How to check a dishwasher before purchasing: recommendations for dishwasher buyers

A considerable number of housewives want to quickly forget about washing dishes and acquire a miracle of household appliances that will save them from this unpleasant procedure. However, not everyone even imagines how to check a dishwasher before purchasing. You shouldn’t rely on consultants; their main goal is to sell. So how do you choose?

We will tell you what steps need to be taken and what to carefully inspect before purchasing a dishwasher. The article we have presented describes in detail the process of visual inspection and detailed study of functional units. Taking into account our recommendations, you can purchase a perfectly working dishwasher.

First steps before purchasing

The first thing you need to do is find out whether the model you like has all the necessary characteristics. To do this we define:

Comparison of PMM dimensions and kitchen dimensions

It's very easy to do. Even before going to the store, you need to carefully measure the place where the unit will be installed.The manufacturer offers full-size appliances with a width of about 0.6 m, among them there are models up to 0.9 m. The second group of dishwashers are narrow. Their width is no more than 0.45 m.

For rooms where there is no space for floor installation, you can purchase tabletop equipment. It is very compact and comparable in size to a microwave. Another important point is the type of dishwasher. It can be built-in or free-standing. In the first case, there are two options.

The fully built-in equipment is distinguished by a door prepared for hanging the facade. In this case, the control panel is located at the end. It will not be possible to install such an appliance without finishing; it will ruin the interior of the kitchen.

Partially built-in machines are designed to be installed in furniture niches, so their doors have a finished finish. The control panel is also located here, which is very convenient. Freestanding dishwashers can be placed where it is convenient for the owner. The main thing is that the installation site is equipped with a water outlet.

Fully built-in dishwashers have doors prepared for hanging the front. For this reason, they have a somewhat unpresentable appearance.

Determining the optimal capacity

The dimensions of the device determine its capacity. Compact tabletop appliances can wash 4-6 sets of dishes, narrow ones - 8-9, and the most voluminous full-size ones - 14-16 sets. Often these numbers don't tell a potential buyer much. First of all, you need to decide what this notorious set of dishes is.

Each dishwasher is characterized by the number of sets that enter the working chamber at a time.Tabletop units, for example, are not capable of holding more than six sets at a time

Manufacturers believe that during one meal a person consumes:

• three plates of different sizes;
• cup and saucer;
• glass;
• fork and knife;
• three spoons.

It is these 11 items that are considered to be a set. However, in addition to these dishes, many other items are used in the kitchen during the day: frying pans, pots, saucepans, baking sheets, etc. You will familiarize yourself with the list of acceptable and prohibited items for washing in a machine. next article, which we highly recommend reading.

All this also needs to be washed somewhere, which should definitely be taken into account when determining the desired capacity of the device. It is optimal for the dishes to accumulate during the day, and in the evening the machine washes them.

Choosing the best connection option

There are two connection options available. Standard – for cold water. The main disadvantage is the need to heat the water entering the device.

To do this, it is equipped with a heating element, which consumes quite a lot of electricity. It may seem that the second option - connecting to a hot water pipeline - is much more economical. In this case, the machines are not equipped with a heating element, and accordingly, they consume less electricity.

Perhaps the best existing option for connecting a dishwasher is to install a special mixer that will allow the machine to operate alternately from cold and hot water. But it will cost a little more

However, you need to understand that when choosing a device of this type, the user becomes completely dependent on the supply of hot water. If there are frequent interruptions, it is worth thinking about it.Units operating with hot water are optimally installed in houses with autonomous water supply and heating.

As an option, you can consider purchasing a special mixer that allows the machine to work with both hot and cold water. But it will cost extra money.

Set of programs and functionality

Practice shows that basically all dishwashers perform approximately the same operations. There is even such a concept as a “basic function,” that is, what any unit performs.

These include four modes:

• Standard. This is a daily wash, the temperature of the washing solution is 50-60ºС.
• Intensive Used for very dirty dishes. Assumes stronger heating of the composition to 65-75ºС and longer wash cycle.
• Express. Shortened cycle. Used for dishes with a small amount of dirt.
• Soak. Used to soften food residues stuck to objects.

Actually, these functions will be quite enough for efficient and economical washing of dishes.

As practice shows, a few basic modes are sufficient to effectively wash dishes, but the presence of additional programs makes operating the equipment more convenient

However, the manufacturer did not stop there. It offers all kinds of additional modes that can be useful to the consumer. These are programs for washing fragile glass, using enzyme cleaners for cleaning, automatically determining the degree of contamination, etc. Whether it is worth overpaying for them is up to the buyer to decide.

Specifics of drying

To get dry dishes you need to choose the right type of drying.The cheapest and least effective option is condensation drying. The last rinse in this case is carried out with very hot water, almost steam.

It is assumed that the walls of the chamber, cooler than the dishes, will become a place where water vapor will condense. The resulting moisture flows down special grooves and is removed.

This type of drying takes time and there is no guarantee that the kits will be perfectly dry at the end of the working cycle. Hot air drying is more effective. It is assumed that the fans supply heated air into the chamber, due to which the dishes dry.

In this case, only dry items are removed from the dishwasher. You need to know that machines with this type of drying have a higher price and consume more electricity.

The specifics of active drying will be presented in the video:

Determining the class of a dishwasher

Each machine is characterized by a class for washing, drying dishes and energy consumption. These indicators are determined by special industrial tests, on the basis of which the device is assigned a class. It can be seen as letter markings on the case or in technical documentation.

The quality of washing can vary from A to F class. It is best to wash appliances marked A or B. They should wash clean any dirt. Class C units may already leave minor stains on the dishes. Cars belonging to lower classes wash even worse.

The classification of drying quality assumes that units marked A completely dry all items and, depending on the model, can heat them. This quality is ensured only by blow drying.

The information necessary for choosing a dishwasher correctly is concentrated on the labeling of the device. This shows the capacity of the device, its energy efficiency class, water consumption, etc. (+)

The designation class C and B indicates the presence of condensation drying; accordingly, the dishes can remain damp or even wet. The energy efficiency class shows how economically the device uses resources.

The higher the class, and it can be not only A, but also A+ or A++, the less resources the equipment will spend on the operating cycle. This applies not only to electricity, but also to water, the high consumption of which entails an increase in energy use.

Attention to detail

Having found out that the device you like has a set of all the necessary and desired characteristics, you should pay attention to its practicality. That is, how suitable the model is for your kitchen, whether you can competently use the dishwasher, observing the rules of operation and loading.

Only the owner knows what kind of dishes will be washed in the machine. Maybe there is a lot of fragile glass in his household, there are large frying pans and pots or baking trays of complex shapes. All this will be washed in the dishwasher, which should be able to clean all the dishes.

Construction of dish containers

The standard equipment of the dishwasher is two baskets, which are used for loading dishes into the bunker and securing objects. The lower one has the maximum capacity. It is designed for plates and large items. The upper one is used for washing smaller dishes.

You can also wash glasses here if you secure them with special holders.Some machine models are equipped with an additional third container, which is intended for cutlery.

It is very good if the plate holders located in the lower container have a folding design. In this case, if necessary, you can place large items in the basket

You need to know that the quality of washing dishes by the unit is largely determined by the design of the container. Proper loading makes it possible to get rid of all contaminants.

Things to consider. It is very good if the lower container is equipped with folding holders. This will make it possible, if necessary, to “adjust” the basket for washing dishes of any size, including large baking sheets and dishes.

Having a third basket is also highly desirable. Practice shows that cutlery is washed much better if it is loaded into a tray designed for it. In addition, knives washed together with plates can scratch and damage the latter. In addition, the third basket can also be used to wash small dishes, which is convenient.

A few more significant nuances. It is very good if it is possible to change the height of the top container. This way it will be possible to increase the height and capacity of the lower one.

The working chamber of the dishwasher is made of stainless steel, but some of the accessories may be made of plastic. The latter are not very resistant to aggressive environments, so the less plastic, the longer the structure will last.

There should be as little plastic inside the working chamber as possible. This applies to trays, various holders and clamps. Plastic in an aggressive environment, such as the cleaning composition, quickly deteriorates and becomes brittle. Which leads to parts breaking.

Availability of additional accessories

The manufacturer can equip the device with all sorts of additional accessories, the use of which makes the operation of the machine more convenient.

What could it be:

• Holders designed for small items. Most often they are made in the form of hooks of various sizes and shapes, onto which container lids, baby bottles and any other small items are attached.
• Holder for tall glasses. A stand where four glass glasses are mounted on a high stem. Allows you to wash such dishes without the risk of breaking them.
• Bottle holder. Brackets that make it possible to securely fasten baby bottles and other similar utensils.
• Box for folding type devices. A kind of symbiosis of boxing and tray. Equipped with clamps that turn the structure into a closed container. In this case, you can wash cutlery here. If necessary, folds out into a flat tray.
• Attachment for cleaning baking trays. A special type of sprinkler is put on in place of the standard one. Makes it possible to wash large kitchen utensils as cleanly as possible.

These accessories may or may not be included with the device.

Glass washing racks can be very useful if the family has long-stemmed glassware. They can come complete with the device, but more often they have to be purchased separately.

In the latter case, if necessary, they can be purchased additionally.

Visual inspection of future property

Before you take the equipment home, you must inspect it carefully. You should not rely on the fact that the device is new, therefore, everything is fine with it.

Factory defects, unfortunately, do occur, and nothing can be done about it. In addition, some not entirely honest sellers may replace parts or elements of the device for personal gain. Therefore, inspection and thorough inspection of the unit is very important.

Quality of impellers or sprinklers

Impellers are the elements through which water enters the working chamber. In large units, parts are located under the top container and at the bottom of the equipment. In compact and narrow ones - only from the bottom.

Work specifics dishwasher is that the impellers rotate inside a sealed tank, but they are not connected to the motor. The holes in the sprinklers are made at a certain angle.

Water, supplied under high pressure, flies out of the impeller holes in elastic streams and thereby causes it to rotate. If the sprinkler has a crack or any other defect, the water coming under pressure will tear it apart.

It is very important to examine each impeller for integrity. They are easily removable, so you can ask a consultant to remove the sprinklers and inspect them carefully.

The impeller must be inspected; for this it must be removed. The picture shows a sealed sprinkler that unscrupulous sellers passed off as a new part. An impeller like this won't last long.

It is especially important to do this if the model or manufacturer of the dishwasher is not the most common. In this case, not the most honest sellers may replace the original impellers with already used and repaired ones. Or rather, hastily sealed at the seam. It is clear that such parts will not last very long.

Condition of baskets for storing dishes

It is important to find out how freely they slide in and out. It is worth testing all possible positions. That is, push out/push in, raise/lower everything that needs to move.

Ideally, containers change their position freely, without any effort. The car door closes tightly and latches easily. If you have to press, this should alert you.

Now it’s worth checking how easily both baskets snap into place. Considering that the upper impeller is attached to the container, it is very important that it adheres to the water supply tube as well as possible.

This is what ensures the correct position of the basket. It should click freely. This must be checked, then removed and inspected the latch itself. Its petals must be intact, not bent, without defects.

To avoid problems with water supply to the impeller later, you should carefully inspect the container latches. They should not be bent or damaged, the basket should snap easily and freely

If the container is equipped with folding holders, you should check how they work. To do this, just fold and pull out the elements once at a time. The rules are the same - everything moves without unnecessary effort or jerking, very smoothly. If the kit includes additional holders, it is worth trying to attach them to the container. Everything should be easy and yet secure to install.

No mechanical damage

Before purchasing, you should carefully inspect the unit for possible mechanical damage. There should be no chips, cracks or dents. It's not even that they spoil the appearance of the device.The presence of dents, for example, directly indicates that the car was dropped or something heavy was dropped on it.

Before purchasing household appliances, you should carefully inspect them. It is quite possible that any element of the mechanism or case is damaged during transportation, which will result in problems during operation

The power cord must be intact, without tears or creases, as well as all visible sections of the wiring. You can ask a consultant to connect the machine to the network to make sure that the electrics work. The LEDs on the control panel should light up; if the model has a display, it will also “come to life”.

Complete set of your favorite model

It is very good if the dishwasher has the so-called rich equipment. This means that the manufacturer has supplemented it with several accessories, a water filter, etc., but this is not always the case.

If you don’t have any of the accessories you need, you should buy them immediately. You need to study the package contents of “your” model and make sure that everything listed in the list is present in the package.

In the store, be sure to check the equipment of the device. Everything that is specified in the technical documentation must be present inside the box. It is desirable that the package be as complete as possible

Another important point. You need to determine what is needed to install the device and whether these elements are included in the kit. If something is missing, buy more too.

It is worth paying attention to the length of the hoses and power cord. It may not be sufficient for a particular connection. If this is the case, you need to correct the situation by purchasing additional elements.

A little about security systems

The manufacturer integrates several security systems into its units. First of all, it is protection against leakage. There are two possible options here. The first involves protecting the hoses and body; this is considered full protection. The second is partial, it “works” only with the body, the hoses remain unprotected.

In the second case, it makes sense to change the standard hoses to double hoses before connecting the device, which guarantees the prevention of leaks.

If the model you like is not equipped with full protection against leakage, it is advisable to immediately replace the standard hoses with double ones. They will help protect your home from flooding.

Another system is child protection. It involves blocking a running machine. This is very important because if a child opens the door of a running unit during a high-temperature operating cycle, they could be seriously burned.

For families with children, such a system is necessary. The electrical safety system provides maximum protection for the user from electric shock when all rules for connecting the device are strictly observed.

After purchasing a dishwasher, the questions of choice do not end there. Next, happy owners should decide the best remedy for machine operation, cleaning composition equipment that normalizes the composition of water regenerating salt. Our recommended articles will help you find solutions to these issues.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Tips for choosing a dishwasher:

A dishwasher helps housewives save their time and energy. The unit copes well with various types of contaminants and cleans any, even the most fragile, dishes.

All this provided that the equipment is selected correctly.In addition to choosing the right one, it is very important to check the device when purchasing. Defects that are not noticed in time will interfere with the normal operation of the unit and can significantly shorten its service life.

Tell us about how you checked the dishwasher before making a purchase. Share your own criteria based on which you determined the suitability of the unit for operation. Please leave comments in the block below, ask questions on controversial issues, post photos related to the topic of the article.