The Dishwasher that Refuses to Die

[TromboneAl]

Lena and I both cheered when our (finicky and noisy) dishwasher's door flopped open, the spring broken. Now we can buy a new one!

However, I couldn't resist opening it up. The spring had indeed broken, but by bending a new hook out of the broken off end, it's now good as new.

 

[Which Roger]

Good move. My dishwasher is about 25 years old (as are the washer and dryer), and they work. Every time I think about replacing them to get something new and shiny with the latest bells and whistles, I hear a horror story from a friend about how their newer appliance failed after two years, while it was supposed to have a life expectency of about 7 years. And even if the newer appliance exceeded its expected life, it wouldn't even be half of what the old one has given me.

 

[GrayHare]

Same here, plenty of sturdy 30, even 40 y/o appliances that keep chugging along with very little maintenance.

When these finally give up the ghost I'm thinking, perhaps incorrectly, there must be a durable brand of new machine somewhere. If it costs 50% more but lasts 3x as long, IMO the added cost is worth it. Then again perhaps the premium brands currently available are no more durable.

 

[Free To Canoe]

How sad. Our old habits that served us well remain with us. We replaced one this year. I bought new wheels for it last year. The tines were rusty and door that opens for the soap was stuck in the open position. Still perfectly serviceable. DW finally said it had to go. She was very happy when we got the new one.

 

[samclem]

Then again perhaps the premium brands currently available are no more durable.

I don't think they are more durable. They have more stainless steel on the outside (and inside), more programs and "features" (is a display hidden on the top of the door so it can't provide information without opening the door really a "feature"?). The SS interiors look nice, but I've never had a dishwsher interior rust out. What kills these things seems to be the mechanical parts (especially pumps and impellers) and the controls/electronics. People who buy appliances don't seem to make their purchasing decisions based on the quality/likely longevity of these parts, so it seems the manufacturers (incl the "high end" ones) don't invest in better ones. More "bang for the buck" to make a whizz-bang display or add a fancier handle to the door.

BTW, I replaced the pump on our Whirlpool dishwasher, it was surprising easy and the part wasn't very expensive (about $125, IIRC). There are great videos on line for working on things like this.

 

[rodi]

I keep hoping our 13 year old dishwasher will die... It's loud. But it keeps chugging along. We've repaired it twice but they were minor DIY repairs.

Good job repairing it.

 

[devans0]

I had a bearing area leak. It was too expensive a fix to be worth fixing. New dish washer is energy and water efficient, quiet, and cleans much better. I was glad to let that old appliance go.

 

[Brat]

Yes, the new ones are quieter and more resource efficient but they don't dry dishes as well as the old ones.

 

[Another Reader]

We are on the second dishwasher in 27 years... The current one is a Kenmore, made by Whirlpool. Still going strong after at least 15 years.

 

[Bamaman]

Yes, the new ones are quieter and more resource efficient but they don't dry dishes as well as the old ones.

The new dishwashers use very little water, but it takes twice as long to wash the dishes. And the new generation dishwashers don't dry dishes with heaters or coils. They use chemical additives in the "soap" and a liquid finisher to shed the water droplets where they don't leave water spots behind. The drying actually comes from the hot water heating up the dishes and maintaining that heat after the cycle's over.

Great appliance companies like GE have been bought out and consolidated. We see Electrolux having many brands, and also manufacturing some in the U.S. Companies like LG and Samsung are coming into the retail market with beautiful appliances that are not of high quality--and cause service problems.

By the way, the Maytag Repairman is a very popular man now. Their products' quality has greatly diminished since the Amish owned Maytag sold out and consolidated with Whirlpool.

We switched from our $200 GE dishwasher to a Bosch, and we cannot even hear the new dishwasher running. And it cleans great--in 2 hrs.

 

[RobbieB]

My new one is a GE that replaced the Kitchen Aid that refused to fill. It cost less than the Kitchen Aid ($400) and uses way less energy and water, makes far less noise and cleans the dishes much better. I can leave a good amount of crud (I tested this) on them and it's gone when I take them out.

It runs more than twice as long though, but that is really not a problem.

 

[Lakewood90712]

Shame on all of you cheap RE members for fixing stuff.

You are supposed to keep the "Consumer Economy " going by buying new stuff, even when not necessary

 

[Another Reader]

Wait until scientists discover all these new laundry and dishwasher detergents contain chemicals that are carcinogenic or otherwise bad for your health. Not sure I would want to own PG or CL when that happens. Water, combined with surfactants and emulsifiers did the job very well before government decided to meddle with cleaning.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Ours died a few years ago and i was very happy. The new one is so quiet but takes twice as long to run. My refrigerator however died at 11 years and we had one repair during that time. Talk about a rip off. Prior ones lasted 25-30 years.

 

[mamadogmamacat]

my oldest appliance is a Kenmore refrigerator that is 29 yrs old and going strong still. youngest is a Whirlpool top load washer that is 11 yrs old and also working well (the prior one, an Amana, was a disappointment at only 7 yrs longevity). Also had an Amana furnace that lasted 28 yrs, but it was replaced 10 yrs ago, when I found just too much corrosion for my peace of mind, otherwise it too was functioning well

 

[HadEnuff]

I keep hoping our 13 year old dishwasher will die... ].

don't worry, you won't have this problem with the next one.

 

[HadEnuff]

In my lake cottage, we have a "poop tank"...not a septic system, nor public sewer. So, when it is full, I pay someone $250 to empty it. We sprang for a super water efficient DW. Very quiet, hardly uses any water.
If it only got dishes clean, it would be perfect.

 

[bUU]

My wife gets very upset each time I manage to fix our dishwasher and keep it running. I have to say that I'm getting ready to just let it die. It's loud, not very energy efficient, and it doesn't do a good job cleaning either.

 

[check6]

The spring had indeed broken, but by bending a new hook out of the broken off end, it's now good as new.

Good news Al. Now you can replace that linoleum floor!

 

[Sunset]

I keep hoping our 13 year old dishwasher will die... It's loud. But it keeps chugging along. We've repaired it twice but they were minor DIY repairs..

We got a new whirlpool dishwasher, stainless steel inside with the front digital display.
It is soo very quiet, I cannot hear it when I'm in a different room.
Seriously, our old one, was so loud we would not run it while watching tv!

The only downside, is it takes a very long time to wash and dry, but since I only know it's running by listening carefully or looking at the display it doesn't bother me.

It was approximately $400 at HD.

 

[aja8888]

We have a GM (Yes, General Motors) fridge we bought in 1976, now in use in the garage as a second one. No ice in door, but she still runs. Only replaced the thermostat in 1980's. I could probably weld 1/4" steel plate with the current that thing uses. But it has sentimental value.

Our dishwasher is 16 years old and is a builder's unit. It's loud as hell, but does a good job. We only run it at night. after we go to bed.

 

[jazz4cash]

Ours is a 17 yr old GE that was put in by the builder. Many yrs ago DD claimed she saw a puff of smoke come out below the door but I figured it was steam and dismissed it. When it quit a few months later I took it apart and found the wiring harness was burned and melted near the door hinge. When I went online the part was shown on the diagram but no part number was listed. The vendor said the part was discontinued be GE and no substitutes were available. I googled GE dishwasher and found lots of links referring to fires and recalls. GE had a recall hotline and they were very good about it considering the machine was 12 yrs old at the time. They offered $100 credit on a new machine or repair at no charge. Money was tight at the time so we chose the repair. The repair tech found a tiny drip and got authorization to fix that too. We've had great support for our GE appliances. When he was done we noted the machine was much louder and he said the extra insulation was a fire hazard so removing it was part of the re call. This machine quit draining a few yrs later and our home warranty company sent technicians that were unable to properly diagnose the problem so they replaced the main control panel followed by the pump-motor assembly. The drainage problem was actually due to a piece of plastic wrap blocking the drain.

 

[donheff]

I had the opposite problem - a busted rack mount on a newish dishwasher. I didn't want to get a new one but the replacement part wasn't precisely the same. I cludged something together and it's working for now. When you finally cave and buy a new one you can feel good that you got all the mileage you could get from it.

 

[RobbieB]

When they break I've gotten all the mileage I want. Time for a new one.

 

[Winemaker]

In my shop/winery, I have my late MIL's 1947 International Harvester refrigerator. It still is going strong, I use it to cold soak my must, and cold stabilize my wine. Otherwise, it keeps my beer "cornies" cold. It does require frequent defrosting though.