Soooo this smartwash thing

[lowflow]

How does that really work in general? reading around here I see that it might do high temp on its own, comments about rinses and purges, how setting high temp or sani rinse just takes the smarts out of it and doesn't really let it decide.

For my part, I have noticed that sometimes the water is hotter than I expected, like a heated wash was on, and i have seen the time drop 10 mins somewhere in the middle of a wash (though only once go up like 7). Makes me wonder what min and max times are as well.

I've googled some, but there is precious little detail (how I wish dishwasher manuals were more like good technical ones)

baseline smartwash in the manual is 150 mins (2:30).

Thanks!

DW: Kenmore 13222

 

[henene4]

Optical sensor

Most smartwash (or sensor guided in general) cycles use an optical sensor, comprised of a light source of specific wavelength and basicly a small light depended resistor (LDR) or solar panel like array. Keep in mind these sensors both are only a few milimeters in size.

They are positioned within the direct water flow. Depending on how much soil there is in the water, the amount of light hitting the sensing side of the sensor changes, and thus the voltage across it. The electronics can decode that into a soil level and thus can decide on the number of prewashes, main wash time and temperature, the number of rinses and time of rinses.

Further sensing systems rely on incomming water temperatures to better estimate heating times, the amount of water needed to wet the load to better estimate a soil situation and probable cycle sequence or on some machines (Miele for example) even the room temperature to better guide the drying sequence.

 

[lowflow]

lol... OK. It's a shame they don't provide more detail in the manuals to help guide how to wash so the consumer could make better choices.

If, for example, smart wash can get as hot as a high temp wash option, I might be inclined not to press that button and guarantee more electric use (since the button press mandates it). but only if I knew that was the case with my sensors on my model purchased at my price range. Min the and Mix times would be nice as well (though now I wonder if the time in the manual is actually the min).

Nice about the Mile. My DW is on an exterior wall and can turn into a kenmore fridge up here in the NE when its been closed. Even after running the hot water I'm sure the cold stainless takes a ton of heat out of it.

Came out right clean in the end.

 

[logixx]

Here are a few cycle charts of the 2007 Kenmore dishwashers. As Henrik said, the more turbid the water, the more aggressive the cycle becomes.

 

[lowflow]

I love those. Thanks. The times are different that i think my current dw, but thats the kind of information i wish was in modern manuals.

Thanks.

A

 

[logixx]

Those cycle charts weren't in the user manuals but in the service manual. You can download it from here: http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREADM.cgi?68825