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Post by tallgirl on Apr 24, 2015 20:09:41 GMT
This morning we got a big fat repair bill for our dishwasher. The hose was clogged and it was something my husband couldn't fix.
It turns out that the culprit is the fact that we have been using those dishwasher detergent pods. The plastic coating they are wrapped in apparently doesn't just melt away, as I had been led to believe. Instead, it hangs around inside your hose!
I guess we are going back to powder now. Am I the last person to know how bad those things are for your plumbing?
(I was reminded of this by the flushing-money-down-the-toilet thread. I don't flush tampons or anything else, as I am paranoid about backing up my toilet, so I would have retrieved the money and thrown it in the garbage if I wasn't comfortable keeping it. I definitely would not have flushed!)
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Apr 24, 2015 20:11:40 GMT
huh... I thought those things were gelatin-based, not plastic-- I'll have to do some googling.
(and by gelatin, I mean like the shell on a capsule-type pill or a gelcap, so they will dissolve...)
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Deleted
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May 12, 2024 14:03:45 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2015 20:16:08 GMT
We all have used them for years with no issues at all. Sorry you had a problem. I have a feeling it has a lot to do with what type of dishwasher and water your area has. I don't think they are bad in general though.
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Post by myshelly on Apr 24, 2015 20:18:58 GMT
You are the second pea to start a thread saying the repair man told you this, so you are not alone.
I have heard nothing but bad things about those pods.
I've also heard appliance salespeople say not to use them.
Sorry you got such a huge bill!
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Post by shanni on Apr 24, 2015 20:28:13 GMT
Really? I had no idea these were bad. I love how convenient they are, and how easy it is for my kids to use them too. Bummer!
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Post by LiLi on Apr 24, 2015 20:29:54 GMT
The same exact thing happened to us about 5 years ago. I haven't used those pods again. A quick google search shows this is a widespread problem.
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freebird
Drama Llama
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Posts: 6,927 
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Post by freebird on Apr 24, 2015 20:31:13 GMT
They just seem like a bad idea to me. I have a septic system that's giving me fits right now. (yay $6k) I'm big on not introducing things into my waste water that I'm not sure what's going to happen to it. I used those compressed finish ones with the little red ball. So far so good.
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Post by jesq on Apr 24, 2015 20:32:33 GMT
We have been using the Finish ones with the powerball. The main part does not have any coating. I'm not sure about the powerball in the middle, but I don't think so. So we get all of the convenience, without the worry of the coating.
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Apr 24, 2015 20:34:38 GMT
it's a water-soluble film and most of it is made by a company in LaPorte, Indiana. (according to the Chicago Tribune article I found.)
eta: We're using the Finish ones right now (because they were on special at Costco), but have used the Cascade ones for a few years now, and never had a problem. I agree that it must be some combination of water, dishwasher, etc. that makes them a problem for some people and not others.
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Post by ladytrisha on Apr 24, 2015 20:35:24 GMT
If you don't like the powder, you can use the liquid instead. I'm not a fan of the pods either - they didn't get our stuff clean, and the powder cakes on things. Some stuff has to do with water pressure as well - that's a lot of our issues. Sucks about your plumbing bills  |
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Deleted
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May 12, 2024 14:03:45 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2015 20:35:40 GMT
Wow I was just thinking about this the other day as I was putting one in the dishwasher and almost started a thread wondering if anyone else ever worried about the desolveability of those things.
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Grom Pea
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Post by Grom Pea on Apr 24, 2015 20:52:06 GMT
I wanted to comment about the powder dissolving issue, I've had no issues after using lemishine in addition to powder. I also wanted to come brag since my dishwasher was broken by my in-laws who put in too much soap, I think they used the liquid that's for the sink. Anyway it foamed up and gunked up the sensors... At least that's my theory. Anyway I gave up on my dishwasher for two years and finally decided to try vinegar in it and it works again. Before you feel bad for me I have one of those top and bottom dishwashers so I was just using the bottom one... But it was a pain to load.
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Post by padresfan619 on Apr 24, 2015 20:53:58 GMT
I have heard the same thing! I am wary of the pods for dishwashers and for the laundry. I stick to regular Kirkland dishwasher liquid and liquid Woolite for my laundry. Thanks for the PSA.
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PLurker
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Jun 28, 2014 3:48:49 GMT
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Post by PLurker on Apr 24, 2015 21:45:46 GMT
I also wondered that the other day when part of it was still by dispenser cup when cycle finished. I thought inside of dispenser must of been wet when inserted but then why wasn't it dissolved when opened and during full wash cycle... then .."SQUIRREL!".... I forgot about it. Something to think about.
I did finish up a partially used box of powder recently and the thought "what was so hard about that... " (why need pods) did occur to me. Maybe I'll go back to old school. Cheaper. That is always a good thing.
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Post by gracieplusthree on Apr 24, 2015 21:58:09 GMT
I have wondered about them,but have never had problems.. we have septic but my dishwasher(and kitchen sink) drains out under the fence into the field,not into the septic tank(we live on a dairy farm so it draining into the field is no problem)
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Post by Restless Spirit on Apr 24, 2015 21:59:41 GMT
I quit using the pods when I kept finding part of the undissolved pod in the bottom of my old dishwasher. I have a DH who insists on keeping our hot water heater turned down to save energy. Turns out our hot water is not hot enough to completely dissolve the outer pod. Ugh.
I went back to Costco/Kirkland Brand of liquid dishwasher detergent. I like it because it's inexpensive and works great even with lower temp washing.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2015 22:13:06 GMT
The instructions for my dishwasher says to run hot water from the tap for 1 minute before starting a load. Maybe that could be part of the problem? We usually use the Finish pods that don't have the gel coating, but have used the others; not for a significant amount of time. We have hard water as well. Interesting to hear.  |
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Post by tallgirl on Apr 24, 2015 22:33:14 GMT
Here's an interesting follow up. Turns out the repair guy said the pods also contain twice as much detergent as you really need and we had detergent buildup in the line, too.
They did also comment on the hot water and said if it's not hot enough, that could be part of the problem. I found that hilarious because earlier this week we had a hot water heater repair done (it's a rental thank goodness I.e. no charge for the repair) and that repairman was ranting and raving about us having a mixing valve - telling us we should take it out (which is against code) because the government should not be dictating how hot our water is. I wrote him off at the time but maybe he was right after all!
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Post by gale w on Apr 24, 2015 22:40:09 GMT
We were told the same thing by a plumber that installed our faucet about a year ago. We use the Finish ones with a removable wrapper. I set the timer for our dishwasher to run in the morning so there's no one to turn the hot water on first.
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likescarrots
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Post by likescarrots on Apr 24, 2015 22:53:05 GMT
we use these:  No plastic coating. But I wish they didn't come individually wrapped (too much waste). |
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katybee
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Post by katybee on Apr 24, 2015 23:03:52 GMT
I use the Finish ones, but I use gel packs in my washing machine… Now I'm worried about those.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2015 0:06:25 GMT
The instructions for my dishwasher says to run hot water from the tap for 1 minute before starting a load. Maybe that could be part of the problem? We usually use the Finish pods that don't have the gel coating, but have used the others; not for a significant amount of time. We have hard water as well. Interesting to hear. I had a water softener guy tell me that years ago and I've been doing that ever since. I Didn't buy this batch of gel packs and I'll be glad when it's gone. There's only a few left and I've tolde everyone not to ever get this kind again. |
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Post by Skellinton on Apr 25, 2015 0:19:32 GMT
I am cheap, so I just use powder. I know when we had the dishwasher repair man here he said the pods are terrible and that you really only need less than a tablespoon of detergent.
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Post by freecharlie on Apr 25, 2015 0:54:29 GMT
I usually run the dishwasher after I've loaded the dishwasher so there has been hot water ran. We also have our water up pretty high. Sounds like that might make a difference. Of course nobody every has a problem with it, until they do.
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Post by hennybutton on Apr 25, 2015 1:10:27 GMT
I've been using them ever since I tried the Finish Quantum Powerball that came with my dishwasher. If I didn't use pre-measured products like this and Tide Pods, I would be in a world of hurt with a husband who thinks that if less is more, more must be even better. I figure they can't be all that bad if the dishwasher manufacturer recommends them.
I have to wonder if water that's not hot enough is a part of the problem with these. My current dishwasher heats the water itself, so I don't need to worry about running hot water in my sink.
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Post by lorieann13 on Apr 25, 2015 1:30:13 GMT
Yup, used them for about 5 months and BAM needed a new dishwasher. The plastic as stuck in the drainage and wasn't allowing the water to drain out so it was spilling over.
And out water is set to 135°.
Back to powder. Tried liquid but doesn't clean as well as Cascade Powder.
Never using the packs again!
Eta: I was running the sink on hot for a minute. So that obviously didn't help.
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Post by Kate * on Apr 25, 2015 4:18:07 GMT
Oh great. Another great invention that ultimately sucks. but those pods are so darn convenient! Sorry about your awful bill and repair.
I suppose flushable wipes are like another carrot dangling in our faces, just to be snatched away with evil dude saying "Ha! Not for you!"
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Apr 25, 2015 4:21:38 GMT
we have a water softener... I wonder if the water quality is part of it? we haven't had any problems to this point using the gel-packs or the Finish tabs...
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Post by jojam on Apr 25, 2015 4:27:55 GMT
This makes me very, very sad.
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Post by gale w on Apr 25, 2015 4:43:42 GMT
Oh great. Another great invention that ultimately sucks. but those pods are so darn convenient! Sorry about your awful bill and repair. I suppose flushable wipes are like another carrot dangling in our faces, just to be snatched away with evil dude saying "Ha! Not for you!" We got our septic tank pumped 2 summers ago. First time in years and years-my husband has always insisted it's not necessary as long as the tank is "healthy". He was wrong (and admits it now). They found a big wad of "flushable" wipes almost blocking the drain. My kids are 19, 17 and 16. It's been a LONG time since we've flushed a flushable wipe which means they stick around. For years. The only reason we had the tank pumped is because we had a new house put up on our property and we had to get it pumped and inspected to get the permit. If it wasn't for that, we'd be on the verge of a big septic problem. |
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