Quality of Fisher and Paykel

[kokomo1114]

We acquired a Fisher and Paykel dishdrawer through a move and were delighted when we saw it, thinking that it would be convenient and wash dishes well. It is, granted a low end model, but the bottom line is that it just plain doesn't get anything clean. The longest cycle is 138 minutes and uses 1.8 gallons of water. It is very tempera
mental to load, despite the flexible racking, doesn't dry dishes, and leaves film on the dishes. Pods seem to work better than powder and we have made sure that the rinse aid dispenser is full. What am I missing here? I thought that F and P appliances were high quality and innovative. Would I be out of line to say that I want my top of the line KitchenAid back and just do half-loads after every meal? My water/electricity guzzling Maytag (front loading portable) and 2 old KitchenAids (1 toploader) worked much better.

 

[chachp]

PODS in dishdrawers?

 

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">I have always wondered if PODS are too much detergent for a dish drawer?  Is it possible its too much soap for that amount of water?  I don't have the drawers so I don't know for sure but sure seems to me that you would want to use less.  I have a countertop dishwasher that I use occasionally and the pods in that machine are way too much and at the end of the cycle its clear they didn't get rinsed very well even with rinse aid.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">Just a thought.  I'm not an expert in this matter.</span>

 

[whatsername]

I use powder in my dish drawers. I get flawless performance and while the dishes are wet right when it’s done they dry quickly overnight or after leaving the drawer open a crack for an hour or 2. Have you cleaned the filter regularly? The wash system is also pretty easy to take apart and clean, since your machine had previous owners maybe it needs a deep clean.

You could also break the pod in half if it’s a tablet type

 

[littlegreeny]

I agree pods would be too much. If you have a Trader Joe's near you, I suggest buying a box of their dishwasher detergent. I get fantastic results using it...Shiny smooth glasses, great cleaning and no build up...better than Cascade or Finish powders.

 

[DADoES]

 
There's really no such thing as a "low end" model DishDrawer.  They all operate the same ... other than some specific models have an on-board water softener.  There's also a DishDrawer Wide which is 36" wide (double row of plates and two spray arms) but I doubt that's what you have.

Detergent pods are an overdose.  I have appreciably hard water (private well, not city service) and I get TONS of foaming from pods (I've tried only Cascade Platinum) to the point that spray force and rotation speed of the arm is impaired.

That being said, current DD models have reprogrammed cycles that use less water compared to older models.  My DD603 is 16 years old and takes 0.8 gals per fill but has five water changes on the Normal cycle (4 gals), 4 fills on Normal Eco (3.2 gal), SEVEN water changes on Heavy (5.6 gals total).

Are you sure it's only 1.8 gals for the entire Heavy cycle?  How many fills/drains do you hear through the cycle?

 

[fisherpaykel]

Not drying dishes

The rinse agent amount dispensed is adjustable, maybe it needs to be increased. The dish drawers do not have heated dry but they do run a fan for about half an hour after final heated rinse and until it auto unlocks the lid, you should be able to hear it run although it is quiet, maybe that is not functioning. Lately I have run mine before bed, dry dishes in the morning-well since I refilled rinse agent anyway. I don't know the rinse agent adjustment procedure on newer Dish Drawers but give Fisher Paykel a call with your model/serial number on hand, lower left corner on frame of upper drawer, they answer 24 hours, you might even speak with someone in New Zealand. Check that the washarm spins freely and the bottom rack is level and properly seated left/right and front/back, it sits on little side projections. Just a thought, the washarm is quite close to bottom of the rack, be sure nothing is sticking down through the rack grid preventing wasarm rotation. I have done that 2 or 3 times or more in the past dozen years such that some dishes were not clean, otherwise clean dishes always.

 

[combo52]

F & P Dishwasher Dish Drawers

Are an interesting and innovative product, But in our extensive experience they just don't make the grade with most consumers.

 

While handy to load [ the top one anyway ] they are not sophisticated in handling of food solids [ messy filter to clean ] therefor you end up doing a lot more dish prep when loading, and there is no heat dry option.

 

But the real problem is they are flimsy temperamental machines with poor repair records, I have lost track at how many of these we have replaced with regular DWs and the number I see every month at the several appliance recycling places I visit every month.

 

In full disclosure, we are about to install a single 24" F&P DW in our break room at work for coffee mugs etc, I found it at a habit Restore unused for $50. It should be fun and we can fix it when it breaks down, but in the real kitchen where we do real cooking we will keep the 1988 KM Ultra-Wash DW by Whirlpool.

 

That said if you are really into appliances and take very careful care of a F&P DWer you may be very happy with it, I guess its too bad the toy maker Mattel did not build them as it would be the ultimate toy for young appliance collectors, LOL

 

Best new DWs in IMEO are Maytags or less expensive WPs, skip the higher end KAs, Bosch, GEs, Mieles etc. Expensive DWs have expensive repairs much sooner and shorter life spans.

 

John L.

 

[easyspindry]

My dish drawers . . .

. . . are 14 years old.  They work beautifully.  Never a complaint here.  They are quiet and clean well.

 

I agree that a detergent pod is way too much soap for a dish drawer.  I've always used Cascade powder with never a problem.  I always run my water HOT so it is hot entering the machine.   Try using less detergent than what's in a pod.   We have good water here in North Carolina.   That probably helps a great deal.

 

Two nights ago, I served a spaghetti dinner for four with salad and dessert.  Every dish went in the drawer scraped and dirty.  Every dish came out clean and dry.  I LOVE the dish drawers and would not hesitate to get another pair if needed.  

 

Give them a chance and use some good old common sense when loading.  They're fine machines.

 

Jerry Gay

 

[kokomo1114]

Fisher and Paykel

Hi guys! We are having better luck:

Using the Normal Eco cycle. Less soap. No large pots and pans, unless in a separate load.

Filter is always clean.

Run it late in the day and open it before bed and unload in the AM.

We are rethinking our desire to have larger and larger appliances. Maybe more dishes get washed and put away, more clothes washed and dried in smaller capacity and combination appliances, such as combo washer/dryers. Until now we would do huge loads of laundry and then fight about who was going to fold it all. Maybe doing more, smaller loads in a washer/dryer works better.

But you know there's something beautiful about a big old Matag or Kenmore washer and dryer.

Dennis Dr D

 

[petek]

I'm finding, we are I should say, that we're doing more smaller loads of dishes now rather than waiting for the machine to be full.

 

[sudsmaster]

The absolute crappiest dishwasher I ran across was a Frigidaire Gallery model I bought at Costco around 1998. It was made of the cheapest materials, and the filter assembly was made of flimsy plastic that warped with the heat from the heating element. This, in turn, allowed food debris to get into the pump so it could be re-distributed on the ostensibly clean dishware. And to clog the wash arms. I finally had enough and was actually able to return the POS to Costco for a full refund - albeit without having to see multiple people about it.

I replaced it with a Bosch from Sears and haven't looked back. I did have to replace its drain pump motor at about 13 years, but it generally performs flawlessly.

The Frigidaire was a horrid design fail.