Thread Number: 65606
/ Tag: Modern Dishwashers
Questions about an 18 inch wide dishwasher. |
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Post# 881980   5/24/2016 at 17:00 (2,865 days old) by rpms (ontario canada)   |   | |
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First, I have always wanted one. I first saw an 18 inch wide dishwasher about 20 years ago and thought it was so cute.
I just bought a 5th wheel trailer and have washed the dishes in the sink twice. I hate washing dishes by hand and it is pretty hard in a sink the size of a thimble. I noticed there was room at the end of the counter that would accommodate an 18 inch wide dishwasher. How hard is it to put a cord on a built in dishwasher? The hydro is being provided by a gas generator for the trailer. I found this dishwasher on the side of the road this morning. The dishwasher gods must be smiling down on me. It was free and the sign on it says it works. How good are these dishwashers at cleaning? I have never been impressed with the pop up towers. I was suprised to see a filter thing in the bottom. Does the water heating happen only when the button is pushed or does it do it automatically in the final rinse? Can a generator handle a dishwasher that heats water? I am not expecting fantastic results, just want to get away from the mess. Any suggestions on removing the rust? I am impressed with the size of the cutlery basket. Any tips and suggestions are greatly appreciated. |
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Post# 881985 , Reply# 1   5/24/2016 at 17:21 (2,865 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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As that was our previous dishwasher.
Though badged Kenmore the dw in question was built by Frigidaire. They were the only ones at that time making 18" wide portable and built in dishwashers besides Miele and a few other Europeans IIRC. Purchased the unit around early 1990's and it ran until about a year or more ago until it finally died. You can search the archives for my posts on that sorry subject. Oddly at that time when shopping for an 18" dishwasher CR rated the Kenmore higher than the Frigidaire which was odd since they both were made by the latter. Like you needed something that fit into a small space and unit fit the bill. Cleaning wise, again you can read various posts in the archives regarding these units. Long story short better than washing by hand but only just for certain things. Forget pots and pans regardless of that cycle. Unless you are doing very small ones and or are prepared to run a cycle for just one or two such things it won't be worth the bother. Because of the narrow with and the configuration of lower rack to accommodate that tower you'll be limited as to what goes in the lower rack, more so if you also use load the top one as well. Weakness of these units is that the tower spray design often left much to be desired cleaning wise, especially on the upper rack. Glassware, cups and so forth especially those placed in corners often emerged with yibbles both inside and out. This comes from the force of lower spray arm and tower not being powerful enough with the design to reach deep into corners up high. Water heating is only in the main wash cycle and yes, the unit will hold the cycle until proper temperature is reached. Sometimes during the warmer months of the year when the boilers aren't making heat the hot water was weak. That or someone was having a spa day in showers and hogging up all the hot water. Thus incoming tap water was <120F. Machine would run for a "LONG" time for the main wash under such circumstances until the thermostat was satisfied. You'd hear a click and then the timer would release and move onto the next part of wash. All in all not a bad dishwasher. Again ours lasted for > ten years but when you consider it was only used once or twice a week on average is that really saying something? The tub is plastic so after checking if the thing has any leaks you can do one or more washes with any good dishwasher cleaner. That should remove some or all of the discoloration along with clearing out any hard water mineral buildup. If the staining was caused by water with a high iron content you may never get it back to pristine white. Failing this you can always go in there with some sort of scrubbing agent and "gently" see if things can be improved. However you'll have to run enough cycles afterwards to clean things out. |
Post# 881996 , Reply# 3   5/24/2016 at 18:52 (2,865 days old) by whatsername (Denver, CO)   |   | |
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Post# 882041 , Reply# 4   5/25/2016 at 04:45 (2,865 days old) by chachp (North Little Rock, AR)   |   | |
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I don't recall issues with how it cleaned. The real issue is what it held and that tower in the middle. It was already difficult to put large items in because the racks are smaller but then once they threw the tower in the middle that pretty much synchs the deal. Is it better than nothing? Absolutely!! Especially if this trailer is a summer home or something you use occasionally. I wouldn't want one again as a daily driver though.
I think the one I had was a Westinghouse branded machine. |
Post# 882049 , Reply# 5   5/25/2016 at 06:51 (2,865 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Pots and Pans - Wash, Rinse, Rinse, Wash, Rinse, Dry
Normal - Wash, Rinse, Wash, Rinse, Dry Water Miser - Wash, Rinse, Dry Rarely used the heated dry since left things until next morning and most all were dry. Only if pushed busy wise and needed dishes. As pointed out in threads about my Frigidaire 18" DW many parts of these units came from their larger sibling, including the detergent cup. Do not use high foaming dishwasher detergent like some tabs. Could only use one-half of an Electrasol (later Finish) tab without causing so much foam you could hear the motor and pump straining. |
Post# 882067 , Reply# 6   5/25/2016 at 07:56 (2,865 days old) by mayken4now (Panama City, Florida)   |   | |
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Post# 882076 , Reply# 7   5/25/2016 at 08:51 (2,865 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Did that with my unit and the plastic filter grating became soft as if "melting", and also had a strange whiff.
Long story short wanted to run a cleaning/descaling cycle and since had a bottle of Iron Out" sitting under the sink...... Reset the machine for another series of cycles and the smell went away and while the grate seemed to firm up and otherwise was not harmed, didn't repeat that experiment again. |
Post# 882122 , Reply# 8   5/25/2016 at 15:21 (2,864 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room)   |   | |
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It's been so long since I used a dishwasher [sound of sobbing in background]... But looking at Launderess's cycle info above, I'm sort of amazed that there was only one rinse after the wash... It seems like a DW I used years ago had at least a couple, and I'd think a couple would be a good idea to make sure all the detergent is gone bye-bye.
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Post# 882150 , Reply# 9   5/25/2016 at 18:14 (2,864 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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To cope with the yibble issue.....
Cannot be sure when it began but one rinse after main wash became pretty normal IIRC. Water (energy) savings I suppose. My MM OTOH does two rinses after the wash but both are rather short. That DW truly would make a tree hugger sit down and weep for the amount of water it uses. |
Post# 882166 , Reply# 10   5/25/2016 at 19:30 (2,864 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room)   |   | |
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Another thing I noted was the loss of a 2nd wash period on at least some newer dishwashers. (I'm guessing "some"is probably more likely "all" given today's realities...but I've not seen/used many new designs, so I can't say for sure.)
I'm sure the MM does use enough water to make a tree hugger want to go deep into the old growth forest, and hug a tree, while weeping gently... I'm also sure the MM does a better job of washing dishes than most modern "3 drops of water and call it good" designs. But the really wasteful way of washing, to my mind, is washing dishes by hand. Running a full load of dishes in a vintage DW probably results in less water used per dish than in typical hand washing. |
Post# 882167 , Reply# 11   5/25/2016 at 19:42 (2,864 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Post# 882177 , Reply# 12   5/25/2016 at 21:45 (2,864 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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Post# 882178 , Reply# 13   5/25/2016 at 21:56 (2,864 days old) by whirlykenmore78 (Prior Lake MN (GMT-0500 CDT.))   |   | |
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Post# 882180 , Reply# 14   5/25/2016 at 22:43 (2,864 days old) by ilovewindex (Tualitan OR)   |   | |
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I would hunt one of these down and retrofit it some how... The top rack might be dinky but hey, you have a full bottom rack...
I've also seen the ovens pulled out, a cooktop put in and either a dishdrawer or a countertop unit put in its place CLICK HERE TO GO TO ilovewindex's LINK |
Post# 882182 , Reply# 15   5/25/2016 at 23:07 (2,864 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)   |   | |
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Friends of mine long ago, across the street, had a very narrow dishwasher, likely to be of this 18" dimensions we speak, and for all I know a Kenmore, since I can vividly remember the design of the knob being such, but then again, their double-oven hi-Lo gas range was a Roper, so given that it made D/W's for Sears, it may also likely be such...
It was a portable, but running from that corner next to the stove, and with the narrow pantry that would be ordinarily be running downward, only limited to a split-in-half top portion over it, was most-likely handily plumbed in--as was such just about every dishwasher was on that side of the street from what I've seen, and even a few on my side, who didn't have a true built in--except us: we had to move ours, hook it up and then disconnect afterwards rolling it back, and a standard 24", at that... -- Dave |
Post# 882220 , Reply# 16   5/26/2016 at 07:36 (2,864 days old) by vacerator (Macomb, Michigan)   |   | |
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if DM ever made an 18 inch DW, but most that I have seen regardless of the brand were obviously White Consolidated Frigidaire with identical interiors. |
Post# 882238 , Reply# 17   5/26/2016 at 10:12 (2,863 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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D&M not only made 18" DWs but they invented 18" DWs in this country, starting around all 18" DWs sold here were D&M through and through one glance tells that, many parts were interchangeable with their 24" models.
The 18" DW at the start of this thread is the 2nd generation 18" D&M style DW, this DW was widely sold in this country under many different brand names, WCI had bought D&M by the time these came out.
None of these 18" DWs are great machines, but as Laundress mentioned it sure beats not having a DW at all, I would go for it. |
Post# 882247 , Reply# 18   5/26/2016 at 11:55 (2,863 days old) by RevvinKevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land)   |   | |
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About a hundred years ago when I was still living at home, I talked my mom into buying a Kenmore 18" portable dishwasher, as we had none prior to this. Of the two models available, we chose the "upper end" model which had 2 spray arms (instead of 1), 4 or 5(?) cycle options (instead of 1), a rinse agent dispenser, "plastic" chrome buttons & timer knob, plus a butcher block top. Being a Kenmore, it was of course a D&M.
As I remember, it cleaned well as long as it was loaded correctly. The only real issue was, being just 18" wide, the spray arms had to be short enough to clear the width, but of course weren't long enough to fully reach the far front and far back of the racks.
It worked well for maybe 8 or 10(??) years until something went wrong, but I don't remember exactly what that was (a leak perhaps?). It was replaced by a portable Maytag reverse rack which rarely get used any more.
Kevin This post was last edited 05/26/2016 at 17:24 |
Post# 882281 , Reply# 19   5/26/2016 at 17:00 (2,863 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room)   |   | |
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>None of these 18" DWs are great machines, but as Laundress mentioned it sure beats not having a DW at all, I would go for it.
And Lord Kenmore, whose dishwasher is but a sink and his hands, knows all too well about "beats not having a DW at all." LOL Although I have to admit having read this thread (and older one in which Launderess recounts the drama of her 18" WCI DW's Last Days) that I'm not sure I'd seek one of these out! |
Post# 882282 , Reply# 20   5/26/2016 at 17:01 (2,863 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room)   |   | |
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Post# 882285 , Reply# 21   5/26/2016 at 17:21 (2,863 days old) by vacerator (Macomb, Michigan)   |   | |
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Kenmore 24 inch DM dishwasher from about 1972 was still working when they remodeled in the late 80's and my dad put in a new one by Whirlpool. |
Post# 882300 , Reply# 22   5/26/2016 at 19:32 (2,863 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Post# 882338 , Reply# 23   5/27/2016 at 06:09 (2,863 days old) by vacerator (Macomb, Michigan)   |   | |
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and Kenmore dishwashers by DM had left to right lever door latches. Those by Whirlpool back then had lift to unlatch mechanisms. Today, some still have the lift latch, and some are just push to close, and solenoid latched. |
Post# 882343 , Reply# 24   5/27/2016 at 07:31 (2,863 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)   |   | |
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Post# 882463 , Reply# 25   5/28/2016 at 06:58 (2,862 days old) by vacerator (Macomb, Michigan)   |   | |
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dishwashers were DM's. also. |
Post# 882535 , Reply# 27   5/28/2016 at 18:56 (2,861 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Timer will hold the main wash cycle until set temperature is reached. Well one assumes that is so because (again) when incoming water was very cool the thing would run for what seemed like ages in main wash until one heard the "click", indicating thermostat was satisfied, then timer would be released.
After such a long wash even if cool water for the first (and only) rinse is used things remain warm enough inside for non-heat drying. Especially if a good rinse agent is used and things left to sit for several hours. Of course there is the option of using heated dry..... Wash water draining out of our old Kenmore 18" was hot to very. Know this because would often watch as the steamy water was discharged into sink. In fact during winter when the boilers where on for heat (and thus hot tap water is often >150F), am sure water was heated to near 170F or above. In contrast the Mobile Maid can barely keep 140F water at that temp for the duration of a seemingly short wash cycle. Again know this from observing water drain. Between the puny heater and lack of tub insulation saying the main wash cycle on MM "heats" water is being rather generous. More like keeps it from turning ice cold. |
Post# 882888 , Reply# 28   5/30/2016 at 18:52 (2,859 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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IIRC IKEA sold a kit that allowed you to take a 18" Miele dishwasher and essentially make it portable. Something like a cabinet with wheels again IIRC.
Miele was one of the few (if not only) high end brand of dishwasher that came in an 18" footprint, but sadly only as a built in, not portable. Asko, and I believe AEG sold counter-top dishwashers that were American versions of those sold in Europe as well. Needless to say the Miele 18" dw was and is streets ahead of the WCI made Frigidaire/Kenmore units. |
Post# 882928 , Reply# 29   5/31/2016 at 00:50 (2,859 days old) by ilovewindex (Tualitan OR)   |   | |
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2 kenmore 18"s.. the ones i grew up with people stuffing in trailers
CLICK HERE TO GO TO ilovewindex's LINK
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Post# 882929 , Reply# 30   5/31/2016 at 00:53 (2,859 days old) by ilovewindex (Tualitan OR)   |   | |
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someone requested a caloric!
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Post# 882930 , Reply# 31   5/31/2016 at 01:03 (2,859 days old) by ilovewindex (Tualitan OR)   |   | |
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18" Current Models:
Edgestar, SPT, Frigidaire, Kenmore/Kenmore Elite, GE, Danby, Bosch, Miele, Haier, SMEG, Summit, Avanti, Midea and Whirlpool outside the Bosch and Miele, they ALL LOOK very similar... CLICK HERE TO GO TO ilovewindex's LINK |
Post# 883730 , Reply# 32   6/6/2016 at 19:28 (2,852 days old) by rpms (ontario canada)   |   | |
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I got the dishwasher to the trailer on the front seat of the car. No big deal fitting it in.
I got a cord and plug put on it. I tested it for leaks and it is bone dry. A friend of mine was over and wanted to see how things were going. We got the generator hooked up on the deck and plugged in the dishwasher. It works and lights up. I am having a small problem with it. All it wants to do is drain. It has quite a force to it too. It is probably my fault because we were not allowing it enough time to advance. I poured a bucket of water in till the float came up. As soon as i advanced the cycle and shut the door the dishwasher spit it right out. I am assuming it pumps out before starting a cycle? Will the dishwasher suck in water with the copper pipe attached? The pipe was long enough to go down into a large pail of water. I noticed a connection hole beside the drain hose. Could you attach a hose to the tap? Should I just turn it on, let it pump and wait for a bit to let the timer advance if it was filling then add water? I getting mocked quite badly in a gay campground for having a dishwasher in a trailer. I thought they would be all so understanding and envious? C.L.R did an amazing job removing the rust. I need help to shut those Queens up with the red,scaly hands. |
Post# 883746 , Reply# 34   6/7/2016 at 00:26 (2,852 days old) by delaneymeegan (Midwest)   |   | |
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In a gay campground WITH a dishwasher ? It sounds like heaven. Those queens are just jealous. Imagine that.
The hose needs to be up at least 24" off the ground, or the water will siphon out, at least on the older models. Typically the motor spins one way for wash, then reverses to drain. If you advance the dial too fast, the motor doesn't have time enough to stop and will continue spinning in the same direction.
The first 18 inchers came out around 1978. That's the first time Sears shows them in the catalog.
A friend's mother bought this model in coffee color and it had gold racks and door seal.
Would like to see a picture of yours cleaned up. Oh, and some pics of the park, and the queens that are harassing you. lol. |
Post# 883761 , Reply# 35   6/7/2016 at 06:30 (2,852 days old) by brucelucenta ()   |   | |
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I remember that sears had these and the ones with two spray arms worked pretty well. |
Post# 883762 , Reply# 36   6/7/2016 at 07:18 (2,852 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)   |   | |
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Still can't remember the make of this narrow dishwasher & still the 1st of its kind I remember seeing, and in the 1973 to 1978, that my friend lived in my old neighborhood and I'd been going to his house regularly & seeing the same appliance set-up (and making quite a lot of dramatic changes, from the time he & his family moved out & another friend of mine moved in, then left, and another family or two had taken over (with the kitchen remodeled waaaayyyy above & beyond typical Kenosha Street in Oak Park, just to it one having burned down & be built-again) but I'm betting Caloric or at least a Roper like the Hi-Lo double-oven gas stove...
-- Dave |
Post# 883787 , Reply# 37   6/7/2016 at 09:50 (2,852 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Cannot recall exactly all but am sure the dw purges before all cycles.
Still have the original papers (owner's manual, parts list, Energy Star sticker, etc...) from Sears that came with my (now gone) machine so could look the information. Yeah, am sort of a pack rat; anyone want to make something of it? *LOL* |
Post# 883789 , Reply# 38   6/7/2016 at 09:56 (2,852 days old) by delaneymeegan (Midwest)   |   | |
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Yes, the one in the picture had two cute wash arms, just like the mid line 24 inchers. So the bottom rack was full.
I still remember loading my friends dw. They had hard water which is never good for a dishwasher. It got scaled quickly. It was a portable and the hoses came out the back, not the top. And they could easily get pinched because there was less space to move compared to the 24" models. It also had little balancing feet that slid out the front about 10", on either side, when you opened the door. I remember that because one of them would get stuck OUT, and you'd have to tap it and it would spring back in. The rubber seal in the quick connect, with all the gunk from the hard water, quickly became worn and it would leak profusely. They quickly gave up on using the dw (they weren't lucky with appliances).
I picked up a mid 80s model, also from the curb, back in the mid 90s. It was a built-in and it worked fine. I still don't know why they got rid of it. It had hard water scale as well. It had the black background and chrome metal ends on the control panel. |
Post# 883792 , Reply# 39   6/7/2016 at 10:14 (2,851 days old) by cuffs054 (MONTICELLO, GA)   |   | |
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When the "family" at my camp ground mocked my dish washer, I installed an ice maker! Now whose G & T's are the coldest and in the cleanest glass! |
Post# 883794 , Reply# 40   6/7/2016 at 10:27 (2,851 days old) by cuffs054 (MONTICELLO, GA)   |   | |
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Something I never understood about push button, mechanical timer units. If you latch the door and turn to PP the units will start regardless of which cycle button is pushed. What do the buttons actually modify, beside hot wash, cool dry? |
Post# 883823 , Reply# 41   6/7/2016 at 14:47 (2,851 days old) by vacerator (Macomb, Michigan)   |   | |
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one couple in Fenville Mi. at Camp-It has Tiffany lamps and chandeliers in their fifth wheel, as well as a washer and dryer. Landscaping, rose bushes, and a pond. |
Post# 883839 , Reply# 42   6/7/2016 at 18:10 (2,851 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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IIRC on my Kenmore if you pushed "Normal Wash" but turned the dial to "Pots and Pans" or "Heavy Soil" nothing would happen. Ditto if you did things in reverse.
Thus am thinking the buttons deactivated portions of the timer, or in the case of drying and water heating activating the coil at bottom of tank. |
Post# 883862 , Reply# 43   6/7/2016 at 20:16 (2,851 days old) by cuffs054 (MONTICELLO, GA)   |   | |
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Launderss, I would have expected the same. But both the GE nautilus (what a huge POS) and the 40yr old kenmore in the mini manse just go ahead and start. |
Post# 884810 , Reply# 44   6/12/2016 at 22:30 (2,846 days old) by rpms (ontario canada)   |   | |
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I love the comment about getting an ice maker. A GE Americana in harvest gold would be nice. Very George and Weezy Jefferson.
Launderess,would it be possible for you to scan or email me the instructions? I know my Viking/G.E built in used different amounts of water for the washes and rinses. I would also love to see the instructions on how to load the bottom rack especially with pots and pans. I am going to the trailer this weekend and hope to run a load in the dishwasher. Turns out there are three more people in the park that have dishwashers in their trailers. I must get chatting with them and see how they are connected. |
Post# 884815 , Reply# 45   6/12/2016 at 23:22 (2,846 days old) by delaneymeegan (Midwest)   |   | |
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