has been frosting my cookies for some time now that I have noticed...for one thing water isnt cheap. I know here in Mass we pay thru the nose for water and as a landlord we try to conserve water as much as we can. While a tenant doesnt normally pay for water, they dont feel the sting of a $400 water bill every 3 months and piss and moan at how the "eco Nazis" are not letting them use as much water as they want. Own a home that has city water and sewer and your tune will change..big time. And on top of that with people cutting back on water usage by using front load washers and other HE machines, toilets, dishwashers, showers etc, these same utilites will piss and moan that they are not getting the revenue stream they were getting before people got conservative. Then the rates go up to make up for the loss in revenue...its a vicious f-ing cycle. Then costs have to be passed on in higher rents and tenants cant understand why their rent is going up because costs go up. And if you have a private well and septic system dont think that your immune to costs since your well can run dry, and the caca suckah man has to come and pump your tank out sometime.
nmassman44
Well-known member
Well so far the dishwasher is working out well, cleans well and is whisper quiet when loaded. Drying isn't that bad if one leaves the load in overnight. The tenant doesn't get back to it for a few days so drying is a non issue.
mark_wpduet
Well-known member
I'm trying to imagine
a three hour cycle...........
Honestly, for me, I don't think it would be a problem if the machine is quiet......I say that because I know how I am, as soon as the dishwasher is finished, I always shake the racks a little and leave the door cracked for a few hours and everything is dry.......
but for someone who uses a dishwasher more than once a day (Not me), then I could see that being a PITA to some people.
a three hour cycle...........
Honestly, for me, I don't think it would be a problem if the machine is quiet......I say that because I know how I am, as soon as the dishwasher is finished, I always shake the racks a little and leave the door cracked for a few hours and everything is dry.......
but for someone who uses a dishwasher more than once a day (Not me), then I could see that being a PITA to some people.
