P.O.D. 12/23/17 - Preway GAS dishwasher!

[revvinkevin]

 

 

I have seen this POD come up through the years and it's an interesting design.  I'm guessing the idea of being gas was to super heat the water quickly?   I like the idea of the side mounted spray arms, but am curious about how well it cleaned, I'd guess with that 180 degree water temp, pretty well!   It would be nice to see one operating.  

 

The photo below looks like it's great for a load of plates and cups/glasses, but with the side mounted spray arms, I can't imagine it's very conducive for a load of bowls, pots/pans or other bulky itmes.

 

Question: does anyone know of it was somehow vented outside or vented into the room (dangerous!)?  I'm guessing they didn't sell very well or were offered very long.

  

I found mention of John Lefever having one 6+ years ago.  John, did you ever install it in your "miracle gas kitchen" or is it now in the "Wall-O-Dishwashers" in the museum?

 

~ ALSO ~ 

 

I find it VERY interesting the "lower end(?)" electric model had an upper "roto-rack" and fixed spray tube ala Kenmore, BUT it had an impeller below rather than a spray arm!  

[this post was last edited: 12/23/2017-15:29]

 

[turquoisedude]

Kevin, the Preway electric model was pure D&M. I have the front-loading Kenmore version of about the same vintage with the impeller, Roto-Rack & short upper wash arm combination.  It may someday get installed.... LOL 

 

[iowabear]

Venting for Gas Model

And the ad also says the gas model came on both built-in and free-standing versions.

 

I wonder how that worked?  Free-standing could not have meant portable like I think of with modern machines.

 

[tomturbomatic]

The free standing model just had a cabinet around it. I remember kitchens from my childhood where the dishwasher was free standing because there was extra room in old kitchens with fewer cabinets than we have today. It was not mobile.

The burner's combustion products vented out the front grill and they warned about having rugs close to the grill at the bottom. The burner was ignited by a spark plug. I thought that was kind of neat. "I'm having to adjust the gap on my dishwasher's spark plug today."

This was a product for which need was only felt by the gas utility companies as a way of being able to show a gas dishwasher in a gas kitchen. They had the stoves and refrigerators so they wanted a dishwasher. As far as having a dishwasher associated with a gas stove, it no doubt worked better than the original Tappan.

 

[neptunebob]

I would think this dishwasher might be rather unsafe for home use with the 180 degree water, if someone was burned if they were in front of the machine when the door popped open. I would see potential for a lawsuit.

 

[frigidaireguy]

Free Standing Dishwashers

When I was growing up we had a "Free Standing" KD-10 Kitchenaid. It was located between the stove & the washer with permanent plumbing.
Bob

 

[warmsecondrinse]

Re: #4

I was about to ask, "How could one get burned, regardless of water temp?" ... Then I re-read and saw "side-mounted pray arms". So if the door were opened abruptly one could get sprayed with 180F water. I imagine very little water would be required to cause a lot of pain.

 

[iowabear]

Free Standing Plumbed Dishwashers

Thanks for the lesson, I didn't realize that was a category. 

 

It actually makes sense, I grew up in a 1905 house with a large kitchen but a small number of cabinets.  It didn't even have cabinets across one entire wall, but it did it did have a pantry off the kitchen so there was plenty of storage, although less convenient.

 

It would have been a candidate for one of these.

 

[launderess]

Vintage Kitchen Design

We had a conversation several months ago about how different kitchens were say in homes built early in or before the last century versus say those in post war homes.

Storage space in older kitchens was usually a larder/pantry, maybe a few cabinets and some shelves. That was usually that. You'd be lucky to have cabinets under the sink, with most simply draping a curtain around the base and calling it a day.

Look at the Cramden's kitchen in the Honeymooners television show. There is nothing in there but a sink, stove and the furniture.

But you also have to take into account that prior to electricity and development of mod cons, most housewives didn't have very much to keep in cabinets, on countertops or whatever anyway. What they did have could go into a "Hoosier" type cabinet if lucky.

Also until modern refrigeration and mass produced goods you won't have that much to store in cabinets anyway either in terms of food. Until ice boxes (and sometimes long after) food didn't stay fresh very long. You certainly didn't shop like many post WWII housewives, laying in stock for the duration. Rather you purchased food for one or a few days.

What people did stock were the essentials to make things from scratch. Flour, grains, cereals, etc...

China, crystal, glassware, and so forth? Most housewives were lucky to have one set that was enough for everyone. Of course the wealthier a girl was at her marriage or afterwards changed things.

Finally it wasn't until about the 1930's or so that serious thought was put into designing kitchens for effiency. In most old kitchens the table served many purposes including being the center of food preparation. But all that going back and forth between sink, storage, etc... and table is not only tiring but wastes time.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Kitchen tables were so much lower than standard work surface height that they compelled those working at them to be seated.

 

[stevet]

A rare bird!

I remember seeing a Preway machine back in 1967 when we were shopping at Friendly Frost in Queens, NY. Now that's a trip to the past. It sure was a different animal back then. It was weird to see the side mounted washarms and I did wonder how it would wash but did no more investigating. We all know how salespeople reacted when they saw young kids opening the doors and pulling out the racks on all the machines lined up so nicely.

Ironically, I did not see another similar design until many years later and discovered the huge pot and pan washers that all have the side mounted wash arms and big 5-7 hp pump motors.

 

[combo52]

Preway Gas Heated DWs

Yes I do still have this DW, my intention is to install it in the Great Wall Of DWs at the Museum, I was going to install it in my outdoor all gas kitchen on my screened porch, but it is just too rare to install there, as far as we know it might be the only surviving Preway gas DW.

 

I dough that there would be any burn hazard from opening the door of this DW when running or when the door pops open for drying.

 

KA Superba DWs during this time period also heated the final rinse water in the sump to 180F and LK DWs actually heated the 2nd wash and final rinse water to a real 180F with the main pump running.

 

Being slightly splashed with a little 180F water will not cause serious burns and again the steam coming out as the door open would not hurt anyone, these DWs were both UL & AGA approved.

 

John L.