Tag Archives: dishwasher tips

Do I Need A Dishwasher? Dishwasher Repair Experts Answer

Many homeowners term dishwashers as the most expendable kitchen appliances as the act of cleaning dishes is a mere convenience. After all, you can clean the dishes with your hands, right?

According to dishwasher repair professionals, owning a dishwasher isn’t all about convenience—it comes with plenty of other benefits. If you are asking, do I need a dishwasher? Here are some of the reasons you should get one:

Dishwashers save time

The time you spend to load the dishes in the dishwasher and hit the start button is minuscule compared to washing and rinsing every bowl, plate, knife, or fork by hand.

Since you have more time in your hands when you clean the dishes with your dishwasher, you can spend the extra time engaging in other activities such as spending time with friends and family, reading, knitting, or tackling other house chores.

Dishwashers are more hygienic.

When cleaning the dishes by hand, you use old sponges that are usually hotbeds for Salmonella and E.coli known to cause food poisoning. Washing the dishes with a dishwasher is an entire ballgame. Since the appliances use hot water, they kill all the germs, which leave your dishes clean and sterilized.

Modern appliances even have the HygienePlus function that ensures maximum hygiene by killing 99.9% of germs. They achieve this by rinsing the dishes at temperatures of up to 70 degrees Celcius.

You can’t do this when cleaning dishes by hand, can you?

Dishwashers save you money.

You might think we are mad when we say dishwashers save money, but this is the case. According to the EPA, most faucets use 2.2 gallons of water per minute.

Dishwashers, on the other hand, use 3 gallons of water per normal wash cycle. So unless you have superpowers and you can clean all the dishes in under two minutes, the dishwasher has got you beat already.

You might argue that dishwashing machines use energy, so you save on your power bill, but a recent study showed that just 10 hand-washing sessions use more energy than needed to build a dishwasher.

Dishwashers save your skin.

The constant act of hand washing your dishes leaves your hands rough and dry, or even cracked and bleeding if you have a commercial kitchen. When using the dishwasher, the work is done by the machine—not you.

This is relieving, especially if you have a large kitchen or suffer from arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome.

When cleaning the dishes, you are at more risk of dropping your dish or knife, which not only increases the chances of breaking your precious and expensive dishes, it also increases your chances of getting hurt.

Dishwashers are stress reducers.

Many people hate doing dishes. I remember growing up and doing the dishes was the prominent bone of contention between my brother and I. We used to pile the plates up, and I know this is the case with most homeowners.

A recent study showed a direct link between the amount of clutter in the house and stress levels. As the mess piles up, the more stressed someone gets. So when you procrastinate on cleaning the dishes, and you let them pile up, you increase your stress levels.

With a dishwasher, you are less likely to put off cleaning the dishes as you only need to put the dishes in the dishwasher and press the start button.

Dishwasher tips

While dishwashers bring plenty of benefits to the table, you need to use them properly to get the most from them. Some of the tips to consider include:

Keep your dishwasher clean: A dirty dishwasher means dirty dishes, so work at keeping your dishwasher as clean as possible. Every few days, remove the screen and filter then clean your appliance.

Load the dishwasher properly: You need to load your appliance properly for it to clean the dishes properly. The cups should go in the top rack, plates, and bowls on the bottom rack, pots, pans, and baking dishes angled properly for water to reach the inside, and stagger the dishes, so they don’t nest together.

Always aim for a full load: When cleaning the dishes, always aim to run the dishwasher when you have a full load. According to appliance repair Fairfax professionals, this ensures you get the most of the water, energy, and detergent.

Is It Hard To Install A Dishwasher? Dishwasher Repair Experts Explain

Dishwasher Repair

You move to a new home and find there is no dishwasher, and you don’t want to wash the dishes with your hands. Is it hard to install a dishwasher? You wonder.

Dishwasher installation involves electrical, plumbing, and carpentry work. If there was already a dishwasher in place before, it’s plug and play, but if you are installing the appliance for the first time, there is a lot of work to be done and I wouldn’t recommend it to a newbie who has never done similar work before. Hire a dishwasher repair expert to help with the installation instead.

If you are a DIY ninja and don’t mind handling the dirty work, you should go ahead and do the work. To attain perfect results, follow these steps:

Turn off the water and electricity in the kitchen.

To avoid accidents, turn off water and electricity in your kitchen. Find the location of your home’s breaker box and turn off the electricity in your kitchen. You also should find the location of your home’s shutoff valve and turn it off too.

Determine how the dishwasher will drain

Even if you are installing the appliance in your home, you need to ensure it adheres to the local building codes and ordinances. Begin with figuring out how your dishwasher will drain. The common way the appliance drains is by plugging directly into the waste disposal system. The appliance can also drain directly to the water supply pipe under the sink.

If the house is old, contact a professional plumber and ask them to come out and ensure your setup adheres to your state’s requirements.

Evaluate your current setup

You should connect dishwashers to a grounded branch circuit. This means they should be permanently grounded, or they should come with a grounding power cord. You can sometimes wire the dishwasher directly to the wall instead of plugging into an outlet. While in other cases, you can’t.

Before you install the appliance, you need to know how to connect it according to the state’s ordinances.

Working with electrical wires is no walk in the park, so if you aren’t confident in your electrical skills, let an experienced and certified electrician handle the work.

Read the instruction manual.

If everything is still okay, now it’s time to read the instruction manual. The manual will tell you everything you need to know to set up the dishwasher and get it going properly. After reading the instructions, lay the dishwasher on its side, then connect the drain hose to the drain port and secure it with a hose clamp.

You should then connect the water supply line to the water inlet and tighten the connection with an adjustable wrench and locking pliers. Once you are done, connect the power cord on the electrical terminus then tighten all the lugs.

Move the dishwasher into position.

To place the appliance into the alcove, you need to turn the dishwasher upright and slide it towards the alcove while you feed the drain hose, water line, and power cord. You should pull the hoses and cords through as you gradually slide the dishwasher fully into the alcove. If the dishwasher is large, you might need someone to help you put it into place.

Once the appliance is in place, open the door, place a level on the floor and adjust the front feet to level your appliance. Once level, screw it to the underside of your countertop.

Connect the drain hose

Here you need to fit a hose onto the inlet port and secure it with a hose clamp. If your dishwasher doesn’t have an air gap, secure the drain hose to the underside of the countertop with a hose bracket before connecting it to the disposal or tailpiece.

Hook up the water and connect the power

Once everything is in place, screw the water hose to the free port and tighten the connection with an adjustable wrench or locking pliers. You should then turn on the shutoff valve and check for leaks.

You should then connect the circuit wire to the wires inside the dishwasher’s electrical box following the manufacturer’s wiring diagram. Make the connections with wire nuts.

It’s up to you

As you can see, it’s not an easy feat to properly install a dishwasher. If you feel you can handle all the work, hire a reputable appliance repair Northern VA expert to do the work.

Dishwasher Repair: Factors To Consider When Installing A Dishwasher

appliance repiar

Are you looking to install a dishwasher in your home or place of work? There are plenty of factors you should consider to install it properly. Some of these things, as given by dishwasher repair professionals, include:

Water supply

For the dishwasher to function optimally, it needs hot water. The closest source of water is under the sink. Replace the shutoff valve with a new one that connects both the sink and dishwasher to the hot water line.

The new valve, also known as angle stop, will have a vertical outlet supplying hot water to the dishwasher. You should use a long braided wire hose for connection. You can find the hose from hardware stores, supply homes, or home centers.

Remember, you may have to drill a hole in the side of the cabinet to route the hose from the shutoff valve to the dishwasher opening.

Drain line

Most dishwashers come with a hose used to connect them to the drain under the sink. Usually, the hose is connected to an inlet in the garbage disposal. Since you don’t have one and don’t want one, you will need to do simple plumbing.

Water empties from the sink through a strainer and into a tailpiece connected to a p-trap and then into a waste line. To connect the drainpipe hose, replace the straight tailpiece with a tailpiece that resembles a “Y.” Secure the drainage hose to the “Y” with a hose clamp.

Depending on the local plumbing code, you may have to install an air gap in the countertop. This will require you to cut a hole in the tile with a diamond-tipped hole saw that is attached to a drill.

If you don’t have an air gap, you can accomplish the same by securing the drain line with a clamp at the top of the sink cabinet.

Cabinet space

Standard under-counter dishwashers are 24 inches wide, 35 inches high, and 24 inches deep, and they often come with adjustable legs. You need to ensure you have enough cabinet space to fit your appliance. Before you head to the stores, take accurate measurements of the available space, and buy the appropriate appliance.

Power

Local codes require a dishwasher to be on a separate circuit that may be shared with garbage disposal. The size of the wire and circuit breaker depends on the load the dishwasher draws.

To be safe, use a 12-gauge wire run to a duplex plug and protect it with a 20-amp circuit breaker. If the electrical box is mounted on the surface, use armored cable to run the line.

Tips to consider when installing the dishwasher

For you to get the most from the dishwasher, you need to consider several tips. Some of these tips include:

Have the necessary tools

You can’t properly install the dishwasher if you don’t have the right tools, right? Some of the tools you need include: screwdrivers, pipe joint compound, electric appliance cord, wire connectors, and dishwasher connector kit.

Prepare the new dishwasher.

You can’t install the new dishwasher without first preparing it. Begin with screwing on the water valve. This calls for you to wrap the 90-degree fitting twice with Teflon tape and screw it into the new water valve.

You should then tighten it, aiming the elbow as on the old machine.

You should then attach the drain line by threading the new dishwasher drain line into the sink base cabinet. You should loop the line higher than the inlet arm on the sink drain or garbage disposer, then slip it on and tighten the clamp.

Once you are done, adjust the feet of the dishwasher. Lay the dishwasher water supply line, drain, and electrical line flat on the floor then measure the height of the opening. You should then adjust the wheels and feet according to the manual.

Properly hook up the dishwasher and reconnect it.

After setting the dishwasher, slide it in by grasping the sides of it and lifting it slightly and roll it into the opening. To avoid damaging the floor, protect it with tarp or cardboard. Once in place, align it, so it’s flush to the cabinet. Appliance repair Alexandria professionals advise you also level it with a wrench until the appliance is level and plump.

Dishwasher Repair: How Do I Get My Dishwasher To Clean Better?

dishwasher repair

A dishwasher is like an extra set of hands that makes your work easier, and your day a whole lot better.

If you have had your appliance for a long time, you must have noticed its efficiency dwindling, and you must be asking, how do I get my dishwasher to clean better?

Well, you are on the lucky side as dishwasher repair professionals report there are plenty of ways you can do it. Here are some of these ways:

Scrape off the leftovers

As much as you don’t want to touch the dishes when they get dirty, you should note that the efficiency of the appliance is significantly compromised when you deposit too much food residues into the system.

For your appliance to clean the dishes better, scrape off all the extra food from the plates before you put them in the dishwasher.

Some people go to the extent of pre-rinsing the dishes, but you shouldn’t. When you pre-rinse the dishes you not only give yourself extra work, you also reduce the efficiency of the appliance as the detergents don’t have enough space to adhere to in order to clean the dishes effectively.

Use hot water

Just like when cleaning the dishes by hand, hot water cleans the best, so ensure the water getting into the dishwasher is hot enough. Before you start running the appliance, check the temperature of the water at the kitchen faucet using a meat or candy thermometer.

For effective cleaning, the temperature should be 120 degrees. Adjust the setting accordingly.

Keep the dishwasher clean.

You should keep the dishwasher clean all the time. Regular cleaning eliminates stuck-on-food particles, mineral buildup, and residual detergents. To clean the dishwasher, run it on a normal cycle using two cups of white vinegar.

You should then wipe down the interior wall and racks with a solution of baking soda and vinegar. Once you are done, rinse thoroughly.

Soften the water

Do you live in areas with hard water? You should note that hard water tends to leave ugly residues on the glasses and plates. No amount of cleaning will leave the dishes sparkling unless you soften the water.

To soften the water, buy and install a water softener, and you will prevent stains and minerals from building up.

Load the dishes appropriately.

Sometimes the dishes will fail to clean properly if they aren’t correctly loaded in the dishwasher. For optimum results, follow the manufacturer recommendations for loading the appliance. As a rule of thumb, never overload the appliance as you will block the spray arm and prevent the water from reaching all the surfaces.

Use the right amount of soap.

Soap is necessary for clean dishes, but when you use too much of it, you end up with dirty dishes. For the cleanest clean, always pour the detergent into the built-in measuring cup inside the dishwasher. This way, you ensure that you are always using the appropriate amount.

Always ensure that you use the right soap for the work. As a rule of thumb never use dish soap designed for hand washing in the dishwasher.

Use the right cycle

Dishwashers come with different cycles aimed at different dishes. The regular cycle is for normal cleaning, the heavy-duty cycle for deep cleaning, and the light cycle for fragile items.

For effective cleaning, be aware of the items you are cleaning and ensure you are using the right cycle.

Inspect the dishwasher for clogs

It’s normal for clogs to develop in the spray arm and the drain, and as you might have guessed, they prevent the dishwasher from functioning optimally. Now and again, check the holes in the spray arm and ensure they aren’t clogged with food residues or hard water minerals.

To dislodge the particles, use a toothpick or needle. While you are at it, check the trap and drain to ensure that food scraps or other objects aren’t blocking the area.

You can do the work if you have the skills but for ideal results, let an appliance repair Northern VA handle it for you. When hiring the contractor, ensure they are experienced and certified to work in your local area. In addition to unclogging the appliance, they also should inspect other areas and fix them if problematic.

Dishwasher Repair: 5 Tricks To Get Cleaner Dishes From Your Dishwasher

The reason you invested in a dishwasher is that you want to have an easy time cleaning your dishes. There is nothing more aggravating than opening the dishwasher door after a cleaning cycle and find the dishes still dirty. This happens when you improperly clean the dishes. Do you want to have cleaner dishes after every cycle? Here are tips to follow as given by dishwasher repair experts:

Keep the dishwasher clean

There is no way you are going to have clean dishes if the dishwasher is dirty. At least once a week, inspect the dishwasher for dirt and clean it if dirty. Start with examining the drain filters as the dirt and grime from the dishes goes here.

When you go for a long time without cleaning the filters, they can clog up, preventing the dishwasher from cleaning as well as it should.

You also should pay attention to the spray arms. Use a cable, steel wire, or wire hanger to poke the arms and remove any gunk that might be there.

Over time, it’s common for gunk to build up around the interior of the doors. Clean the door seals by wiping them down with a damp piece of cloth or paper towel.

Run the right cycle

Dishwashers come with a variety of cycles that allow you to adjust the washing levels depending on what you are washing and the amount of washing you need:

  • Rinse cycle: Appropriate for light cleaning
  • Quick cycle: The cleaning ranges vary from half an hour to an hour. They are made to tackle light cleaning jobs.
  • Normal cycles: These are the most ideal for day-to-day cleaning of the dishes.
  • Pots and pans cycle: Ideal for large and more heavily soiled cookware.

Some dishwasher models have more specialized cycles, such as anti-bacterial and semi-rinse. For you to choose the right cycle, use the care manual as the guide. If you have lightly soiled dishes, a normal or quick wash will be perfect for you. On the other hand, if you have stuff that has baked or dried on the plates after a normal meal, go for the auto cycle.

Do you have baked-on stuff or cookware? Go for the pots and pans cycle. Choosing the right cleaning cycle is vital as a failure to do it will lead to dirty dishes at the end of the cycle.

Use the right temperature

For the best dishwashing results, the temperature of the water should be 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Water that is hot enough easily dissolves and activates the dishwashing detergents. It also dissolves grease leaving the dishes spot-free.

If the temperature is too low, the dishwasher doesn’t clean the dishes thoroughly. On the other hand, if the water is too hot, the ingredients in the detergent don’t function properly. Some of the soils might also fail to get adequately removed.

To check the temperature of the dishwasher, turn on the faucet nearest to the dishwasher. Place a thermometer in a cup under the faucet and let the water run into the cup. If the temperature isn’t around 120 degrees Fahrenheit,  adjust the water heater.

Load the dishwasher properly

How you load the dishwasher not only determines how efficiently the dishwasher functions, it also determines how clean the dishes get. Before loading the machine, scrape off as many excess foods from the dishes as much as you can.

Some homeowners go to the extent of rinsing the dishes, but you don’t have to. If there are bits of food that have crusted over and stuck on the dishes, don’t worry about them as the dishwasher will get rid of them when you run the appropriate cycle.

When arranging the dishes, do it by how dirty they are. Group the ones that need a heavy wash together and those that require light or standard cleaning by themselves. Doing this prevents you from having some of the dishes cleaner than others. It also prevents you from running two heavy cycles.

Keep the dishwasher in top shape

Cleaning the dishwasher isn’t enough. You also need to repair it regularly to keep it in top shape. When you notice a problem with the unit, ask an appliance repair Springfield professional to give it a look and fix the problem.