Compact Dishwashers are perfect for Small Kitchen Spaces!

There's no need to keep scrubbing dirty dishes by hand when you can buy a machine to do the work for you. Most people equate dishwashers with the 24" size models built-in beneath the counter. But dishwasher selection is far greater than that! What do you think cleans the dishes in RVs and Boats?

If you're looking at the selection of compact dishwashers, you will find slim 18" models available as well as countertop models. In addition, portable dishwashers in 24" size and 18" size are also available.

18" dishwashers

These machines can be very useful when kitchen space is tight. However, these machines do not necessarily offer a bargain to consumers as they tend to cost as much as a low priced 24" dishwasher, which is to say $300 to $450. For selection, Miele makes an 18" model as does Kenmore.

You can also find portable models manufactured by Danby, Equator, Frigidaire, and Haier. These dishwashers are mobile and generally include either casters or a set of wheels. To operate you need to plug in, and hook up to the faucet.

For functionality, portable dishwashers can be extremely useful when there's no room for a built-in machine. When not in use, you can store the unit in a separate location; a closet or beneath the stairs. Additionally, portable models are equipped with a countertop which provides a nice surface for numerous kitchen tasks.

Countertop dishwashers

These compact dish cleaning machines are pretty much the smallest dishwashers available. Most are designed with microwave styling, and can be built-in or used portably. (see: http://www.dishwashers-select.com/countertop-dishwashers.htm )

Danby makes a nice countertop model, it includes a window and microwave styling. It also features a stainless steel interior and is energy efficient. Typically, you can wash about 4 place settings in the countertops.

Is this dishwasher your best option? These models can be very good in the right situation. However, if you have a family and kids, this appliance is far too small. On the other hand, if you have a limited number of dishes to wash, countertop models can be very useful!

Nicole Martins is author and researcher for DishwashersSelect. You can find about more about these manufacturers and others by visiting this site at: http://www.dishwashers-select.com

How To Identify Faults For Washing Machines Or Dishwashers Before You Call An Engineer

When you enter her house, the facial expression is really quite heart warming; she is pleased to see you. The only other time you see this is when the wife looks at you sometimes, its the pleading and eye flashing. "Darling!, the dog has done something on the carpet can you clear it up for me .....Darling! ......Sweetie?" This lady though, she's a stranger. Why is she being so well.....nice. "That looks a very heavy case, is that were you keep all your tools, you must be very strong." "Not at all." I say modestly. Why am I blushing? Funny how you always end up doing that tight little, half embarrassed laugh and lop sided grin when someone says something like that and you catch yourself thinking " Yer, she's right." "I really hope you can help me" she said. She turned and looked at me hope leaping in her eyes "I'm so lost without it" "Here it is" she said, leading me into the kitchen, and pointing. There it is indeed a washing machine, and its broken. The culture shock our women folk experience when the washing machine breaks down is quite breath taking. Might be due to the thought that a trek to the nearest stream and bashing the clothes on a rock could have something to do with it. I put my tool case down, gratefully, its heavy, I must be getting old. "What seems to be the problem?" "Well" she said, her face now turning into an expression of fierce concentration. "I think the thingomegig in the whatsisname is blocked and there's a lot of slushing about when this....this.... thingy" she said frustratingly waggling her finger in the direction of "The drum" I said helpfully. "Yes, that's it, the drum" she said. "I would be so grateful if you can help me get it working again, look at it all" I turned in the direction she was looking behind me. Yes, it was a lot of dirty washing. "Tell you what" I said my face brightening "How about us having a nice strong cup of tea"

That's how it is for me as a washing machine, dishwasher and tumble dryer engineer. Because this is what I do.The tea bit is a bit fanciful. No, I jest, my Customers are very good offering cups of tea and my customers are usually good at explaining what the fault is as well. However, a few extra tips from an engineers point of view might suffice to help you as a Customer to help me trace a fault quickly, it could be very helpful if as much information as possible is given to the build-up leading up to when the machine started to go wrong. If the fault description is not quite right, its easy to start at the wrong end of the problem and waste a lot of time.(a classic case of going round the moon to get to your .....well I'll leave it there!). Sometimes its difficult because you switch it on and walk away and you don't notice anything until it goes obviously horribly wrong. Take time out and observe exactly what's happening and at what point its happening.

Before you call an engineer there are some simple checks that you can do, which not only can help an engineer if you call one but, you never know, you might avoid calling him out at all. There are the obvious faults, of cause. If the machine is full of water and not draining, (also, this produces another symptom, the machine will not spin the clothes at the end of the wash programme, its not the spin function that's wrong its the fact that there's water still in the drum which will stop it spinning). Try this, some machines have a drain only function, this eliminates any noise from something else happening, like the drum turning for instance, if there isn't a drain only function select a spin and there should be a minute or two before the drum starts turning meanwhile you should hear the sound of the drain pump churning. Can you hear anything? No! then the drain pumps not working. If its a Yes! then there is a blockage somewhere.

The other obvious one is if nothing happens at all when you switch on, some machines have some form of 'mains on' indicator light, if its not on when you push the mains switch on then there is no power going to the machine. Check the mains electric socket that the machine uses, plug a table lamp into the socket, and see if you've got power to the machine. If not, check the fuse in the plug, sounds obvious, but its worth checking. If you've got power to the machine then its possibly the door switch on the door of the machine, so you would call an engineer for that.

If its being incredibly naughty and spilling water all over the floor (then you've got the Deluxe model there then..it cleans your floor as well!). Turn everything off like the water taps (usually under the sink) to the machine and unplug the mains plug, then call someone. That goes for the machine tripping safety switches or blowing electric mains fuses as well. What I mean is those faults that the machine is working but then stops or doesn't do something that it should. Try a few things out first, does the timer stop at the same point in the cycle? On electo-mechanical timer units (you can identify this type as the dial you set your programme with and clicks on a detent mechanism as you turn it around, and turns around as the wash programme advances). If it stops or the machine just carries on indefinitely doing the same function with the timer just sticking in the same place or you have to click the timer on one click and the machine carries on. Before you do that though, mark it with a pencil on the dial and on the corresponding part of the panel. Then the engineer can see the exact point the fault is occurring. This type of fault can indicate a heater or timer problem.

However, due to modern technical advances, mechanical timers are being replaced by electronic control devices, so you can't see at what point the programme is. Although some have a programme timer LED display, make a note of the time the display has when the fault occurs (or anything in the display for that matter) and also the programme you are using. Some of them cough up error codes on its LED display, these can be listed, to a limited degree in the operators handbook but they are not usually very comprehensive. The only thing you can do here (again first make a note of which programme the machine went wrong on) is to start a programme again, this time though try a 'Quick' or the shortest wash programme there is on a washing machine, if its a dishwasher again try a 'Quick' programme if its got one. Don't try the 'Rinse' programme because that doesn't heat the water and it might be a heating fault. Time how long into the cycle it goes before it stops or goes wrong or sometimes if it doesn't go wrong at all. To an engineer this can help to eliminate a few things. If you think it may be the water is not going into the machine on a washing machine or dishwasher, just loosen off the the hose connection into the back of the machine (don't disconnect it completely) and see if the water is coming through. Unfortunately, it does require heaving the the machine out to get at the back to do this. If it isn't check the shut off valve hasn't been turned off. Surprisingly, and not altogether uncommon, the valve to the machine can be turned off, for instance if you have just had a plumber round to do a job (or hubby), perhaps some work under the sink and his forgotten to turn the tap back on again.

If you have done all this, you've done two things. You have eliminated any possibility that there was something very simple and you can possibly fix it yourself, which has saved you an engineers call. And also the possibility if it turns out not to be the machine and its a house wiring problem, no power from the mains socket for instance, in which case you call an electrician. Or if its a water problem you call a plumber. And secondly, if you do call one you can explain to the engineer your diagnosis, and he'll make you a cup of tea!

Or indeed if your not that energetic, just call someone out anyway, lay back and let me do it. Contact me on my website at http://www.jefffservice.co.uk to find out what I charge and if I'm in your area. Then ring, fax or e-mail me to arrange a call and you can tell me, armed with all the information I've given you, exactly what the fault is!

After being made redundant in 1992 after 13 years as a computer engineer, I decided I'd try going self-employed (I could make myself redundant then, save somebody else telling me!) I turned to training myself up on running a small business and becoming a Domestic Appliance engineer.

Dishwasher Secrets - Make It Clean Perfectly

As a service company we are constantly asked, “Why doesn’t my dishwasher clean better”. To this query we offer the following insights and suggestions.

Whenever we diagnose a “poor cleaning” complaint the main things we want to know are:

1)Is the water hot enough, 2)are you using a proper detergent, 3) are you using a rinse additive, and 4) your loading practices.

1 Water temperature

Most manufacturers suggest a minimum 120 Fahrenheit for the dishwasher to begin the cleaning process, 140 to remove food soiling, and 155 to sanitize and remove bacteria. In restaurants they boost the dishwasher temperature to 180 Fahrenheit to satisfy health requirements. Consumers misunderstanding these requirements have led to problems for the household dishwasher.

In a dishwasher the temperature of the wash water is paramount. Unfortunately, It is now common to find household water temperatures of 100 Fahrenheit, or less.

Many people have lowered their household water temperature in an effort to be conscientious consumers. Yes, it lowers electrical consumption. Unfortunately it has other consequences.

Manufacturers say it does not provide enough heat to clean dishes properly and can leave them covered in bacteria and food residue. Supporters of lower water temperatures claim it is both environmentally friendly and necessary to protect children from any possibility of scalding at bath time.

One of the latest ideas is a mixing valve added to hot water tanks. It is preset and will not allow temperatures in excess of 115 Fahrenheit. It does this by mixing cold water with the hot to maintain this preset maximum.

This debate over hot water tank temperatures has resulted in a catch 22 type scenario. Lower the temperature to lower consumption and be more child safe, but end up leaving bacteria on the plates we use to eat.

Low water temperature can also affect the cycle length. If too low the dishwasher may keep stopping to try and heat the water. A normal cycle of 40 minutes could be extended to 2 or 3 hours with all the heating delays. Some dishwashers may stall completely.

2 Using proper detergent

We always suggest you use a name brand detergent. A good detergent is always worth the price. So stay away from those that are super inexpensive, or ones that claims to clean the dishes plus everything else in the house. If unsure, ask your neighbours what they use.

Gel or crystal, the choice is yours. Both seem to work equally well. Whichever form you prefer the one thing we always stress is, “when you find one that works for you stick with it … even if it costs more than others”.

Crystal is less messy, while gel will dissolve quicker with the water. If your water temperature is low (as described above) gel may be a choice because it will mix better.

If using crystal detergent be aware that it can pick up moisture from the air. When this happens it will swell up and become lumpy or harden. These lumps will be difficult to break down and will not fully dissolve. If at cycle’s end you see detergent left inside it may be evidence of hardened crystals.

Additional evidence of moisture buildup can be seen if the box itself appears to be swollen. If seen, replace immediately with a fresh box.

A box of detergent should be consumed within 2-3 months. If not throw it away and buy a new one. Match the box size to your needs. Do not buy a large box just because it is on sale. If you have to throw most of it away, it wasn’t much of a bargain.

Some detergent manufacturers now offer a product that combines the detergent with the rinse additive. Others offer a detergent that includes a special grease-dissolving agent. Still others are in a tab form, or inside a dissolvable plastic pouch.

Also dishwashing detergent and dishwasher detergent are not interchangeable. Trying to do so will cause problems. Each type of detergent is formulated to do a specific job.

“Dishwashing detergent” is the one used to wash dishes in the sink is. It is definitely not meant for the dishwasher. Anyone who has ever mistakenly put it into the dishwasher can attest to the mess this will produce. The beating action of the water will produce massive amounts of suds. This results in the dishwasher flooding out the door and across the kitchen floor.

So the moral of this tale is: “Don’t confuse dishwashing with dishwasher”.

3 Rinse additive

This is something that gets forgotten once the free sample bottle that came with the dishwasher has been used.

Its job is to make the water run off the dishes faster so they can dry quicker. Without it there would be little beads of water on everything at the end of the cycle. Glasses especially would appear to be water stained or be left with a gritty residue. So if poor cleaning is a problem, check the rinse additive level.

But remember, only one or two drops are added per load. A few ounces of rinse additive lasts a very long time. Such a long time those customers often think it is not being added, and blame the additive for problems it has nothing to do with

To refill, look on the dishwasher door for a cap or plug that is removable. It is often overlooked because the time between fill ups can be months. Also, the appliance manufacturers could help solve this problem if more of them added some sort of “Hey, I’m empty” indicator.

Frigidaire dishwashers have a neat little indicator. Right next to the soap dispenser is a clear plastic eye that changes colour when the additive is empty. So every time you add detergent to the machine you also see this eye staring back at you. White if empty, and black if full. Simple, effective, and smart.

4 Proper loading

Lastly, don’t forget that how you load the dishes can drastically affect how well they are cleaned.

Proper loading will allow the water to penetrate all the nooks and crannies. Try the following suggestions:

· Cups and glasses on the top rack with bottoms up

· Plates on the bottom rack all facing the same direction

· Bowls either rack, but all facing the same direction

· Utensils in the utensil holder in a mixed fashion (some knives, forks, spoons together in each compartment) to allow gaps between them

· Large items, such as a spatulas, laying down on top rack

· Pots bottom up wherever space allows (on their side okay if positioned so that water will drain out)

Placing the dishes and utensils in an orderly manner really does make for a better wash. It allows the water sprays to penetrate the dishes thoroughly. Try it … it works.

The analogy I offer customers is: If you were going on a car trip would you pack the car efficiently, or just open the doors and throw everything inside so that the passengers had to fight with the luggage. I think you get the picture.

Dishwasher efficiency

If your dishwasher is having a mechanical problem the result may show up as poor cleaning. Anything from low water pressure, broken pump, not draining fully, or even a blocked filter could be the cause.

So how do you know if the machine needs repair? You don’t. But, by checking all the previous problems first a lot of the more common causes of poor cleaning can be easily eliminated.

Also, you have probably heard this a million times before, but before telephoning for service read you owner’s manual. It can include some valuable information. It will usually give you a checklist of items to test before calling for service.

Summing up

You now know what is needed to make the dishes come out of the dishwasher sparkling clean. Hot water, good detergent, rinse additive, and proper loading practices. That’s it – that’s all. Provide all four of these things to the dishwasher and your cleaning success is guaranteed.

So load up the machine, go get yourself a liquid refreshment, put your feet up and let the dishwasher do all the work.Donald Grummett is an appliance service manager in Ottawa, Canada. In the trade over 30 years as both a technician and business owner. For more information about appliances including FAQ, Stain guide, Recycle, and Newsletter visit http://www.mgservices.ca