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I Almost Bought a LG Dishwasher, But These 8 Red Flags Scared Me Off

LG Brand
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A dishwasher is an integral part of any household. Keeping things clean means you’re having an easier time of making sure your family can eat with minimal hassle. That said, not all dishwashers are made equal. Today, we’re taking a look at some of the biggest complaints surrounding an LG dishwasher. You might want to read on before you order your own.

Key Points

#1: Leaking

Young adult man emptying ,loading, taking out a clean glass from a dishwasher. Household chores, duties with a modern kitchen appliance. An open dishwasher with clean glasses.
JacZia / Shutterstock.com

Nothing is quite as bad as a leaking dishwasher. Now, in my experience, this is down to the age of the machine. However, if you’re buying a brand-new LG dishwasher, this is an issue that can arise.

Faulty Seals and Gaskets

Open dishwasher with clean dishes in a bright kitchen, filled with dark plates and vibrant green cups, creating a stylish contrast. The green cups add a fresh pop to the monochrome setup.
s.borisevich / Shutterstock.com

One of the primary ways this occurs is through the faulty application of the seals and gaskets around the dishwasher tub. Since the unit is filling with water, you want it to be watertight, ideally. This isn’t always the case and can end up with you having to remove the unit and send it back to the manufacturer to get the right application of seals as needed.

#2: Control Panel Issues

girl puts a glass in the dishwasher in the kitchen
Sheviakova Kateryna / Shutterstock.com

Everything is so high tech these days that it almost makes me wish we still had physical buttons and dials to control things. As you might imagine, an LG dishwasher is computerized to some extent. This leads to issues where the control panel where you’re selecting your cycle can be unresponsive.

Unresponsive Buttons

Installation hoses for dishwasher machine domestic connection plumbing pipes in kitchen
Andrew Angelov / Shutterstock.com

There is no shortage of possible reasons as to why you’ll have an unresponsive control panel. This can come down to things like faulty software on the unit, a bad touchpad daughterboard, or even issues with the door latch not freeing the panel to operate as intended. The control panel has multiple points of failure, making it a problem area to consider when purchasing one.

#3: Unusual Noises

Sad Tired Woman Next to Full Dishwasher Cleaning Kitchen Exhausted woman using electric washer for household chores
Nicoleta Ionescu / Shutterstock.com

 

Dishwashers can be pretty noisy when in operation. However, when purchasing and running an LG dishwasher, you might begin to notice odd noises emitting from it. These aren’t the standard operational noises and can denote some defect in the machine.

Grinding and Buzzing

man cleans the filter in the dishwasher. Maintenance of home appliances
Lazy_Bear / Shutterstock.com

Typically, the grinding and buzzing sounds you might hear from a dishwasher can indicate issues with critical components of the dishwasher itself. These sounds can signal that something is very wrong with the likes of the motor or the pump, meaning that your dishwasher doesn’t have much time before it is non-functional.

#4: Bad Smells

Tired and bored woman putting dirty plates in dishwasher machine in the kitchen. Household and exhausting cleaning day concept
Vitaliy Abbasov / Shutterstock.com

Imagine running your dishwasher and getting ready to pull everything out. You crack open the seal to the door and a wave of rancid odor smacks you right in the face. This is sadly one of the more common issues that arise with an LG dishwasher.

Inadequate Drainage

Buttons on a Samsung dishwasher
Zeroping / Wikimedia Commons

Improper drainage is typically the biggest reason for lingering and awful smells inside of a dishwasher. The pump ideally takes out the waste water, which can pool at the bottom of the dishwasher and grow stagnant. If the pump is faulty, the water isn’t going to drain, leading to some significant problems.

#5: Detergent Dispenser Issues

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A dishwasher isn’t much good without some means of dispensing soap. Unfortunately, one of the more common issues you’ll run into with any sort of LG dishwasher is faults with the detergent dispenser.

Improper Detergent Usage

 

There doesn’t seem to be a consensus on the faults of the detergent dispenser. You’ll find issues with the likes of dispensing, over dispensing, or simply not functioning at all. When you’re looking to get those dishes clean, having the right material dispensed at the right time makes plenty of difference.

#6: Dishes Not Drying

Front view of open automatic stainless steel built-in fully integrated top control dishwasher range machine with clean utensils, cutlery, glasses, dishes, plates inside in modern home kitchen
Olena Ivanova / Shutterstock.com

Wet dishes cause problems all on their own. I’ve had to handwash dishes in the past and usually the draining and drying is a crucial step so you’re not having things like mildew brewing in your cabinets. Unfortunately, this same sort of issue with drying seems to plague some LG dishwashers.

Malfunctioning Heating Element

Young Repairman Service Worker Repairing Dishwasher Appliance In Kitchen
Andrew Angelov / Shutterstock.com

There are a few different causes for dishes not getting dry. It can be down to things like a faulty or malfunctioning heating element, the rinse aid dispenser not functioning as intended, or the wash cycle not going through the steps as needed.

#7: Error Codes

Transparent and black and white dishes as well as cutlery and glasses are washed in the dishwasher, inside view, drops and splashes of water.
Malikov Aleksandr / Shutterstock.com

I’ve owned a few LG appliances over the years, and there is nothing more frustrating than the error codes it throws. I’m currently going through this with my LG dryer, which throws at least three codes out a week. The LG dishwasher line is much the same, with cryptic error codes when things go wrong.

Consulting the User Manual

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When in doubt, consult the manual, as my grandfather used to say. The error codes themselves are not immediately evident when glancing at them. Unless you’ve memorized the manual or online database, it can be hard to understand what exactly is wrong with your dishwasher. A little care toward the user interface goes a long way in some cases.

#8: Not Cleaning Dishes 

Woman's hand turns on the dishwasher to wash the dishes. Built-in appliances in the kitchen
Volodymyr Maksymchuk / Shutterstock.com

What good is a dishwasher if the dishes aren’t clean? One issue that some users are running into with their LG dishwashers is that things simply aren’t getting clean. There are a multitude of reasons for this unfortunately.

Possible Issues with Operation

Woman loads plates to dishwasher machine. Daily routine concept.
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One of the biggest possible issues that can arise is just not loading the dishwasher properly. However, once you get past that, you’re running into things like malfunctioning sprayer arms, clogged filters, and low water pressure.

 

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