Kitchen

[Group 5 minus 1]

Interesting. I wonder what the temp is that makes the outer film on the pods melt?

[nevergivesup]

@Toots711  Thank you for posting this. I'm sorry you had such an awful problem. I have used the pods for years without incident but I'm not naive enough to think it couldn't happen to me. I'll definitely switch to liquid. I've found that repairmen are a valuable source of information.

[SilleeMee]

I would get a thermometer and check the water temperature in your dishwasher.  The water should be no less than 120'. Run the hot water tap before running the dishwasher to clear out the cold water in the line first.

[Mom2Dogs]

@Mz iMac  I boil water, add the pod, let it dissolve then pour in the dishwasher.   I won't use the PODS in my washer either.

[Mz iMac]

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@SilleeMee wrote:

I would get a thermometer and check the water temperature in your dishwasher.  The water should be no less than 120'. Run the hot water tap before running the dishwasher to clear out the cold water in the line first.

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@SilleeMee  I always thought that was the #1 rule w/all dishwashers.   

Maybe the problem is not everyone runs their tap till hot or for some reason, their water does not get hot enough.  I'm lucky I've never had that issue.

[SilleeMee]

@Mz iMac 

I always run the hot water tap before turning on my dishwasher. I recently got a new hot water tank installed and the water coming out of the tap was close to 150' which is waaay too hot. That could have ruined my dishwasher and clothes washer, too. Had to dial the hot water tank down a bit. I think it's a good idea to take a thermometer to the hot water tap and check it to be sure it's not too hot or not hot enough...check it periodically.

[haddon9]

@Toots711 Interesting.  I used to use the powder pods and changed the last time I purchased pods.  I got a liquid or gel pod.

[ID2]

My Fisher & Paykel dishwashers only takes powder. Doesn't even have a place to put a pod or liquid. 

[Skyegirl21]

We were using pods for the last 5 yrs, and it was fine, but only recently they have sticking to the dispenser and not melting open. We tried to troubleshoot ourselves, but it gets fixed for 1 day then happens again. Not calling a repairman to the tune of $200+. Since we had a big container of powder pods, hubby and I cut them all open to use the powder! Now, no problem. 

[Ainhisg]

This thread caused me to go down the rabbit hole of research on pods.  We recently moved, and the 7-year-old Whirlpool dishwasher in this house does not clean nearly as well as the 12-year-old GE in our old house.  In the GE, I could put in a pod, select the short cycle, and 99% of the time, everything came out great!  Not so with this one.  As an aside, both dishwasher instruction books recommend Cascade pods.

So this thread came at a timely moment for me.  I found a YouTube video by this guy who actually took an old dishwasher and put a clear panel in the back to watch how the dishwasher worked.  After many experiments, he discovered that if you do the following things, it will solve the majority of dishwasher cleaning problems:

1)   Run water in the sink until it is hot before starting the dishwasher.
2)  Put POWDER detergent in the main cup AND in the pre-wash cup.  If your dishwasher doesn't have a pre-wash cup, then you are to just sprinkle some in the bottom of the tub before starting the dishwasher.  In his opinion, store brand powder detergent works as well as name brand detergent. He said gel detergent is a waste, because you're paying for the water in them.  He also said that depending on your water hardness, most of the time, you don't have to fill the main cup all the way to to the top.  Halfway should work for most people, but he said to experiment.
3)  Always use rinse aid (he recommends store brand) no matter how you dry your dishes (heated dry or air dry).
4)  Always use the normal cycle or more intense cycles.  Don't use the short cycle.
5)  Clean the dishwasher once a month with Glisten or Affresh. He said it cleans the inner workings you can't see.
6)  Clean your filter(s) monthly.

So my plan is to select the normal cycle, use up the pods I have in the main cup, and add powder to the prewash cup.  I am going to use rinse aid and Affresh monthly and see what happens!  He said doing all of this will keep your dishwasher running well and allow for clean dishes every time.