Does anyone know why GE stuck with the top-loading design for so long, especially since Kitchen Aid used the front-loading design from the beginning? Seemed very primitive to me. And I'm guessing there was an impeller at the bottom rather than a spray-arm in these things.
POD 10-26-2018
- Thread starter kd12
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Top Loading Impeller DWs
Westinghouse kept them even longer into 1966, GE was pretty much through with these by 1962, but then along came Fisher & Paykel, LOL
John L.
Westinghouse kept them even longer into 1966, GE was pretty much through with these by 1962, but then along came Fisher & Paykel, LOL
John L.
As one who owns a GE Mobile Maid
Thus torn in a love hate relationship with the thing, can see the advantages.
Think about how one loads dishes from sink or table; you lift and place them down into wash basin to be cleaned. With a top loading DW one simply moved things from sink or counter right down into DW, no bending or stooping required. For a portable one rolls the thing to table, then does same thing.
In situations where space is at a premium loading from top saves having to ensure there is enough room not only to open a side loading dishwasher door, but to extend racks.
Huge draw back to a TL dishwasher is both for permanent or portable if the top is used as counter space, then one must shift whatever is on top off to open lid, then put things back afterwards. At a minimum of three meals per day that gets old fast, trust me I know.
Other downside of top loading dishwashers is having to lift out maybe one or more racks to get at the bottom. Later designs by Maytag, GE and KA came up with ways to lift one or more racks out of the way which did help.
All this being said, for a small galley kitchen or place where space is at a premium, a TL dishwasher still might make sense. Provided one is willing to live with minor niggles.
Thus torn in a love hate relationship with the thing, can see the advantages.
Think about how one loads dishes from sink or table; you lift and place them down into wash basin to be cleaned. With a top loading DW one simply moved things from sink or counter right down into DW, no bending or stooping required. For a portable one rolls the thing to table, then does same thing.
In situations where space is at a premium loading from top saves having to ensure there is enough room not only to open a side loading dishwasher door, but to extend racks.
Huge draw back to a TL dishwasher is both for permanent or portable if the top is used as counter space, then one must shift whatever is on top off to open lid, then put things back afterwards. At a minimum of three meals per day that gets old fast, trust me I know.
Other downside of top loading dishwashers is having to lift out maybe one or more racks to get at the bottom. Later designs by Maytag, GE and KA came up with ways to lift one or more racks out of the way which did help.
All this being said, for a small galley kitchen or place where space is at a premium, a TL dishwasher still might make sense. Provided one is willing to live with minor niggles.
The picture of a T/L dishwasher took me back to 1970, we had friends that had one and it was pretty handy. I got to where I could load it pretty quick. Laundress is right, they are ideal for galley kitchens, and I think for military base housing...at least back in the day.
Question: I never loaded an impeller machine, do you load those differently than a spray arm style? Did the impeller style have any draw backs? Just wondering.
Barry
Question: I never loaded an impeller machine, do you load those differently than a spray arm style? Did the impeller style have any draw backs? Just wondering.
Barry
One thing cannot stand about the Mobile Maid
Is that if something drops to bottom of DW, one must remove two sets of racks to get at the thing. If those racks are loaded with dishes/glassware the it all must come out, then be put back again.
Is that if something drops to bottom of DW, one must remove two sets of racks to get at the thing. If those racks are loaded with dishes/glassware the it all must come out, then be put back again.
RE: The original question. Dishwashers have a design history. The major brands bought designs from smaller, less well known companies back in the early days of appliance design and manufacturing (pardon the use of the words) there were many ideas of how to do the tasks at hand. If you read appliance trade magazines, there were many designs for appliances before WWII that disappeared after the war because the small companies making unique approaches to laundry or dishwashing disappeared into war contracts and never returned to appliance making. Before WWII. GE bought the design originated by Walker. Westinghouse bought the design of Connover, which was originally a front loader with roll out racks, but changed to a rollout wash well. Apex bought their design from a small company. Designs evolved and companies changed. An impeller machine was far simpler to design and build than a machine with a pump-driven wash arm and some impeller machines actually performed better than the early wash arm machines mainly because of the machines features around the impeller or wash arm mechanism. When GE changed over to a wash arm machine, it got very poor ratings. They cheaped out and decided not to use a filter and had trim on the racks that trapped food particles. There were things that it took GE decades to get halfway right and the lower rack of their wash arm machines did not have the capacity of the impeller machines with the top loading tubs. As for loading, the GE pictured, even in the 24 inch machine had an opening in that U-shaped upper rack through which we could load our Revere Ware 6 quart Dutch Oven into a corner of the lower rack where it was washed very clean. Fortunately, a few years into the bow tie impeller design, they put a stainless steel hardware cloth guard over the impeller and heating element so very little got any lower than the guard.
