Picked up a Bosch Dishwasher

[cam2s]

Had a chance to pick up a used Bosch dishwasher the other day on a local exchange site. It is model number SHU43C06. This is will be replacing the currently built in machine which was a Point Voyager based KitchenAid. While that particular machine worked ok, it was sometimes fussy and just didn't live up to it's KitchenAId name. I got the Bosch in and have run a load through it so I'll just give some observations I've noticed about it in no particular order...

The build quality is far better than the KitchenAid. The door feels much more substantial and the lock sounds like a bank vault closing when it snaps shut. After cleaning it up it has a nice high gloss shine and in fact almost looks brand new. Definitely has aged better than the KitchenAid did.

The manual indicates that this has Nylon racks. As far as I can tell there aren't any cuts, nicks, or rust spots in the racks. I could not same the same about the KitchenAid.

There is a base pan under the motor than goes all the way to the floor. There are two channels basically that you slip the water hose and the electrical wires through from the back. The manual also indicates that this machine has water sensors in the base.

This model is not an alternating arm machine, it runs both arms all the time. Again the manual indicated that the alternating arm system was called "Flow Control" which distributed water to either the upper, lower, or both spray arms. Flow control was not optioned on this model and listening to it run I never heard any alternating, and every time I opened the door both arms had moved position.

The lower wash arm only has 6 holes in it, plus two downward facing ones. The tines have very close spacing as well in the lower rack but I guess the jets must fan out or they are really well placed. The upper arm has 8 holes, plus 2 downward facing jets. The constant rinse nozzle is not positioned in the middle of the top of the tub, but rather about a quarter of the way back.

It starts with a purge, and does a purge after every drain. I used the Power Scrub Plus cycle and the sequence was Purge, Rinse, Purge, Main Wash, Purge, Rinse, Purge, Final Rinse. According to the manual it should have been 138 minutes long with a 160F wash and rinse. However the machine put 125 minutes on the clock and when I checked the sump temperature in as it was draining for the both the main wash and final rinse the water temperature was only 145F. Also the sanitized light did not illuminate when the cycle was over, which presumably it should have done.

First load just finished and wow everything is exceptional. Absolutely no yibbles, which again the KitchenAid struggled with. The filter also was clean and this was a fairly dirty load.

There isn't a vent on this machine, it says it uses condensation drying. The dry period is only 12 minutes long. Is it just the residual heat from the rinse drying the dishes or is there some extra system working in it?

Anyways, I'll have more observations and pictures as I have time to play with it. I think this is going to be a keeper though! I'm looking forward to really putting it through its paces.

Cameron

 

[henene4]

The manual I found for your model mentions that if the water intake temperature is to high, the heating times are shortend and thus the required time to meet NSF requirements might not be reached. That would explain the shorter cycle time, the reduced temps and the santize issue. Was somewhere in the begining...

Condesation drying really is only the residual heat. In the EU models there would be a water pocket located on the left side of the tub, which would fill with cold water shortly before each drain and for the drying cycle. This aids in condensation and smoothes temperature changes and saves some energy on top. However, with all US DWs being hot fill, this pocket was removed from the design.

 

[cam2s]

I did see that bit about the water temperature though I did not think my hot water was hot enough to bother it. I guess I'll have to measure my incoming temp and figure out what Temperature it prefers.

Another observation...I noticed that it runs the pump while filling. Is that just how it's programmed to work (like an older powerclean) or can it sense the amount of water in it and adjust the fill?

Here is the exterior of it and the load I ran through it. I don't have it all the way installed just yet so the anchor points are hanging out still.

 

[super32]

FYI

I feel obligated to say, this model may be involved in a recall. If you have the complete model number and FD serial number, i can verify it or you can check it on the Bosch website. I would STRONGLY suggest you check and try to verify if the recall has been taken care of.

Otherwise, these were simple but great dishwashers.

 

[passatdoc]

Good find. I have a 2001 300 series with no service calls ever, going on 15 1/2 years of ownership. The lower rack was showing a lot of rust a year ago (I had repaired some tines with a kit, but horizontal bars were starting to rust) and I bought a replacement rack for $200. They no long make the basic rack I had. The new one appears to be from the current 500 series. Most of the tines fold down, and the silverware basket splits in two and can be configured in various ways (and inserted into the rack with a variety of options). The new rack also has a convenient handle in front. So in addition to replacing something that was broken, I also received a bit of an upgrade. The upper rack is a basic Series 300 from 2001. Does not adjust, but does pull out/remove if one wishes to use the tall item sprinkler.

 

[launderess]

Water intake temperature shortens cycle times

Same with my AEG Lavamat. The machine is designed to be cold fill and that is what it wants. If incoming wash water is "too" warm or whatever the machine will abort the heating cycle in whole or part because set temp was reached too soon; but it will also subtract that amount of time from total wash cycle.

It was odd at first to see ten or so minutes vanish from the countdown timer as washer began first rinse, then figured things out...

Miele marketed their washers back in the day as having "Cycle Guarantee" or words to that affect. Meaning regardless of how fast water is heated the machine still continues on with that portion of cycle regardless. You can if wished advance the timer (mechanical) to skip whole or part of said heating cycle once set temperature has been reached.

Find this time of year when the boilers are going my tap cold water is often very warm. It is only after letting the tap run for awhile that all the cold water from pipes inside building is purged and nice cold water comes from outside.

 

[earthling177]

Cameron:

I'm not completely sure of this, but some dishwashers will not consider the dishes sanitized if the door is opened at any point in the cycle, others, with slightly more advanced programming, will not light "sanitized" if the door is opened at any point after the wash cycle reaches a certain temperature, because NSF only considers dishes sanitized after they have been exposed to wash and rinse solutions for a certain period of time and at specific temperatures.

Introducing a possibly dirty item (or more) past that point in the cycle might contaminate the rest of the load.

Cheers,
   -- Paulo.

 

[cam2s]

Full model number is SHU43C06UC, serial number is FD8505 00090. According to the decoder I found on the world wide web it was made is May of 2005, 90th machine off the line that month. The information on the Bosch website indicates that this machine was in the recall, so I'll have to look into that further.

 

[cam2s]

Some more pics.

 

[ryanm]

I recently moved into a place that has a Bosch dishwasher, it is not a top model, probably the lower end, but I have to say the cleaning in this machine is great. No matter how packed full we make it, nothing comes out with any left over food spots or sediment It is quiet, but does run 2 hours on Auto or Normal load. We previously always had a Kitchenaid dishwasher which I liked as well, it's racks were a bit bigger than the Bosch and I could fit larger items but it didn't always clean everything. At first I was going to replace the Bosch with a Kitchenaid but now I think I will stick with it, in spite of the smaller racks. On my current model Bosch it does NOT have a rinse only which is one of my complaints about this model, however the more expensive models out by Bosch that I have seen all have the rinse only option, so if I were to purchase that would be a must, as we do not run the dishwasher but a few times a week so it is nice to have the rinse option. Overall I think it is one of the best cleaning dishwashers we have had for sure

 

[lowefficiency]

You absolutely want to pay attention to the recall, as you have much more at risk than just a used dishwasher- it's your whole house and everything (and everyone) in it. Legally, that dishwasher should not have even been sold to you.

(I've been through this recall process, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask.)