Dishwasher Repair

[MJM]

So I'm no handy man, and being a new home owner and pretty clueless as to what I should do when something goes wrong.

I have a dishwasher that appears to no longer work as it doesn't appear to get hot enough to melt the soap gel package (I went and bought detergent and even that still doesn't work). My wife is on a unholy mission because she now has to watch the dishes by hand so I have to do somethnig about it. Is there any point in me having a repair man look at, or should I just bite the bullet and buy a new one? If a repairman is worth looking into, does anyone happen to know anyone good that works in the NW and approximately what they charge to come out?

Any help would be appreciated.

[DownhillGoat]

Try running the sink until the water is hot, then start the dishwasher, and see if that makes a difference.

Either way, dishwashers aren't terribly expensive. Unless you're planning on repairing it yourself, it's probably cheaper to install a new one.

[guzzy]

Agreed. It often makes more economic sense to buy new rather than fix old. You can buy a good Bosch dishwasher for $900. Fixing old will probably cost min. $250.

Avoid North American dishwashers. Go to Trail and ask someone the difference between NA and European.

[transplant99]

Funny this thread just came up.

Ours went kaput last week and when i called a guy about looking at it (i would but have never touched one mechanically before) he said flat out between what was probably wrong and what parts would cost, I could get a new one for about 200 bucks more.

So I went and got this one yesterday (install was a breeze BTW) and i cant believe how friggin quiet it is compared to the last one.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Maytag+-...&skuId=9549483

[ricosuave]

PM Jiggy_12

He nay be able to help you get a good deal on one.

[MJM]

Yeah, I think i'm just going to buy a new one.

Is teh price from Best Buy in the US Transplant?

[Peanut]

Look into a Blomberg. Apparently made at the Bosch factory but are sold without the "Bosch" pricetag.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by MJM

Yeah, I think i'm just going to buy a new one.

Is teh price from Best Buy in the US Transplant?

yep....no idea what the difference may be up there.

Even better we get a rebate kind of thing on it as there is a new program similar to the cash for clunkers thing the US govt did, but in regards to energy efficient appliances instead. I think it will come out to us paying maybe 60 bucks out of pocket.

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by guzzy

Agreed. It often makes more economic sense to buy new rather than fix old. You can buy a good Bosch dishwasher for $900. Fixing old will probably cost min. $250.

Avoid North American dishwashers. Go to Trail and ask someone the difference between NA and European.

We have a Kenmore that was manufactured by Bosch. It's been an excellent dishwasher, and since it's sold under the Kenmore name you get Sears' service and warranty plan on it.

We've had a lot of dishwashers over the years and IMO most of them are junk. If they're a North American brand and 4-5 years old it's probably not worth fixing because they're not going to work properly after that age anyway. It's definitely worth the money to buy a decent Euro model ... it'll be cheaper in the long run because it will last longer and be more economical to run.

Simple tip: rinse your dishes ... dishwashers aren't garburators. Our stoopid kids don't seem to understand that principle.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

Simple tip: rinse your dishes ... dishwashers aren't garburators. Our stoopid kids don't seem to understand that principle.

You actually can buy dishwashers with disposal units in them.