HELP! My dishwasher....?

Question

Here's the scoop:

1 yr old Fridgidare dishwasher
Leaves big white stains all over my dishes and doesn't really wash very well so some dishes are still dirty
I regularly put a bottle of Jet Dry in it (did just a few days ago)
We have softened water
We have well water (with very low pressure)
We even practically wash the dishes before placing in dishwasher
We've also been told that our water pH is a little high, but not dangerous for drinking.
I've tried putting a lot of dishwasher detergent then putting only a little and then of course the regular amount.
I've tried not putting detergent in the prewash compartment and only putting in the main wash compartment and vice versa.

What's the deal!!!???
It's driving us crazy, should we buy a new dishwasher? Or is it that we have very low water pressure, I mean I hear the water just trickling in in the beginning, is that the problem??? Please help?

I use Cascade liquid
I ahve purchased the packs and will be using them once the liquid is finished

Answer 1

Add vinegar to the rinse water or put a lemon slice in 1/2 in the dishwasher. The lemon will make the dishwasher smell great and should remove hard water spots.

Answer 2

Ok... I am NOT a technician - but I worked in a local Sears Repair as their parts procurement specialist (years ago, in my former life...)

My recollection is two fold - Low water pressure can be a contributing factor - as well as water temperature. The incoming hot water temperature should be - I believe - 115* - 120*F. You can turn the hot water on in your kitchen sink and use a meat thermometer to see if it's getting a high enough temp. reading.
If the temp is too cold - you need to raise the temp of your hot water heater - and make sure you don't run the washer while you're doing laundry or bathing... that lowers the hot water at the dishwasher as well.

If the temp is ok - go with a local plumber who advertizes that they do work with Fridgidare appliances. If it's the water pressure - he/she can handle it. If it's the dishwasher - he/she can handle that.

You say the dishwasher is one year old. Is it exactly one year? If it's even a day before that purchase anniversary - you may still have warranty coverage. Call your retailer and ask if this problem is within their warranty check.

If it's even a day after that purchase anniversary - and you haven't purchased an extended warranty - there is no coverage.

Either way - a plumber is a two for one deal when dealing with repair charges. Go the repair route before the new purchase route. If there is a plumbing issue (water pressure) - a new machine will experience the same difficulty.

When you set up the service call - get the price of a trip out for the purpose of an estimate UP FRONT. Ask about costs of follow up repairs should the initial repair not fix the issue. (Sears warranties their repair work - some do not.) When the tech arrives - confirm the estimate rate again before he/she does any checking. Get the estimate IN WRITING before you approve any work. If you can - have them include in writing the estimated repair time, should obtaining parts become an issue. Stay near the tech while he/she works. If they say they have to leave to obtain parts - ask for a difinitive return time or date. (Fridgidare was something I usually had to factory order parts for - and a two week wait was not uncommon.) ALSO - if they also sell products, ask if any of the reapir estimate charge can go toward the purchase of a new machine. (Sears often does this, too.)

...Some guys leave to "get a part locally," and go run personal errands - taking a rediculous amount of time to return and tying up your whole day. Not professional - and you should complain if this happens.

Another odd little thing to try - (and since you have softened water, I don't see how this COULD be an issue...) but put a cup or two of white vinegar in the dishwasher and run it empty. Smelly - but sometimes removes clogging build up of the jet nozzles.

There could be problems with the spray jets on your washer's spray arms... or a lot of other odd things. Get a technician before purchasing a new item.

When it comes to warranties - a mechanical product usually only has 90 days to a year. This is because no one can ever REALLY anticipate what might happen in manufacturing that could result in a real lemon of a product... or what the customer might do to mess things up... but to expect that an expensive appliance last longer than a year is not unreasonable. (Not WARRANTY-able, but not unreasonable.) Fridgidare is an excellent product. Whirlpool is better. (Spectacular customer service - long lasting products - excellent extended warranty plans - simplicity in design and function.) G.E. is great- but overbuilt. (Too many little parts resulting in higher reapir costs down the line.)

If your repair person offers an extended warranty after repair (which the Sears tech can do), it would probably be a good idea, since you have already experienced this difficulty so soon in ownership.

Sears has the luxury of offering credit toward a new purchase (sometimes outright replacement with a new machine) should they not be able to repair an item under their warranty.
...But remember... that's ONLY if it is really the MACHINE's fault. They can't warranty against things like your plumbing problems to the machine - or abuse of the machine.

(I once had a lady who wanted us to warranty the repair of her lawn mower because she tried to trim her shag carpet and got the rug caught in it!!) Sigh.

I know how frustrating it is, but darlin - there is hope. Go for the plumber. All appliances will break down. You have to expect that. Shop around for the best cost of repair - and estimate charges... check the Better Business Bureau in your area to make sure the folks you want to deal with aren't hold-up-artists.

Good luck! Peace! --De

Answer 3

Use Cascade liquid. It is the best. Also rinse off the dishes before you put them in the washer.

It may be the water pressure. Ask a plumber to come to your house and see if the water pressure is OK.

Did you have a dishwasher previously? Did it work correctly? Perhaps the dishwasher was not installed in the right manner.

Answer 4

We had a similar issue here. Our water isn't soft though but the results were as you described. My wife bought every type of washer soap she could find and finally found success with the little pucks with either the jet dry on them with the soap or a softener on it with the soap. Cascade with Dawn 2 in 1 power packs... Ours was a water chemical problem and yours sounds similar. Give a pack a try and see if it works for you.
Good Luck!

Answer 5

It's all in the water. Clean one of your freshly washed glasses with vinegar. If that takes off the white haze then your water is still too hard. If that's the case you'd need to make sure your softerner is working properly or maybe it needs to recharge more often.

Answer 6

BTW Regular dish soap can be used to replace Jet Dry.

Works great and is cheaper.

Answer 7

yes low water pressure