New Kenmore dishwashers with Whirlpool's PowerWave wash arm

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My grandparents' Maytag reverse-rack had a fan. The steam would billow out 2-3 feet from the vent during the dry, especially with Heated Dry on. 

 

Once again, the overpowered corporations stripped those features away to replace them with not so useful ones, only to reintroduce it and market it as though it's a breakthrough in new technology.

 

Sometimes I swear I want to disappear onto my own little island and get away from the ever-growing ignorance of society. Watching these sheep blindly drink the Kool-Aid manufacturers are pouring out just makes me sick.
 
Maybe Kenmore should rename their dishwasher sprayer arm "PowerSprinkle" spray arm.The spray out of that thing looks so anemic.And what a BLOWER or FAN to dry the dishes-hasn't KA been doing this for YEARS????The spray arm appears to be a fancy lawn sprinkler rather than a dishwasher sprayer.Or use it as a lawn pond fountain!GOOD GREIF!!!!!Won't buy a new dishwasher anytime soon!Or are those machines now called "dishwetters"?
 
 
All this fussing about a spray arm, LOL.

Per mikell's post above, there's apparently some sort of diverter mechanism inside the arm driven by the gear as the arm rotates around it, which functions to vary which spray nozzles are active, and changes the spray angle from the nozzles (thus, the claim that it sprays both the front and back of the dishware).  Per his details, 13 revolutions is a full cycle through the variations.
 
My new Kenmore

I bought a new Kenmore right around the holidays last year. The spray arm on the bottom is geared and has a smaller arm attached to the larger one on one side of the arm. I assume to hit all places on the dishes. It always returns to the same spot when it is finished, so I can remove the filter and clean it. It cleans really well and is whisper quiet.
 
It's the same general design of locking ring but you would need a new outlet cover with the gear to drive it. One of many designs out there now
 
"some sort of diverter mechanism inside the arm"

The patent I posted above clearly describes the mechanism.

 

As far as fan-assisted drying in concerned - while I prefer it over condensation drying, I actually like that my Bosch gets rids of most of the steam without venting it - the last thing I need is even more heat and humidity during this time of year.

 

Here is Whirlpool's European Power Dry system - Miele used this system a while ago, too.

 



 
 
Inside View

I found a video of the Powerwave spray arm in action. This is good actually, but IMHO, I'd buy a dishwasher with the powerwave spray arm. I think the performance is good. The plastic tub dishwashers are also looking good with performance even with both spray arms moving at the same time (Similar to my Kenmore).

PowerWave:

Plastic Tub:
 
Good videos.  It looks like there is good water circulation in the first video, but there was not much going on at the very top of the plastic tub machine.

 

The first DW, the one with alternating spray arms looked like it uses the back nozzles while switching the water flow between top and bottom. 

 

Why are they stopping and starting all the time?  I think this would drive me a little nuts. Even if they are quiet I think this might get on my nerves.

 
 
I find that these dishwashers with the filters do a pre-rinse at the start of any cycle. This I think is to find how hot the water is. If the water is not hot enough, it does it again. In my kenmore, I always run hot water before I start it because it shaves off a good 20-40 minutes of the cycle and the pre-rinse goes right into the main wash without draining because the water is hot enough.
 
Thread revivals like this continually remind me of how ignorant I was for not giving these machines a chance before forming my opinion on them. That WP 920 with the TotalCoverage arm could scrub the paint off a Jeep, and continues to do so at my grandparents' house. I think I have more than learned my lesson with the several GlobalWash machines I've owned so far and have loved each of them, and now I find myself excited about new designs like the new Whirlpool platform launching now, rather than dreading change the way I did years ago. So, don't make my mistakes, try new machines and give them a chance, don't write them off immediately and then be forced to eat crow like I have. Haha
 
I'd imagine that we'll see the new design on the Whirlpool side by next year. Typically it seems like WP treats their lineup the way car companies do, for example you'll see more premium features on an Audi before it trickles down to a VW, or a Lexus down to a Toyota. (I'd say Acura to Honda as well but for the past several years, Honda is getting the sexier interiors and features and Acura's line is so stagnant and dated.) So that said, with KitchenAid and Maytag being Whirlpool's "premium" brands, they're going to push these new models for a while as "new and luxury" and the Whirlpools will stay with the GlobalWash platform a bit longer.

Who knows about a TotalCoverage arm in the new ones, because I love the sleek minimal steel arms in the new models, but they put so much time and work into that TC arm and it actually WORKS and isn't just gimmicky (looking at you KitchenAid with that ugly three armed monstrosity), it would be a shame to just scrap it.
 
interesting...

It's interesting to notice this happening. I remember when Kitchenaid came out with the point/voyager designed taller tub models along with the Kenmore line in 2000. A year later, whirlpool did the same. It's also interesting how the pump suction on the global wash system sucks all that water to blast everything. You would thing the global wash system would be at the TOL models. Interesting how everything's switched around. It would be interested in hearing how this dishwasher sounds, especially the new ones that just came out.
 
Andrew, in the tech/service manual for the new KA and Maytag, it mentioned the current new ones are the "K" series.  It stated an "L" series will be brought out in 2021.  
 

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