o/t Dishwasher problems

[benebob]

I installed our dishwasher yesterday (it has sat in its spot uninstalled for a good 4 months now). The thing doesn't power up. Nothing at all. Yes the power is on and its black to black, white to white and ground to ground! Anybody have any experience with these nasty things? Am I missing something? The instructions don't say anything about a fuse or switch or anything like that but of course they were printed off the Fridgidaire site since Lowe's didn't think to include them with the d-washer.

[mattski]

I recently installed one in our kitchen but it came with a plug, so no wiring was necessary. Do you have a voltage tester? Normally these things have a dedicated circuit breaker in the panel. Is your door completely closed and locked?

Matt

[benebob]

Yeah Matt, its got voltage (at least my little pen voltage thingie goes off when you stick it next to the wiring with the power on. Door is shut tight. Now I didn't fill it nor do I want to but it wouldn't have sensors to make sure its full and or has detergent in it would it. The house just was completely rewired and the electricians hooked up a 20amp fuse for it so that end of things should be fine. I'm just wondering if I did something wrong before I pay my T-belt money on a stupid tech to come tell me there is a wire not attached (which I did look for already) and that it isn't covered under warranty.

[RSVX]

dunno how your bldg codes are in PA, but in NJ you are required to have a switch installed. For the longest time I thought our d/w didnt work, as it turns out there is a light switch next to our sink that didnt turn any lights on or of, it had baffled me for sometime as to why the switch was there. But low and behold, you turn the switch on and then the d/w and wala!! it works... the switch is there for "emergency reasons..." what kind of emergency could a d/w cause that it requires a cutoff switch, I dunno.

Anyway, most forget about the switch, as you literally turn it on and leave it on... then you forget about it.

hopefully this is your problem.

[benebob]

No switch what-so-ever. Wire goes directly from the box right to the hole in the floor at the back of the washer spot. That is pretty pathetic though! Then again we failed the first inspection after the new wiring was put in. Clips holding outside wiring to the house are to be 12 inches apart in our township. The last 14 inches before the light didn't have a clip. So basically the guy failed it for that forcing the electrician to put a clip on (wouldn't let him do it that day of course), schedule another appt., spend whatever to get the inspection done again and then the time involved in coming back out for 2 stinking inches.

[mattski]

It sounds like you have a connector box where you hard wired the washer to. This wire should now connect somewhere on the dishwasher. I would check there to see if you have power. If you do not, then your connection at the box is bad.

Touch one end of your tester to the black wire, and the other end to the white wire. The tester should show a "live" wire. Keeping the black on black, move the other end to the ground connection. Again, you should see a "live" wire. If either of these do not work, there is a break in the wire/ground somewhere.

If everything shows ok, then it's something different.

Have you tried an 800 number which most manufacturers provide to help homeowners trouble shoot their appliances?

Matt

[SVXRide]

have a defective timer... check on the other side of the timer to see if any voltage is making it past the timer (since it sounds like you've confirmed you've got power coming in to the timer - if I read the previous posts right).
-Bill

[RSVX]

just in case... the switch for my dishwasher is next to my garbage disposal switch, in fact... its in the same plate... it is literaly a light switch

[wynndi]

This is a good diversion for me too. My new Maytag just went TU as well. Where's the timer? I already read out the door switch and thermostat.

this is really strange just today i was talking about how my dishwasher just doesn't seem to be getting the dishec clean. I completely gutted my kitchen installed everything new I can't tell you how much of an a$$ i felt like when I argued with the guy about why the plug was missing from the box (i figured it was like the stove and I needed to install a pig tail). I'd say it may be in your best interest to get sometype of an actual volt meter and get actual readings. Otherwise I'd guess the washer is broke and you need to talk with Lowes.

ok sometimes I put the lights on

[Ron Mummert]

Check the codes. What? This dishwasher's not OBDII complient?
Where did it sit for 4 months? Did mice do any homesteading around any wiring? Seriously, I think it's defective. Call Lowes & tell them you want another one. Call Johnny Cochran & tell him you want to sue for humiliation & dirty dishes.
Uh..you DID hook up the plumbing, right?

Ron.

[LarryIII]

First go to Radio Shack an buy a VOM (Volt Ohm Meter). Get the cheap one (around $20). On the way home stop by Lowes with your receipt for the dishwasher. Ask them politely for the wiring hook up instructions that were missing. When they refuse raise a big stink. Go back to the house recheck all your connections with the VOM. If all is AOK, check the door shut off switch. to make sure it it engages and allows the machine to run. There is usually some kind of packing on this switch that is put in at the factory for safety during shipping and installation. Just because the plunger of this switch moves freely in & out does not mean it's operational. Pull the switch out and look at it. Check it with the VOM to make sure it makes contact and does not stay open all the time. Good Luck.

[benebob]

Lowe's has been no help what-so-ever. They insist that since it was signed for everything was there (can't leave wife home to accept things anymore). They won't take it back w/o it being looked at. Did have a friend (who's a handyman) look at it last night and he couldn't find anything. Didn't test for the switch since we didn't have a wiring diagram. Maybe I'll throw it through Lowe's window. It should make a real nice bang. They are sending out their service guy today. I'm sure they'll say that since it wasn't installed by a professional that they are not liable. It has sat in the kitchen, where it is going this whole time. It isn't like it was in the garage or something. Did check the wires and everything looks fine.

[SVXRide]

the big rotary knob that you turn to actually start the dishwasher (usually has settings like "normal wash", "pots and pans", "air dry"...If you don't have a rotary knob, then you'll have push buttons of some sort. Dishwashers are fairly simple in concept, not really that different from a washing machine or a dryer (okay, a dryer doesn't fill up with water ).
I'm really interested to see what the Service guy finds!
-B

[benebob]

My wife just called who had to take the day off to wait for the studid tech to come look at the dishwasher. It has a bad control board. Now Lowe's said they wouldn't take it back, however, I don't want the thing. Why would I want something that needed to be fixed even before it was used once? They claim that since it has been over 90 days it isn't their policy to take it as a return. All that I want is a new one. The only reason we got it when we did was to save the delivery fee (the brat was incapaciated at the time). Am I being irrational about the thing. I know the control board is easy to put on and/or replace but this is holding up me putting the floor in (slate that I don't want to chance scratching with the d-washer). I'm not beyond creating a scene since I'm sure that by now we have purchased well over $20k of stuff from Lowe's in the past year.