The dishwasher was first invented back in the late 1800s when a woman named Josephine Cochrane was looking for a way to get her fine china dishes clean without the nasty chips.
While the early dishwashers were very rudimentary, as time went by they became much more advanced.
These many advancements included things that helped them to run more efficiently and last longer.
In most homes these days, the dishwasher is one of the most overlooked of all the kitchen appliances, that is until it stops working.
When that happens you will either have to breakdown and replace it or wash all of your household dishes by hand every day.
According to the industry standard, a dishwasher should last up to 10 years of normal use, longer if you don’t use it too often.
But there is a catch… Different brands vary in quality.
Like any major appliance in your home, the dishwasher is only going to last as long as it can if you take care of it.
If you make a habit out of not using it according to the way it is described in the manufacturer’s owner manual you should know that you might not like the result.
Top 10 things that can affect how long a dishwasher will last
Not all dishwashers are equal with so many things that can affect how long your dishwasher will last.
We came up with a list of some things that can easily affect a dishwasher’s life expectancy.
As part of our research for this article, we came across a number of things that can affect the length of time that a dishwasher will last.
Below is just a few of the ones that we thought that we would talk about.
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#1 The brand
Just like with many other products that are manufactured the company that makes them does play a leading role in how long that you can expect your new dishwasher will last.
Much of this centers around the quality of the parts that they use to manufacture all of their products.
The longer a company is in business they normally build a reputation for their craftsmanship and experience of its employees.
Not Recommended Brands To Buy:
- Samsung dishwashers – known to have issues with control board glitch. Not able to power up dishwasher.
- LG dishwashers – known to have an issue with diverter motor.
- Whirlpool dishwashers (cheaper models) – known to have an issues with the circulation pump. Dishwasher fills with water and then stay silent, due to pump failure. The high cost of repair.
Recommended Brands To Buy:
- Miele dishwashers – known for their reliability, but sometimes having issues with Heater Pressue Switch or Drain Pump. But in overall dishwashers can last longer then 10-12 years if you will take care of it.
- Asko dishwashers – known for their simplicity and reliability.
- Maytag dishwashers – still doing good to compare with other brands. Not too many issues. But sometimes having issues with electronics.
- GE dishwashers – good brand to consider.
#2 Cost of the dishwasher
The amount of money that you paid for the dishwasher originally is often very telling when it comes to the quality of the product that you receive.
The higher quality appliances will frequently cost a lot more money than those from lesser-known brands.
It is a good rule of thumb that the higher quality dishwasher, the longer you can expect it to last.
#3 Care taken of the dishwasher
The better care that you take of your dishwasher the longer you can expect it to last.
This includes not overloading the upper and lower dish racks with your dishes.
Be sure to read through your owners manual thoroughly after you have it installed to be sure that you do not miss any important recommendations from the manufacturer that could affect the operation of your dishwasher.
#4 Regular maintenance is performed
The manufacturer of your dishwasher will likely include a section of the owners manual that describes any maintenance that needs to be completed in order to ensure that your dishwasher will continue to perform optimally.
Most of the time these maintenance tasks should be able to be performed by the homeowner.
#5 Frequency of usage
This pretty goes with saying, but you should be able to figure out that if you don’t use the dishwasher a lot it is likely that you can expect that it will last longer.
Conversely, if you use the dishware more frequently, say twice a day, you should accept that the dishwasher will not likely last as long as you might expect.
So, you might want to figure out if you can reduce the frequency of use.
#6 Avoid putting dishes with caked-on food in the dishwasher
Excessive amounts of debris inside the tub of the dishwasher can cause a number of problems.
These can include damage to filters, screens, and food grinder.
By ensuring that you thoroughly rinse all of the pots, pans, and dishes (including the utensils) you should be able to avoid unexpected damage.
#7 Putting oversized pops and pans in the dishwasher
In order for the dishwasher to effectively wash all of the dishes there are a number of moving parts inside.
If you inadvertently put too many large pots and pans in the dishwasher you could easily damage these moving parts that can easily reduce the length of time that your dishwasher will last and it can also lead to some very expensive repair bills.
#8 Only putting dishwasher-safe items in the dishwasher
Putting things in the dishwasher that were not designed to be placed inside a dishwasher can actually do harm to the dishwasher.
If the item says that it should be hand washed only, there is usually a very good reason for it.
Putting these items in the dishwasher could possibly cause severe damage to the internal parts of the dishwasher.
#9 Not putting sharp knives in the utensil basket
With the number of moving parts at the bottom of the dishwasher it imperative that you keep any items from falling down inside of the dishwasher tub.
One way to prevent this is not to put really sharp knives inside the utensil basket that is usually located somewhere in the lower rack.
The potential damage caused by items falling into the bottom of the tub can be very extensive and highly costly.
#10 Eliminating possible hard water concern
Since the dishwasher is normally connected directly to the household water service, if there is any concern about hard water it will usually become evident in the dishwasher.
If you continue to use the dishwasher with a known hard water problem in your home you could be doing irreversible damage to all of the internal parts of the dishwasher and could possibly require a replacement.
What you can do to extend the life of your dishwasher.
– Don’t use all the options if not needed. This includes extended wash cycles . High temperature wash or sanitizing rinse. If your dishwasher includes “smart wash” use it every time or choose the right cycle for the load.
– Don’t bend the spokes on the rack. Many times the rack will rust away before the dishwasher does. If one spike is broken off, rust will follow throughout the rack.
– Leave the lid cracked open when not in use. This will keep smells from developing and help the seals around the door frame to reform.
– Don’t use vinegar as a drying agent. Vinegar can damage the rinse aid dispenser.
– Install a water softener when needed. Hard water will take a toll on a dishwasher. It will reduce longevity of any appliance that uses water.
– Give the dishwasher a head start by performing a “hot start” Run cold water out of the faucet before starting the dishwasher. This won’t clean dishes better but it will help the dishwasher to complete the cycle a few minutes early.