Fitted dishwashers - recommendations, comments

Fitted dishwashers - recommendations, comments

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diesel head

Original Poster:

391 posts

216 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
Sorry guys a very very boring topic, my parents dishwasher, is built in and is just not washing properly, things come out either not clean or with a film of something??? on them so everything has to be either re-washed or rinsed again, so far we have called out a dishwasher repair guy twice, (in the last couple of weeks at total cost of £200) for different issues but now this, we are thinking that it might be better to replace the whole thing.

(We live in a hard water area if that information is useful)

Questions are could anyone recommend a built in dishwasher, and would it be feasible for my father to fit it, he is a very competent DIYer and has plumbed in our washing machine in the past but has never fitted a dishwasher into a fitted kitchen, easy? hard? comments?

Thanks

stormin

1,304 posts

218 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
Rinse aid helped us when we had the same problem, but its not that difficult to take out a built in one and replace it with a freestanding one.

Good luck

diesel head

Original Poster:

391 posts

216 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
Thanks for that, my mother is fanatical about keeping it topped up with salt and rinse aid so I'm confidant its not that, and if they do replace it it would have to be with another built in unit, not a freestanding one

B17NNS

18,506 posts

254 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
Its an easy job. Just connect the supply and the waste to the existing plumbing.

As has been mentioned, salt and rinse aid should stop this.

I had an integrated Seimens dishwasher that was excellent and also nice and quiet.

pokethepope

2,665 posts

195 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
Most dishwashers have a dial, usually in the door where you put the salt it, which you can adjust depending on the 'hardness' of your water. Have you tried adjusting this to the max setting (usually the higher number for hard water)?

If you're going to replace it, it may sound obvious but take the measurements, they come in three standard widths plus sliline, and either fully integrated or semi integrated.

Very easy to fit, cold water in, waste disposal out, dont need to secure the d/w to cabinetry but they usually come with screw holes/brackets if you want to.

diesel head

Original Poster:

391 posts

216 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
Thanks guys, I am reasonably confidant that lack of salt/rinseaid is not the source of the problems, my own theory is that not enough water is getting to it for some reason, although my mother disagrees with this theory and is hoping that it is just being overloaded (unlikely as she loads the same stuff in week in week out and its a full sized dishwasher and there is only two of them)

deadslow

8,298 posts

230 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
Ours left a 'chalky' deposit on the dishes till we changed tablets. Now fine. Some machines are (apparently) very brand specific, tablet-wise.

croyde

23,943 posts

237 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
Although I hate falling for the marketing, it does seem that the flasher and more expensive the tablet the better the wash.

I bought some standard M&S ones the other day and suddenly all the stuff was coming out having to be double checked as some were clean and some were not.

Finish 10 in 1 seem to do the trick plus cleaning the filters and checking that the holes in the spinning plastic washer things are not blocked.

Ours is a Bosch and has been on 2 a day every day for 5 years. All has been fine , touch wood.

diesel head

Original Poster:

391 posts

216 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
Thanks again guys but my mother only uses finish tablets in the dishwasher.

jeff m

4,060 posts

265 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
Fitting of a fitted dishwasher is not difficult.
Only consideration is that you must not do a new floor in the kitchen after its installation (re-tile with substrate) without checking if can be got out again.

Removing that granite countertop is not easysmile

croyde

23,943 posts

237 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
diesel head said:
Thanks again guys but my mother only uses finish tablets in the dishwasher.
Just to add that Finish do a bottle of stuff that you stick in the washer once a month and run it on a full cycle. It is supposed to clear the grease and built up calcium out of the pipes etc. Admittedly I use this about once every 6 months.

deadslow

8,298 posts

230 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
jeff m said:
Fitting of a fitted dishwasher is not difficult.
Only consideration is that you must not do a new floor in the kitchen after its installation (re-tile with substrate) without checking if can be got out again.

Removing that granite countertop is not easysmile
The voice of experience? Ouch

hehe

pokethepope

2,665 posts

195 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
Hopefully not repeating whats said above but have you checked the filter for the water in (rather than waste water out). Most d/w's (especially decent brands) have a resin filter that removes a lot of the chemicals from the water so it doesnt build up in the rest of the dishwasher. The salt resevoir is there to 'clean' this resin. A problem with all in one tablets that contain salt is they are not as effective as using d/w salt in the salt resevoir (hence why most manafacturers warranties are voided if you dont use salt, most people understandably presume that an all in one tablet is just that,a ll in one, no need for extra salt). A clogged resin filter may be the cause of not enough water getting in.

If you use seperate salt to the tablets, ignore the above smile

Simpo Two

87,089 posts

272 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
An integrated dishwasher (or washing machine for that matter) is essentially a freestanding one but slghtly less deep and needing a decor panel to match your kitchen. Hence nothing to be scared of I think. You may need to stand it on a spare piece of worktop to get it fitting snugly under the worktop.

DWs are easy to get in and out because they're relatively light, but for a WM I'd make sure you can remove a unit on one side for easy access to the rear (I had to change the drain hose after a mouse ate a hole in it).

From what you say your father should have no problems with it. The trickiest bit I found is making sure you get the decor panel aligned accurately as there's little or no adjustment if you drill the holes in the wrong place.

Edited by Simpo Two on Saturday 3rd January 17:42

cod man

508 posts

202 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
Our dish washer sometimes starts to leave a greasy film over stuff. A quick clear and rinse of the outlet filter improves the situation immensely. We have a Meile and use Finish all in one tabs together with dishwasher salt in the appropriate compartment.

Hope this helps.

Cod.

RossMac

856 posts

248 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
Stops washing these in it?

biggrin


singlecoil

34,251 posts

253 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
Bosch. Buy the cheapest version that has your required features.

eharding

14,148 posts

291 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
Top tip:

There will invariably be three levelling legs for a built-in dishwasher, two at the front, one at the back. The front two are generally adjusted simply by rotating the threaded leg within its mount. The third, rear leg has a similar appearance, but will almost always be adjusted via a small ratchet on the front of the machine, and the leg itself cannot be rotated manually. To avoid the appearance of a monumental spaffwit, do not initially congratulate yourself on getting an absolute bargain of a virtually unused built-in dishwasher on eBay - but sadly lacking a manual - to replace your existing tired and leaking item, but then proceed to use the time-honoured tradition of attempting to adjust the rear leg manually using the largest feck-off adjustable wrench in your collection (being unaware of the ratchet mechanism), only to snap said leg clean off but leaving a now unremovable section in the threaded shaft; proceeding hence to the tip to dispose of both the old and knackered orginal item, and the virtually unused but also knackered item, and from there to Comet, for further financial humiliation.

That is all.

Romanymagic

3,298 posts

226 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
+1 on the Bosch, we have one, and it does a grand job. Miele if your parents have no limit budget.

Simpo Two

87,089 posts

272 months

Saturday 3rd January 2009
quotequote all
eharding said:
only to snap said leg clean off but leaving a now unremovable section in the threaded shaft
Jusr bang in a few wedges biggrin