Frigidaire Dishwasher Built-in FDB1050RE Review

We purchased our Frigidaire dishwasher on the clearance rack at Lowe's a year or so ago. The only problem we've had with it in the two years we've had it is that the water pump went out a year ago. If you're lucky enough to have a handy husband like I do, it's an inexpensive ($35) fix. I don't know what a plumber would charge, though.

We are a family of four. I run at least one load of dishes a day, sometimes two. The capacity could be a bit larger, but I knew when I bought it that I was getting the budget model. A couple of things I've learned though:

 One: You need to make sure that your water heater is set at a minimum of 120 degrees or the water isn't hot enough to clean your load.

Two: You must clean the screen every few months. This is easy to do. Just unsrew the washing arm at the bottom of the machine, take out the large holed filter, take off the large screen, and clean out the cavity underneath. Then replace everything in the reverse order. This will keep the nasty deposits off your dishes.

Three: You must, must, MUST use a rinse aid. I used Jet Dry for a long time, but I've recently found that Cascade does a better job. As far as detergents go, I guess they all work fine, but my favorite is Cascade with bleach gel. It seems to rinse cleaner. Of couse, if you are using an all-in-one gel pac the the rinse aid is optional.

It is a bit noisy, but if you insulate it well, that seems to clear up.

Otherwise, it's fine - does a good job of cleaning, not too noisy. It's pretty bare bones, but it does the job!