Thread Number: 21612
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Post# 340446   4/6/2009 at 18:57 (5,470 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ)        

roto204's profile picture
You know. "Frigidaire Undercounter Dishwasher!"




Post# 340448 , Reply# 1   4/6/2009 at 18:58 (5,470 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ)        
MOL and fab

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It's not a Custom Imperial...

Post# 340449 , Reply# 2   4/6/2009 at 18:58 (5,470 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ)        
...but it does...

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...get the five-level wash...

Post# 340451 , Reply# 3   4/6/2009 at 18:59 (5,470 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ)        
I dream in Plastisol...

roto204's profile picture
...only it's usually nightmarish.

Déjà Dishmobile, no?


Post# 340452 , Reply# 4   4/6/2009 at 19:00 (5,470 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ)        
The goods

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GM loved that top-rack design, didn't they? You can almost see where the spin-tube would go.

Post# 340454 , Reply# 5   4/6/2009 at 19:02 (5,470 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ)        
Wash arm

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Yay, I finally am reunited with the long-lost twirligig Frigidaire dishwasher of my memories (Ross, Roger, and I found one in Phoenix on our first trip, but I only gave it passing notice--and of course, it was long gone the next time we were there).

This gets my vote for scariest-looking wash arm yet.

And yes, we have some grind/sand/patch to do on the ever-lovin' Plastisol. I truly do hate the stuff, and what it does to machines.


Post# 340456 , Reply# 6   4/6/2009 at 19:03 (5,470 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ)        
Up above

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Interesting constant-rinse disc. Note the detent where one portion is lower than the rest. Weird. This thing begs for a Plexiglas door. (Good thing I brought my jigsaw!)

Post# 340458 , Reply# 7   4/6/2009 at 19:06 (5,470 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ)        
Tower

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Interesting. Note the bellows on the bottom wash arm from the earlier pics, that--kind of like a Whirlpool--mate the wash arm to the tower. Only, the tower has a bearing surface partway up, so the force from the bellows on the wash arm actually lifts it up and spins it against the metal bearing, so that it rotates at the same speed as the wash arm.




Post# 340459 , Reply# 8   4/6/2009 at 19:07 (5,470 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ)        
And, for the value-added portion...

roto204's profile picture
...we always like receiving doctrine!




Post# 340461 , Reply# 9   4/6/2009 at 19:10 (5,470 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ)        
...and, of course...

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...the requisite user guide, complete with Frigidaire's "Helpful Suggestions for Ways to Embody the Seventies."

Oh, that dress.

Oh, those cabinets.

Oh, that wallpaper.

Oh.

I'll make a day of scanning the docs in--you won't believe it. Wait until you see the decorator panels. You'll wish you had the KitchenAid hooter instead.

This machine was apparently procured from Davis Appliance in Redwood City on January 17th, 1974. The gentleman who had it said he only used it maybe five times a year...which probably explains why it didn't summarily dissolve and float away.

I'll install this in the kitchen so that I can have the entire Frigidaire suite upstairs (with the impeller D&M and the Dishmobile to join it), but it will need some serious teardown restoration first, before it gets to be permanently installed. (Ain't nobody peeing on my floor.)



Post# 340471 , Reply# 10   4/6/2009 at 19:33 (5,470 days old) by gyrafoam (Wytheville, VA)        

Hey Nate, that looks like a fun machine. Those top racks were wonderful for all those oversized items----jumbo iced tea cups,sauce pans,etc.

LMAO over the "Twirligig"! I had a brand new CI installed in a place I had back in 1972.(Loud isn't it?!) It had one of those wash-arms.
IMO they did a good job of cleaning ALTHOUGH that miniature "Twirligig" up on top was pretty useless at getting the coffee grounds/sediment, etc. that would pool-up in the undersides of things. My gripe with all filterless machines.


Post# 340480 , Reply# 11   4/6/2009 at 20:01 (5,470 days old) by laundromat (Hilo, Hawaii)        
DWCIPW

laundromat's profile picture
Mine had the same 5 level Super Surge wash system with the auger type spray arm on the one side of the bottom arm.It also had the white polymer interior not the old blue rubber lined one.

Post# 340481 , Reply# 12   4/6/2009 at 20:03 (5,470 days old) by appnut (TX)        

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Hey Nate!!!, wow the 1974 version of what we would have gotten in 1970 or 1971 for the lake house, if we hadn't gotten the roto rack. This is the first time I saw the non-protruding tower version of this wash system--i.e. your stationary tower in the rack instead of having the large cut-out in the bottom rack like a Maytag reverse-rack. The majority of my exposure to this style was based on like 1969 through 1972 or 1973 models. I didn't know they offered the little twirly arm version on this style. I only saw that type of wash arm on the next control panel style which came out in 1975 or 1976 and did away with the huge Frigidaire dial that had been around since the 1960 or 1961 spin-tube debut. If your dishware dinner plates weren't too big, you could turn this into a reverse-rack and put all plates and such in top rack and bottom rack for cups, glasses and such, lol.

Post# 340482 , Reply# 13   4/6/2009 at 20:12 (5,470 days old) by laundromat (Hilo, Hawaii)        
Vidio filmage on Super Surge Dishwashers

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The information video they had regarding the Super Surge dishwashers claimed that the Super Surge wash system,the racks and cycles to use were all developed using a computer they fed information into.It supplied them with images to help complete their mission of having a great wash system. Now,I also heard that these same dishwashers from FRIGIDAIRE were made not by GM but by D&M who is now owned by Electrolux.They are now completely different from the original design and my old Custom Imperial dishmobile got all my dishes,glassware,pots and pans,casseroles,coffee mugs and silverware a lot cleaner in less time. Yes, the bitch was almost unbearable to be in the same room with due to the volume of noise it produced but with The Doors blaring as well as The Rolling Stones on my 8 track tape player(Aiwa),I was able to drown it down a bit.

Post# 340493 , Reply# 14   4/6/2009 at 20:42 (5,470 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ)        
Computer-designed?

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Really? Space-age, and this is what they came up with?

"Bob! I've got a solution hot off the teletype. It says...it says...'wash tower...no filtration'...amazing. Simply brilliant!" :-)




Post# 340497 , Reply# 15   4/6/2009 at 20:52 (5,470 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ)        
Sooooooo,

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...tell me, Bob, was this the model with the cavitating pump that didn't work so well, or was this a pretty decent machine?

The twirly-spray arm threw me off, too...it's so similar to Peter's lovely portable in other respects.


Post# 340498 , Reply# 16   4/6/2009 at 20:56 (5,470 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ)        
Whee!

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Steve--LOL You are so right. How many times have we all kvetched about the yiblets on the coffee mugs? I have no doubt that this machine would not prevent that, unless you became a fan of coffee cups (two, count 'em, two tiers to load!), since you can angle them really well in the side rails (cereal bowls work really well there too, btw, or at least, they did in the spin-tube).

Chuck--that's interesting...I almost would prefer a plastic tank to this mess. But, it's history, and worth preserving in its very, uh, oxidizable state, right?

The motor is very quiet but the wash action is roughly like pelting a barn, covered in corrugated metal siding, with six pressure-washers. Holy crap, I am blanketing this thing in fiberglass before it gets installed.

I wish I had the CI--rapid advance timer and forced-air drying, oh my!


Post# 340513 , Reply# 17   4/6/2009 at 23:01 (5,470 days old) by soberleaf ()        
wow! another one!

what a great portable dishwasher! looks just like the one i picked up (almost). same tub, same drying calrod unit, never seen that type of spray arm except on a g.e. that i have, that whirligig! love it! and your's doesn't have the tower like mine, i take it your's is a later model?!

all in all it's great to see another of these beautiful old dishwashers preserved! i loved the old frigidaire appliances! too bad frigidaire is such junk now a days (in my book). good luck with it!

pete


Post# 340515 , Reply# 18   4/6/2009 at 23:11 (5,470 days old) by soberleaf ()        
gotta double dip here!

that brochure is priceless! we had wallpaper that looked almost the same, i put it on the kitchen myself! to go with the avacado sink and appliances!

and the outfit that broad has on! she looks like she just stepped out of "love story"! prob has ryan o'neal waitin for her in the bedroom! after she finishes loading her new dishmobile ofcourse!


Post# 340516 , Reply# 19   4/6/2009 at 23:11 (5,470 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ)        
Hi, Pete!!

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I know, I was loving your Dishmobile the other day, and then this showed up. Quick--what else can we think of at the same time that will then cause it to pop into being? :-D

This one's a built-in, so, after the restoration, I'll build it in. Yours is soooooo pretty with no rust under the Plastisol (blue coating)--this one is in good shape but will not stay in good shape for long unless I fix the rust spots it has.

I'm waiting to hear back as to whether this was some sort of evolution prior to the late-seventies models, or where it falls on the mechanism timeline.

I love your spray tower!!!! It is so cool. Mine's awfully plain, though I'm guessing it does the job.

Thanks so much--enjoy your Dishmobile, too! And yes, let's not talk about modern Frigidaires. Ew. :-) (I had a new AquaSurge Pro Series that could, on a good day, sometimes clean cereal bowls. Sometimes.)

Nate


Post# 340518 , Reply# 20   4/6/2009 at 23:23 (5,470 days old) by soberleaf ()        
nice knob i know!

yea i'm not braggin but i admit that one i picked up has a hell of a knob on the top of it's wash tower. but hey your's is not plain, i bet if we watched it in action we would be in awe of it's power! looks like it can be pretty forceful if it wants to be!

i say get out that saw and cut that window! i love it when you guys do that to your dishwashers, i just don't have the nerve to try it yet!

what else can we wish for? how about g.e. impeller machines or those old mobile maid top loaders with the huge aluminum spray arm! that's what i am still tryin to find. or that tappan dishwasher with no pump, a roller in bottom of tub instead.

i see it is a built in, sorry, it looked portable from that first pic but then i'm prob tired, just got in from work. what the hell i love em all, portable, built in, top, front, if it's from the 70's or earlier i love it!

congrats again, keep me posted when you tear into it, i have not taken mine apart yet but did have a guy contact me who has parts for them so contact me if you are interested.

pete


Post# 340525 , Reply# 21   4/7/2009 at 00:20 (5,470 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ)        
*giggle*

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yea i'm not braggin but i admit that one i picked up has a hell of a knob on the top of it's wash tower. but hey your's is not plain, i bet if we watched it in action we would be in awe of it's power! looks like it can be pretty forceful if it wants to be!

Okay, okay. Can't resist.

"That's what he said."

D'Oh!!! Okay. Sorry.

what else can we wish for? how about g.e. impeller machines or those old mobile maid top loaders with the huge aluminum spray arm! that's what i am still tryin to find. or that tappan dishwasher with no pump, a roller in bottom of tub instead.

Oh, those big aluminum wash-arm machines are easy! Just run them with the lid open. The water never makes it up to the top. *grin* :-D

On the other hand, those impeller machines are pretty powerful, especially the metal bowtie units. I definitely'd love to see one of those go.

I'm not going to put a window in the door--Robert's got cojones más grandes than I do. I'll just cut a Plexiglas insert so we can see everything from top to bottom.

As for those Tappan machines, you and me both. I love machines that have unconventional ways of lobbing water around, and that would be the piece de resistance. Even if, as in the case of those units, not a danged thing gets clean.

i see it is a built in, sorry, it looked portable from that first pic but then i'm prob tired, just got in from work. what the hell i love em all, portable, built in, top, front, if it's from the 70's or earlier i love it!

LOL No worries. Portables, built-ins, they're all good! :-D

congrats again, keep me posted when you tear into it, i have not taken mine apart yet but did have a guy contact me who has parts for them so contact me if you are interested.

Will definitely do, and thank you, I truly appreciate that. I'll let you know what I discover I need as I go, and I'll document the shots (I've learned the hard way on this site not to let a restoration go by without copious photo-documentation!) :-D No sense in letting fun learning opportunities go unshared.

I think that, instead of trying to color-match the Plastisol as I repair it, I'm just going to do what I need to do to fix it, and then line the entire machine in Contact paper. (Simulated woodgrain, of course.)

Thanks again for everything, Pete! Have a great night! :-D

Nate



Post# 340529 , Reply# 22   4/7/2009 at 01:05 (5,470 days old) by soberleaf ()        
look at the size of that monster!!!

i do love to show it off!!!

and no it doesn't get any bigger (i believe you ask me that question last week when i posted the orig pics)



Post# 340531 , Reply# 23   4/7/2009 at 01:15 (5,470 days old) by soberleaf ()        
you also asked me

about the weird bend in the calrod unit when i posted those pics of mine. i had a friend from the site here e mail me to tell me that it was designed that way to keep the front of the bottom rack from getting too hot to touch should door be opened during dry cycle. i would never have guessed that was the reason but it makes sense to me!

Post# 340532 , Reply# 24   4/7/2009 at 01:23 (5,470 days old) by soberleaf ()        
kinky!

that weird lookin kink in the calrod

and while were on the subject of frigidaire dishmobiles where do they get the 5 level wash? i see bottom spray, spray knob up, top spray back down, maybe a spray to the side off the knob but where is the fifth?


Post# 340539 , Reply# 25   4/7/2009 at 02:45 (5,470 days old) by alr2903 (TN)        

Nice frigidaires Gentlemen, please tell me the wattage of that 9 mile long calrod unit in the Frigidaires? My Mom was a Kenmore kind'a girl (D&M), with the round heating element. Back in the day the smaller D&M element got plenty HOT. That large element looks like more Zap than a oven? Thanks alr2903

Post# 340629 , Reply# 26   4/7/2009 at 11:48 (5,469 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ)        
Hot!

roto204's profile picture
Literally! I wondered if it was, like Drew suggested, to better accommodate the silverware basket, but I can see both sides. Of course, I also love that the wash arm passes under and sprays on it. Fun!

Yes, that wash tower is awesome. The innuendo opportunities are neverending :-P

Okay, so since you asked the $64,000 question regarding what, exactly, comprises the wash-level count, here is the verbage [slightly modified; it doesn't say "pee" anywhere] from the doctrine (which I will scan and post in full when I have a spare evening here, and when I can get the damned wireless scanner to work):

1.) The Bakelite wash arm is one
2.) The stainless-steel auxiliary wash arm is two
3.) The sideways action of the tower is three
4.) The upward-angled action of the tower is four
5.) The pee stream shot up to the constant-rinse disc ("spray impeller")--and the ensuing showering action--is five.

So, if you had a three-level wash machine, it would be wash arm, tower-side, tower-angled.

Four-level is wash-arm, tower-side, tower-angled, constant-rinse.

And five-level adds the auxiliary metal twirligig wash-arm, of course.

alr2903, I'll check the doctrine for the wattage when I get home tonight...the Calrod in this is very shiny and thin--it reminds me a lot of the one in the Asko I had.


Post# 340641 , Reply# 27   4/7/2009 at 12:18 (5,469 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        
oh god another one ;-)

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The wattage of the heating element is 950. It is energized during circulation periods and for the first 11 minutes of the dry cycle, then intermittently energized after the scavenger-drain through the end of the cycle - approx. 11 min.

It's interesting that they used the two different spray-tower designs - especially as much as Frigidaire seemed to like bellows!



Post# 340645 , Reply# 28   4/7/2009 at 12:38 (5,469 days old) by soberleaf ()        
scavenger drain?

i take it the scavenger drain is where the motor comes back on during the dry cycle to pump out any extra water that might have fallen off the dishes. never could understand the importance of that one, some of my kitchenaids do it too.

if it was me i would have just stated every cycle with a drain and a purge to get the incoming water hot like the older machines from the 50's and 60's did.


Post# 340658 , Reply# 29   4/7/2009 at 13:20 (5,469 days old) by soberleaf ()        
mine has

a 4 level wash it says, thanks for that info it was really interesting, luv all that dishwasher trivia stuff! life really is one big pots and pans cycle!

Post# 340691 , Reply# 30   4/7/2009 at 14:50 (5,469 days old) by rayjay (Carteret, New Jersey)        

My parents had A Frigidaire Portable similiar to this in the 70's. I think it was a Custom Imperial. It was a poor performer. Always something stuck on the flatware and dishes.

Now before that, in the mid 60's that had a Frigidaire Top loading machine. This machine was a much better performer.


Post# 340731 , Reply# 31   4/7/2009 at 18:46 (5,469 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ)        
Interesting

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I look forward to giving it the Nate Test and seeing where it falls on the performance spectrum. :-)

Pete, yes, the scavenge period is when it drains during dry to get rid of water that's fallen into the sump.


Post# 340738 , Reply# 32   4/7/2009 at 19:35 (5,469 days old) by dnastrau (Lords Valley, PA)        
GM Frigidaire dishwashers

That machine reminds me of the second Frigidaire my aunt and uncle had. The first was a '67 Custom Imperial that had a row of indicator lights on the front panel if memory serves. They had problems with it in the late '70's and replaced it with a model very similar to the one that you have here. It was lightly used and given to them by a friend. It died in 1990 and was replaced with a new KitchenAid Superba. That unit is still being used - and I keep telling them they need to keep it going!

Andrew S.


Post# 672756 , Reply# 33   4/14/2013 at 17:48 (4,001 days old) by kgd7966 ()        
I just bought one of these...and I have a few questions...

Hi,

I'm new to the site and to owning a (vintage) portable dishwasher. It's a Frigidaire Crown, and other than the name difference appears similar to the one in this posting.

It has a handle, which contains both the fill and drain hoses. That's where my question comes in...

How does the fill hose connect to the sink? It seems to be like the "quick-connect" things I have on my garden hoses, but there is nothing special to go on the sink end. Does it connect to a standard female end sink faucet?

I'd appreciate any assistance you can give!

- Ken


Post# 672781 , Reply# 34   4/14/2013 at 19:57 (4,001 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay)        

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Your local ACE, Home Depot or Lowe's has what you need.  Just ask for a portable dishwasher faucet adapter.  They are a standardized item and will fit your hose assembly.  Last time I bought one it was at Home Depot and I found it in the same aisle as the under sink supply line hoses.

 

Here's a picture:


Post# 672825 , Reply# 35   4/15/2013 at 01:31 (4,001 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)        

philr's profile picture

I often saw this thread but never posted in it since it was archived!   Great to see it resurrected!

 

Nate, did you keep any parts from this dishwasher? I'd really like to get a spare wash arm like that and maybe a few other things... 



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