Purges

I'd argue that the purges are far better for the motor and pump system long-term. It reduces cycle time, therefore reducing the overall time the motor is running per cycle, which adds up. The motor isn't under that much resistance while running under normal load for washing as it is, on top of being specifically designed for the load it's under. The motor also only runs for about 10 seconds for the purge in wash direction and about a minute in drain direction for the entire purge. That's negligible. I'd also argue that using heavier cycles repeatedly puts a lot more wear on a motor and the seal/bearing than the quick purge ever could. Keep in mind that these dishwashers weren't designed with the long run times in mind that newer dishwasher pumps are, and certainly nothing is designed to last forever. So to me, keeping the Heavy and PnP options reserved for loads that have actual heavy scorched and goopy soils reduces the wear and tear a bit.

I think making sure to use *good* quality detergents and rinse aid is far more important because they're A. going to clean better and leave behind odor and residue far less frequently, and B. are ultimately going to be better for the machine's components. Cheap detergents and pre-rinsing are a death wish for a DW's seals and motor bearing(s) and racks. And better detergent means less need for such heavy and aggressive cycles.

So for example, I had a load from two nights of dinner plus the breakfast and lunch dishes, but the main soil was goop from a cheesy pasta dish sauce with rice dried on, and tonight was spaghetti with sauce on plates and a stainless saucepan with some of the sauce scorched to the bottom from the eye still being hot after dipping out and putting the pan back down while we ate. Normal wash, no options as usual, with a Kroger Diamond pac (I'm usually Cascade all the way but gave these a try and have been quite impressed), and because of the tomato sauce, I added a 1/2 tsp of benzoyl peroxide, and just put the spoon right in the basket, and the pac in the bottom of the tub because the fill will dissolve it before the wash even starts. Main Wash-purge-final rinse and propping open to dry for about 30 min later, and these are the results. No stains, no tomatoey odor, nothing but a stray piece of rice that got stuck under the door lip.

All that to say that I think these older machines still shine with their standard cycles when paired with good additives and loading. The only small adjustment I make with this machine to give it a fair shot against newer machines is to drop the pac in the bottom when I know the main wash is the first thing straight into the cycle, so that it gets the full time for those enzymes to work. And because of only rarely using heavier cycles and options when they're actually justified, I feel I'm prolonging the life of my machine, because after all, no machine is going to last forever, and longer cycle times are going to equal more wear, especially over a collective year at a time. And so far that's paid off because this PC is 16 years old and still looks brand new, runs brand new, and hasn't the slightest scale build up or rusting racks or sounds of motor seal squeaks.

Photos... < > Photo 1 of 5 View Full Size


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Post# 1096236 11/7/2020 at 13:22 (1,258 days old) by IIIJohnnyMacIII (North Carolina)
Checkrate/Likes Are purges hard on dishwasher pumps? Would it be easier on the machine just wash and drain? Particularly, I’m asking for my PowerClean and would like to get as much longevity out of my 2006 machine. Thanks!

Post# 1096239 , Reply# 1 11/7/2020 at 13:51 (1,258 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)
Checkrate/Likes 4 *Are Purges Hard On DW Pumps ?* Hi, I can not imagine why a purge would hurt anything, the pump and motor is doing a lot less work than a full wash or rinse followed by draining. John L.

Post# 1096289 , Reply# 2 11/7/2020 at 21:48 (1,258 days old) by murando531 (Augusta, Georgia - US)
Checkrate/Likes 4 I'd argue that the purges are far better for the motor and pump system long-term. It reduces cycle time, therefore reducing the overall time the motor is running per cycle, which adds up. The motor isn't under that much resistance while running under normal load for washing as it is, on top of being specifically designed for the load it's under. The motor also only runs for about 10 seconds for the purge in wash direction and about a minute in drain direction for the entire purge. That's negligible. I'd also argue that using heavier cycles repeatedly puts a lot more wear on a motor and the seal/bearing than the quick purge ever could. Keep in mind that these dishwashers weren't designed with the long run times in mind that newer dishwasher pumps are, and certainly nothing is designed to last forever. So to me, keeping the Heavy and PnP options reserved for loads that have actual heavy scorched and goopy soils reduces the wear and tear a bit. I think making sure to use good quality detergents and rinse aid is far more important because they're A. going to clean better and leave behind odor and residue far less frequently, and B. are ultimately going to be better for the machine's components. Cheap detergents and pre-rinsing are a death wish for a DW's seals and motor bearing(s) and racks. And better detergent means less need for such heavy and aggressive cycles. So for example, I had a load from two nights of dinner plus the breakfast and lunch dishes, but the main soil was goop from a cheesy pasta dish sauce with rice dried on, and tonight was spaghetti with sauce on plates and a stainless saucepan with some of the sauce scorched to the bottom from the eye still being hot after dipping out and putting the pan back down while we ate. Normal wash, no options as usual, with a Kroger Diamond pac (I'm usually Cascade all the way but gave these a try and have been quite impressed), and because of the tomato sauce, I added a 1/2 tsp of benzoyl peroxide, and just put the spoon right in the basket, and the pac in the bottom of the tub because the fill will dissolve it before the wash even starts. Main Wash-purge-final rinse and propping open to dry for about 30 min later, and these are the results. No stains, no tomatoey odor, nothing but a stray piece of rice that got stuck under the door lip. All that to say that I think these older machines still shine with their standard cycles when paired with good additives and loading. The only small adjustment I make with this machine to give it a fair shot against newer machines is to drop the pac in the bottom when I know the main wash is the first thing straight into the cycle, so that it gets the full time for those enzymes to work. And because of only rarely using heavier cycles and options when they're actually justified, I feel I'm prolonging the life of my machine, because after all, no machine is going to last forever, and longer cycle times are going to equal more wear, especially over a collective year at a time. And so far that's paid off because this PC is 16 years old and still looks brand new, runs brand new, and hasn't the slightest scale build up or rusting racks or sounds of motor seal squeaks. Photos... < > Photo 1 of 5 View Full Size

Post# 1096294 , Reply# 3 11/7/2020 at 22:10 (1,258 days old) by Marky_mark (From Liverpool. Now living in Palm Springs and Dublin)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Andrew: interesting to see that you got great results when adding a small amount of benzoyl peroxide, to prevent tomato stains, along with the detergent with no prewash. Personally I haven’t tried that approach, so it’s nice to see the good result. I have only used benzoyl peroxide to remove stains (rather than to prevent them in the first place) and I have always added about 2 tablespoons to the prewash. For those who may not know, benzoyl peroxide was the active ingredient in Cascade Plastic Booster before they discontinued it.