A real LEMON!
Written: Mar 23 '01 (Updated Apr 26 '01)
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Pros: stylish appearance
Cons: poor performance, frequent repairs, cost, no food disposer, can't accommodate some taller dishes
The Bottom Line: A real lemon. Avoid it at all costs!
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| djtsalv's Full Review: Fisher and Paykel DD-602 24 in. Built-in Dishwashe... |
The Dishdrawer looks great, but that's not the sole reason to purchase a dishwasher. Other than its looks, I can't think of one reason why anyone should buy this machine. Before we demanded that it be removed by the manufacturer, my husband and I used to joke that it worked great . . . if you handwashed the dishes first!
While the dishdrawer had several wash programs to choose from, I found
that I only used the "heavy" cycle because there was a chance that it might
actually clean the dishes. The shorter cycles didn't perform well at all, simply baking food onto the plates and silverware. More often than not, I found myself removing the "clean" dishes from one drawer and then running them through another cycle in the other drawer. I also found that it didn't dry the dishes, especially plastic. Fisher Paykel told me that I should use more Rinse Aid (it was full), that it was "normal" to have some water left in the drawer after the cycle was complete and that I shouldn't expect the dishes to be completely dry. At $1,600 dollars, I didn't think I was asking too much to have clean AND dry dishes!
After having our dishdrawer less than 6 months, it malfunctioned. A hose split, and caused water to leak from the machine onto our new floor. We called FP for an authorized dealer. We were told that they would page someone and call us back. We never received a return call. When we called FP again, we were given the name of someone who informed me that he did not provide service in our area. I called FP again (with water leaking rapidly from the machine) only to be told that they had no other authorized service representative in my area and I couldn't talk to customer service until 11:00 a.m. E.T. (since FP operates from the West coast). By the time I was able to reach FP, I was desperately placing baking pans under the machine to contain the water while placing calls to my plumber to locate the shutoff. When someone finally came much later that day, he was unable to fix the problem. The hose split itself again immediately after he reattached it and the repairman needed to order a new one. I was without an operational dishwasher for Christmas and New Year's with a housefull of guests!
After a 10 day delay while we waited for parts, the serviceman was able to replace the hose and the LCD display, which had developed condensation under the glass. He also replaced the rotor arms and adjusted the water level. I was told by the service representative that these repairs would correct the hose malfunction and the deficiencies that I had noted with the dishdrawer's performance. The next day, a new error code displayed and water began spewing out from the sides of the machine.
At that point, I had lost several days from work and was without an operational dishwasher for the holidays. I was able to convince Fisher & Paykel to take back the machine and credit me for the full purchase price and my removal and reinstallation costs.
I have since purchased a new KitchenAid Suberba Designer dishwasher in stainless steel. While it doesn't have revolutionary styling, it looks elegant. It has many wonderful features like adjustable racks, utility shelves, flip-away tines and removable baskets . . . and boy does it wash and dry the dishes! Spare yourself the agony of owning a Fisher & Paykel dishwasher. Looks aren't everything!
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): $1650
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Epinions.com ID:
djtsalv
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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