GE Spacemaker GSM603 Use & Care Manual page 6

Good dishwashing starts
with HOT water.
To get dishes clean and dry, you
need hot water. To help you get
water of the proper temperature,
your dishwasher automatically
heats the water in the wash cycle.
For good washing and drying, the
entering water must be at least
inlet water should not exceed 150°F.
How to test water temperature:
Check the water temperature
inside your dishwasher with a
candy or meat thermometer.
Let the dishwasher run through
one fill and pump out cycle, then
let the dishwasher fill with water
the second time.
When you hear the water stop
filling, unlatch the door and slowly
open it.
Measure the temperature of the
water in the bottom of the tub this
Remove the silverware basket and
place a candy or meat thermometer
the tub. If the temperature is less
than 120°F, you will not get good
washing results. Higher water
temperature is needed to dissolve
grease and activate powder
detergents.
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Helpful hints: If outside
temperatures are unusually low, or
if your water travels a long distance
from water heater to dishwasher,
you may need to set your water
heater's thermostat up. If you have
not used hot water for some time,
the water in the pipes will be cold.
Turn on the hot water faucet at the
sink and allow it to run until the
water is hot. Then start the
dishwasher. If you've recently
done laundry or run hot water for
showers, give your water heater
time to recover before operating
the dishwasher.
To improve washability if the
water is less than 120°F and you
cannot adjust your water heater:
Select a longer cycle and fill both
detergent cups at least half-full
with detergent.
How to use a rinse agent.
A rinse agent makes water flow
off dishes quicker than usual. This
lessens water spotting and makes
drying faster, too.
For best dishwashing performance,
use of a rinse agent such as JET-
DRY brand is recommended.
Rinse agents come in either liquid
or solid form. Your dishwasher's
dispenser uses the liquid form.
How to fill the rinse agent
dispenser. Unscrew the cap. Add
the liquid rinse agent until it just
reaches the bottom of the lip inside
the dispenser opening. Replace the
cap. The dispenser automatically
releases the rinse agent into the
final rinse water.
If you accidentally spill: Wipe
up the rinse agent with a damp
cloth. Don't leave the spill in the
dishwasher. It can keep your
detergent from working.
If you can't find any rinse agent,
write:
PRODUCTS, INC.
("JET-DRY")
411 W. Putnam Ave.
Greenwich, CT 06830
Your dishwasher's rinse agent
container holds 4fi ounces. This
should last about 3 months. Fill as
needed. Do not overfill.
How to choose and use the
right detergent.
First, use only powder or liquid
detergent specifically made for
use in dishwashers. Other types
will cause oversudsing.
Second, check the phosphate
content. Phosphate helps prevent
hard-water materials from forming
spots or film on your dishes. If
your water is hard (7 grains or
more), your detergent has to work
harder. Detergents with a higher
phosphate level will probably work
better. If the phosphate content is
low (8.790 or less), you'll have to
use extra detergent with hard water.
Your water department can tell
you how hard your water is. So
can your county extension agent
or your area's water softener
company. Just call and ask them
how many "grains of hardness"
are in your water.
How much detergent should you
use? That depends. 1s your water
"hard" or "soft"? With hard water,
you need extra detergent to get
dishes clean. With soft water, you
need less detergent.
Too much detergent with soft water
not only wastes money, it can be
harmful. It can cause a permanent
cloudiness of glassware, called
"etching." An outside layer of
glass is etched away! Of course,
this takes some time. But why take
a chance when it's easy to find out
the hardness of your water?