4 yr old Miele Optima: decreased drying, increased condensation

14 years ago

Hi guys!

Okay so I have just started noticing something new in my finicky but high-performing Miele Optima. I've had it for 4 years and haven't changed anything other than replacing the filter, which I did do recently. When I open the door there is visible condensation on the door and the sides of the dishwasher. My dishes do seem less dry; but it is mostly the plastic stuff and plastics have never come out dry. I guess this problem could be more easily defined as a drying problem, but if I hadn't noticed the condensation I may not have noticed the more-wet-than-usual plastics. FTR, I have fiddled extensively with this finicky machine, adjusting type and amount of detergent, rinse-aid salt etc. until it worked for us and have not changed my formula or procedure. I love my Miele and would replace it with another but can't recommend it to people who just want a DW that works easily, right out of the box...if that makes sense!

Does anyone who understands the way Miele's dry have any insights?

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Comments (11)

ghetterly
14 years ago
Have you had to fill the rinse aid dispenser lately? Maybe it has plugged up and isn't dispensing anymore?

What brand of detergent and rinse aid do you use? Maybe they have changed the formula on you?

Greg.
hidroman
14 years ago
Hi Shannonaz,

I assume stuff comes out clean and hot as usual, as you haven't pointed out any changes about that.
So the water heater is ok

- is there some rinse aid in the dispenser ?

- forgive me, but i know that one, when he/she is in a hurry, loads the racks puts detergent, push mains and shuts the door... so maybe you have the machine left on "express" cycle (warm rinse but no drying) for some washes ?

If there is rinse aid and if the last loads weren't run on "express" I guess there something wrong with the condensing unit blower/fan

Normally this fan forces the air from the tub into an heat exchanger cooled by room air. Moisture condenses and the air is sent back to the tub. Room air and tub air never mix. No fan means no condensation, that's why steam condenses on cabinet walls

As for rinse aid : have you ever tried Finish Turbo Dry ?
It actually dryes plastic too, no matter of the DW brand.
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shannonaz
Original Author
14 years ago
ghetterly, thanks for the plugged rinse-aid dispenser suggestion. I'll definitely mention that to the tech if he/she doesn't find something. It makes sense that it could affect drying and I hadn't thought of it.

hidroman, thanks for the Turbo Dry recommendation. I have been using the Miele brand since I buy the tabs and salt from them. I am excited at the prospect of dry plastics...also thanks for the explanation of how the drying system works. It's easier to get/judge good service if you have a clue how something works!

I haven't opened a new box of tabs in several weeks, so even a formula change doesn't account for this. I did change the filter...but that just doesn't seem related. More compelling to me is the idea that multiple things might give out and need replacing around the 4-year mark.

I called Miele and the first thing they mentioned is that maybe I have hard water...I certainly do, but it hasn't changed dramatically over the last couple of weeks :) Anyway, they walked me through programming the machine to have a hotter rinse and longer drying time. It never occurred to me that I could get better drying performance, I feel pretty dumb. Anyway, I'm excited to see if the hotter water improves performance. After my actual problem is solved, that is :) I will see how just the programming fixes work out and then call for a service if they don't solve the problem.

It's like being in the Twilight Zone, I know nothing has changed but the machine! It seems reasonable that after being run everyday for 4 years SOMETHING could go wrong, even in a well-built machine. Sigh. Hopefully they are open to the possibility that something is wrong with the machine so I can get it fixed...
mrtimewise
14 years ago
ghetterly has a good point...

As the rinse aid sits for a long time in the dispenser it concentrates as water evaporates. Sometimes the chemicals in the rinse aid become so concentrated that they precipitate from the solution and crystallize. This can cause the dispensing mechanism to not function and the rinse aid is not released into the dishwasher near the end of the cycle.

This problem can occur when the dishwasher is not used very often, or when you've let the rinse aid level in the dispenser be low for a very long time.
ghetterly
14 years ago
>> ghetterly has a good point...

Well, that's a first!

Thanks hidroman for the TurboDry suggestion, I'm going to pick some up when my bottle of JetDry is done.

My plastics have always come out fairly dry, as long as I follow Miele's suggestion to pop the door open after the cycle has completed. Miele says 15 minutes, but I usually leave it for a bit longer, say an hour or so. Occasionally I pop it open and go to bed. When I wake up there is very, very little wetness on anything plastic or otherwise.
hidroman
14 years ago
Glad it may help :)

It works great even in my current AEG DW (with hidden heater but without fan/condensor) : she just drains after the last hot rinse and idles for half an hour ....

That's why we too have ever used the pop-it-open-and-go-bed trick. Now with the turbodry, also when we use the quick 105Â°F cycle (it just drains after last rinse) we open the door and plastics are dry within 5 minutes
shannonaz
Original Author
14 years ago
So, the repair guy noticed something was wrong right away when he looked at my we DW. He said the fan in the blower wasn't working or something :) Anyway, his plan was to replace the part that makes the fan work but when he opened up the DW the fan had fallen off the blower. So, my problem made perfect sense. I am going to go out and buy some of that special rinse-aid and try her out!
hidroman
14 years ago
Sorry, I assumed you have a G 1XXX or G 2XXX machine, so I mentioned a different thing : these machines act as a clothes condenser dryer and don't exaust any moisture in the room (their blower is concealed under the sump)

Actually you have a G 8XX or a G 6XX. These series have, as you wrote, the blower inside the door (upper left side). This fan actually vents into the room moisture mixed with room air (to prevent condensation onto cabinets = damage) .

So, wasn't he able to repair the blower ?
User
14 years ago
hindro - if s(he)has an "optima" it will be a Gxxxx not a G6xx or G8xx as teh named DW's didnt arrive here until the current generation in which the nomenclature added the forth numeral.
shannonaz
Original Author
14 years ago
Yes! He was able to fix the blower, he just reattached the part that had come loose. It was a pretty cheap fix. So, the moral of the story is: little stuff does break at the 4-year mark. My filter broke and this little blower/fan part fell off. Overall I am very pleased with the performance of the machine, hopefully I'm not back here anytime soon talking about something else breaking :) I am currently running a load of plastics with the turbo dry rinse-aid...we'll see!
Thanks for all the technical help, I think it helps for me to be (slightly) less clueless...
shannonaz
Original Author
14 years ago
Just wanted to update: my DW is working better than ever! My plastics are 95% dry, yippee! I wish I had called years ago to get better drying...

4 yr old Miele Optima: decreased drying, increased condensation

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4 yr old Miele Optima: decreased drying, increased condensation

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