Okay… so I have a dishwasher that’s somewhere between 3 and 4 years old (Maytag MDB8959SAS1, if you’re curious).
What I’m trying to figure out is when the detergent cup is supposed to open in the wash cycles. I’ve never really paid any attention to it in the past, and noticed that it’s opening pretty early in the process- like I can hear it filling with water, and then I hear the door pop open and the detergent tablet fall out.
The dishes get cleaned just fine- it’s still a bad-ass machine in that regard oddly enough, but I’m wondering if that early opening of the detergent dispenser is normal, or if there’s possibly something wrong?
Anyone have any idea? How would I find that timing out on the detergent dispenser? I don’t really want to spend any cash diagnosing it since the dishwasher seems to do a yeoman job of cleaning my dishes, but I am curious enough to spend some time researching.
I would think a bit later since the first time the tub gets filled it’s probably just used as a rinse, then drained and refilled. No point in spending the next hour recirculating mashed potatoes, bread crumbs and whatever else will come off in the first 5 minutes. OTOH, I know I’ve had at least one dishwasher that did mention that you could throw your dishwasher tablet right in the tub if it didn’t fit, but it’s possible that it was counting on it not dissolving right away.
As I understand it, the soap is supposed to dissolve in the compartment, then be released. So yours may be dispensed too soon. (I’ve never heard mine open, so I don’t really know when it’s supposed to happen.)
Probably this is an optimizing tweak, rather than a necessity, so your dishwasher may function just fine if you just toss the soap in (like the old days. More so, if its a tablet that needs to dissolve anyway (avoids too soon soap problem mentioned upthread, if this even is an issue).
On my old machine, the mechanism on the little door that holds the detergent failed (it’s controlled by melting wax I believe). For a year or so, I just dropped the detergent tabs into the cutlery basket and it worked fine.
I got some free samples of detergent packaged in jell which dissolves (to save having to unwrap the tabs) and that did not work well at all. I assume that this was due to the early release of detergent and it being flushed out with the first rinse.
My new machine, from a completely different manufacturer has an identical detergent door. This one works, so the jell tabs are fine too, and much more convenient.
I’ve wondered the same thing, but the instructions on tablets do say that you can just place them in the cutlery basket or on the floor of the dishwasher, so I assume that even there is a rinse cycle, it doesn’t throw out all of the water and detergent. I had the opposite problem with my Bosch - it had a faulty detergent door that would stick and not open properly, so the tablet was often only part dissolved. Surprisingly, it sometimes seemed to get the dishes perfectly clean, even when only a quarter of the tablet was used.
Since I had the dispenser replaced, though, it works much more consistently.
The first cycle is to prewarm and presoak the dishes to soften the gunk up and in general, while you could use detergent, it is generally not needed in this first cycle - the goal only is to warm and soften anythign else is a bonus.
The second one is the one you want to release the detergent, this will mix with the food particles, which themselves will act as additional abrasives to help dislodge more.
The last cycle is the rinse cycle where the dirty water is pumped out and clean water is used to rinse off the dishes, then that is again pumped out and a drying cycle starts.
My washer has a compartment for soap and right next to it there’s little dish with no lid for soap that’s supposed to be part of the pre wash. I like the idea of the pre wash at least having some soap in it.
I know… that’s why I’m so curious. I actually just replaced the dispenser (the rinse aid part was not working right), and the behavior of the detergent dispenser didn’t change- it still works like it did beforehand.
So I’m down to the idea of having a messed-up control board, or that it’s actually working right. I’m a bit skeptical of the idea of a control board that works 100% great, except opening the dispenser door early. I’d think it would have all sorts of problems if the control board was going out, and it does not.
WHen ? After “pre-rinse”. This may only occur with “heavy/pots and pans” ???
Thats why the machines have a delayed opening dispenser…
If you just throw the detergent (be it powder liquid or some sort of tablet or satchet thing) in , then don’t use a pre-rinse step… which can mean don’t use heavy or “pots and pans” setting
Don’t put tablets in the dispenser if the dispenser lid doesn’t close easily, or you suspect the dispenser doesn’t ever open properly. If you have to squash the lid down hard, you may be bending it, which will put forces onto the clip that holds it closed, and then the mechanism won’t cause it to open.
Also if you do use the dispenser, ensure nothing is sticking out of the tray and blocking the dispenser lid’s swing open
pots and pans mode is probably no good to you anyway. It might work on objects covered in uncooked food stuffs, like cake mix or But typically its either going to wash off easily or never. The detergents contain lye , sodium oxide, which dissolves fat and grease only. It doesn’t impact starches or proteins… or carbon deposits…
So that’s why the pasta and potato kettles never clean up properly. Is there an additive that would take care of the starches or am I condemned to hand cleaning them first?
Not hardly; the better ones have the usual sodium carbonate and similar stuff, AND a raft of enzymes to dissolve stuff like starches, proteins and the like.