POD 6/20/16 - The QUIET Tappen dishwasher

[revvinkevin]

 

 

What year is this from, I assume mid-late 60's??

 

Also what sort of "cleaning system" did this use with it's "automatic reversing action" and without "propellers or a noisy motor"?  

Was it something like a Frigidaire spin tube, but mounted below?

 

This is a rather odd rack design, especially when they claim it's "banquet size capacity".

 

**Robert I hope it's OK I used only this small image from it?

 

Kevin

 

[turquoisedude]

I think it was more like the early 60s Kevin.  The wash system was a screw-drive kind of unit; the only thing I can think that was close to it was the James.  I had a brochure for this model in a Canadian Reader's Digest when I was a brat.  Unfortunately I lost it in a house fire in 1991.

 

These dishwashers have a horrible reputation and I know of one collector here (*cough* a Mr. John Lefever) who found one, hooked it for a test, found how badly it cleaned (or did not clean I suppose) and out the door it went! 

 

I saw one in Montreal a few years ago in pink, but the seller wanted to sell it as part of a package deal with a pink range and refrigerator and would not even consider selling just the dishwasher.  

 

And yes, I still want one despite all this... 

 

[DADoES]

 
Per previous discussions, the water action was by way of a spinning cylinder that sprayed water similarly to a tire rotating on the road in a rain.  It reversed direction periodically to spray both sides of the rack(s).

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

Thanks for the info Paul & Glenn!   I guess I missed those previous discussions.

 

John tossed one in the dumpster?   I'm surprised he didn't keep it for the museum and put a sign on it "one of the worst performing dishwashers ever made"!

 

 

 

[DADoES]

 
I don't recall any details mentioned about the surface of the cylinder.  Presumably it has some sort of texture to pick up the water, like tread on a tire, but there may not be much to it which may account for the "quiet" aspect (and the poor performance).

 

[appnut]

The cylinder was bakelite type of affair.  There were baffles mounted at the back of the cylinder that caused the water action as the cylinder spun very quickly.  The "hump" in the bottom rack was to make space for the cylinder underneath it.  My Godfather's family bought a new house in probably 1963 that had a Tappan kitchen in it that had this dishwash3er.  The house we bought in fall of 1961 had the O'Keefe & Merrit version of the same dishwasher.  It was ripped out because we brought the less than 1-2 year old Waste King.  The dishwasher ripped out was put in our old house so the new buyer had a dishwasher in the kitchen where the Waste King had been.  I knew one or two other people who had this dishwasher.  I consider this worse than a Frigidaire Spin Tube.  As for any potential for cleaning even crumbs, it ranks right up there with the washer that had the interchangeable tub to make it a dishwasher.  And I base that on the pathetic "splashing" for that said dishwasher from Dishwashercrazy's video of it.  For that washer, I had expected the "agitator" to wash the dishes with it "spinning" rather than the agitator simply agitating back and forth like when it was washing.  That was a disappointment to me. 

 

[combo52]

Early 60s Tappan DW

The revolving cylinder was about 10" in diameter, the drive motor was mounted inside the cylinder from the rear of the DW [ it would have been a PITA to fix or replace the motor but I am quite sure no one ever bothered to fix one of these DWs ]. The motor ran at 1725 RPMs, the Bakelite surface was completely smooth, the one we had had no fins or ridges of any kind on the outside of the cylinder.

 

Yes I hate to admit that we threw a nearly new unused one of these away, but we did hook it up and use it a few times, and yes it is truly the worst DW I ever tried to use, if I had it to do over again I would have saved it.

 

John L.

 

[peteski50]

Tappan DW!

We had family friends that had one from 1963. Quiet machine.
But they always pre rinsed so couldn't judge performance! I remember the big timer dial that light up. They always had some type of service problems with this unit. I cannot recall what. But after 18 years in 1981 it was replaced with a reverse rack maytag and they always complained about the new machine being real noisy. This was opposite the norm where when most people get a new DW it is actually more quiet than the old!
Peter

 

[philr]

Thanks John for explaining the details about this dishwasher! I like poor performing machines when they do so in a unique way!

 

[tomturbomatic]

Tappan likened the wash action to a tire picking up water on a wet road, but a tire's surface has texture and treads which this thing's roller did not have. I don't know where they got the nightmare design, but that designer probably did not go far. Maybe it was someone with an MBA who set out to revolutionize machine dishwashing.

 

[whitetub]

So would that be one of the worst dishwasher ever built ?

Would it win the coveted title of the worst dishwasher EVER ?

Or does any other make or model come to mind ?

thank you in advance for your answers

 

[turquoisedude]

one of the worst dishwashers ever built

From what I've heard, ANY of the Tappan dishwashers were pretty bad...  The Dual-Drench model in the ad that started this thread was bad, but apparently, its replacement that had a spring-loaded reversing wash arm was pretty awful as well.  I remember friends who had a 70s Tappan in a reasonably nice apartment where they lived, but the machine had some kind of electric interlock for the door (kind of like the Westinghouse 'Lock N Spin' top-load washers) that held their clean dishes hostage for weeks at a time...   LOL 

 

Frigidaire Spin-Tube dishwashers don't have a great reputation either...  I've still got one but it's not in regular use so I can't say for sure!

 

[whitetub]

The exception to the bad Tappan dishwashers might be the one in this episode of the Price is Right.

Go to 8 minute and 24 seconds, and you will see that this Tappan is actually a Whirlpool machine. Correct me if I am wrong.

http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OlNE4r6QX0

 

[turquoisedude]

Too funny!  That sure looks like a Whirlpool in Tappan's clothing to me... LOL  

 

Reminds me of a buddy in high school who's folks had something I'd never seen - a Bélanger portable dishwasher that looked like an Inglis/Whirlpool clone to me.  But I digress... As I often do.... 

 

[whitetub]

I remember the Bélanger and the Roy brands. Those were the days...

 

[revvinkevin]

Those were the days...

 

 

Of what, crappy dishwashers?

(or were those brands good?)

 

Ducks & runs!  

 

 

[whitetub]

Those brands weren't that great. Re-badge from the main companies of that time. White-Westinghouse or GE, I think. I was about 10 years old.

Those were the days of Harvest Gold and Avocado green. Chrome and wood-grain control panels. I miss those days....

 

[turquoisedude]

Roy was notoriously bad...    Some Bélanger appliances (refrigerators and freezers particularly) were rebadged Norges.  Not sure exactly when it happened, but most Roy appliances were Gibson rebadges.  

 

Both offered an automatic washer at some point or another, but I've never seen one in person.  

 

[whitetub]

Would that be a Tappan too ?

 

[turquoisedude]

Cool photo!  Yep, that looks like the infamous 'Dual Drench' model alright... 

 

Wonder how many of those proud Tappan executives got the gate after this dishwasher was introduced?  LOL