starts
with
water.
To get dishes clean and dry you
need hot water. To help you get
water of the proper temperature,
your
dishwasher has a
WATER
BOOST feature
that automatically senses the
temperature of the water in the
wash cycle and heats it, if
to the proper temperature. This
water heating feature may allow
you to turn down your household
water heater and save energy if
you’re willing to let the dishwasher
run a little longer while it heats
water to the proper temperature.
For good washing and drying, the
entering water must beat least
120°F. To prevent dish damage,
inlet water should not exceed
How to test water temperature:
Check the water temperature inside
your dishwasher with a candy or
meat thermometer.
Let the dishwasher run through one
fill and pump out cycle, then let the
dishwasher fill with water the
second time.
When you hear the water stop filling,
unlatch the door and slowly open it.
Measure the temperature of the water
in the bottom of the tub this way:
Remove the silverware basket and
place a candy or meat thermometer
in the water towards the middle of
the tub. If the temperature is less
than 120°F., you will not get good
washing results. Higher water
temperature is needed to dissolve
grease and activate powder detergents.
Helpful
If outside
temperatures are unusually low, or
if your water travels a long distance
from water heater to dishwasher,
you may need to set your water
heater’s thermostat up. If you have
not used hot water for some time,
the water in the pipes will be cold.
Turn on the hot water faucet at the
sink and allow it to run until the
water is hot. Then start the
dishwasher. If you’ve recently
done laundry or run hot water for
showers, give your water heater
time to recover before operating
the dishwasher.
To
washability if the water
is less-than 120°F. and-you cannot
adjust your water heater: Select a
longer cycle and fill both detergent
cups at least half-full with detergent.
Help prevent spotting
with a rinse agent.
A rinse agent makes water flow
off dishes quicker than usual. This
lessens water spotting and makes
drying faster, too.
For best
performance,
use of a rinse agent such as JET-
DRY brand is recommended.
Rinse agents come in either liquid
or solid form. Your dishwasher’s
dispenser uses the liquid form.
Here’s how to fill the rinse agent
dispenser. Unscrew the cap. Add
the liquid rinse agent until it just
reaches the bottom of the lip inside
the dispenser opening. Replace the
cap. The dispenser automatically
releases the rinse agent into the
final rinse water.
If you accidentally spill: Wipe
up the rinse agent with a damp
cloth. Don’t leave the spill in the
dishwasher. It can keep your
detergent from working.
If
you can’t find any rinse agent,
write:
CONSUMER
INC.
(“JET DRY”)
411 W. Putnam Ave.
Greenwich,
06830
Your dishwasher’s rinse agent
container holds
ounces. This
should last about 3 months. Fill
as needed. Do not overfill.
How to choose and
the right detergent.
First, use only powder or liquid
detergent specifically made for
use in dishwashers. Other types
will cause
Second, check the phosphate
content. Phosphate helps prevent
hard-water materials from forming
spots or
on your dishes. If
your water is hard (7 grains or
more), your detergent has to work
harder. Detergents with a higher
phosphate level will probably work
better. If the phosphate content is
low (8.7% or less), you’ll have to
use extra detergent with hard water.
Your water department can tell
you how hard your water is. So
can your county extension agent.
Or your area’s water softener
company. Just call and ask them
how many “grains” of hardness
is in your water.
How much detergent should you
use? That depends. Is your water
“hard” or “soft”? With hard water,
you need extra detergent to get
dishes clean. With soft water, you
need less detergent.
Too much detergent with soft water
not only wastes money, it can be
harmful. It can cause a permanent
cloudiness of glassware, called
“etching.” An outside layer of glass
is etched away! But why take a
chance when it’s easy to find out
the hardness of your water.
Keep your detergent fresh and
dry. Under the sink isn’t a good
place to store detergent. Too much
moisture. Don’t put powder
detergent into the dispenser until
you’re ready to wash dishes, either.
(It won’t be fresh OR dry.)
If your powder detergent
old
or lumpy, throw it away. It won’t
wash well. Old detergent often
won’t dissolve.
If you use a liquid dishwasher
detergent, these precautions are not
necessary because liquid detergents
don’t “lump” as they age or come
in contact with water.
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