Kitchen

[house_cat]

I had a Frigidaire dishwasher, less than 10 years old and I think I might have killed it.

We have very hard water where I live, so I started using Finish Gel Pacs.

At first I had excellent results. After a year or so, my dishwasher stopped rinsing properly. My plumber says that the drain is not clogged, but the machine became unusable. I can't blame the detergent, though I still don't know what caused its ruin.

I just bought a new dishwasher and I'm afraid to do the wrong thing. Can you please tell me what product you use and if you are happy with it?

Thank you.

[jackthebear]

use powder?

[DoneTryin]

Follow the instructions in the user's manual. The manufacturer of the appliance usually recommends what type(s) of detergent and rinse agent(s) to use.

[house_cat]

On 1/9/2015 VCamp2748 said:

Follow the instructions in the user's manual. The manufacturer of the appliance usually recommends what type(s) of detergent and rinse agent(s) to use.

Now, why didn't I think of that? It's being delivered and installed later this morning. I'll be sure to read the manual.

[sunshine45]

when you check the life expectancy of a dishwasher, some sites say 9 years and some sites say 10-13 years on average. if you got almost 10 years out of your dishwasher then you probably did well.

i use the pods or gel pacs in my dishwasher that is going on 9 years now. i dont put it in the bottom of the dishwasher, but i place it in one of the silverware sections.

[SharkE]

Cascade gels all I use.

[chickenbutt]

On 1/9/2015 sunshine45 said:

when you check the life expectancy of a dishwasher, some sites say 9 years and some sites say 10-13 years on average. if you got almost 10 years out of your dishwasher then you probably did well.

i use the pods or gel pacs in my dishwasher that is going on 9 years now. i dont put it in the bottom of the dishwasher, but i place it in one of the silverware sections.

Wow, I didn't know that. We've been lucky, then. We bought this house 14 years ago and are still using the existing dishwasher. I don't think it was new then, so I don't know how many years it has endured. BUT, I only run it about once in a week or two so I suppose that would make a huge difference in longevity.

Anyway, I use those Finish things with the red ball on top. They've always been top rated. I've heard negative things about the gels so I haven't tried them. I used to use the powder and that worked perfectly fine. It was the same brand. Well, it was Electrasol back then and they changed to Finish at some point after I started using the little things with the ball. It's also the top rated brand.

[Tinkrbl44]

You can also call the mfr customer service line and ask what they recommend for very hard water .... as well as any special maintenance for machines that wash in very hard water.

Maybe you need to run a cycle every 6 months with a quart of white vinegar .... or Lime Away.

[kitty60]

Sorry to say I have replaced more dishwashers in 42 years of marriage than any other appliance. My first mistake was to replace my original Kitchen Aid when doing a remodel in the early years. Gave it to a friend that used it for another twenty years. Since then I have had Waste King, Bosch, Whirlpool, Frigidare, and Lord knows what else. I now buy the cheapest one I can find with the interior I like. If it stops working I'll just replace it.

[faeriemoon]

First I'll say that if you're anywhere near 10 years with the same dishwasher I think you've hit a home run.

That being said, I too have a Frigidaire dishwasher and I use the Finish Tablets (with the red ball in the middle.) We have hard water at our house too so I occasionally use one of those dishwasher treatment things. It's a wax sealed plastic bottle that you place in the silverware holder, and you run the dishwasher on the longest setting (empty!).

You also have to regularly remove that round screen thingy in the bottom of the dishwasher and rinse all the white build-up out of it. I use an old soft toothbrush to get it completely clean.

Hope this helps, but 10 years is a long time.