Dishwashers

Built-in, slim and countertop dishwashers:

the full-size built-in is 24 inches wide and slides into the space of one base cabinet, normally next to the sink so it can share the drain. A slim 18-inch version fits a galley kitchen and suits two or three people rather than a family. If a kitchen is being refitted from scratch, plan the dishwasher gap together with the cut-out for one of the built-in stoves and cooktops, because both come out of the same run of cabinets. Where no cabinet can go, a countertop machine sits beside the sink: most have a tank you fill by jug and a hose that empties into the sink, so there is no plumbing to change, and it takes about as much counter as one of the larger microwaves. It copes with a couple’s plates and glasses, not with the pots.

Cold water at the kitchen tap and the dishwasher heater:

in many Panamanian homes the hot water stops at the shower, so a dishwasher by the sink fills cold. Most current models heat their own water, which stretches the cycle and works the heating element harder. On an older or imported machine, look for a heater or a sanitise cycle in the specification before you commit. Capacity is counted in place settings, twelve to fourteen on a full-size machine. A third rack at the top takes cutlery and serving spoons and frees the basket below. A stainless tub keeps the heat in and dries better than a plastic one, which matters if plastic containers go in with the plates.

The slim 18-inch dishwasher that costs more than the full-size one:

a basic 24-inch Whirlpool or Frigidaire starts around $400 new, and the 18-inch versions sit nearer $500 while holding less, so going narrow is about space rather than saving. At the other end, the top Bosch built-ins come close to $2,000. A used machine has to come in well under new, for two reasons that belong to dishwashers more than to fridges or ranges: the buyer still pays someone to connect water, drain and power, and the parts that give out, the drain pump, the heating element and the control board, are the costly ones. A recent machine that still has its manual and installation kit holds its value best.

What the filter of a used dishwasher gives away:

lift it out from under the lower spray arm, and a sour smell with a coat of grease means nobody ever cleaned it. Ask to see the machine fill and drain: water left in the bottom of the tub points to a blocked filter, a kinked hose or a tired drain pump. Run a finger along the rack tines, because rust there spreads and marks the plates, and spin each spray arm to see that it turns freely with its holes clear. Lower the door halfway and let go; if it falls open, the hinge springs or cables have gone. Look for black mould in the door seal and, if the machine is still installed, for swollen wood or water stains on the floor and the side of the next cabinet, which is how a slow leak shows itself.

Unhooking a dishwasher after the buyer has watched it run:

that order matters, so book the visit before the plumber, not after it. In the listing, give the width, brand, model number, place settings and age, and photograph the inside with the racks pulled out, the filter and the rating label on the edge of the tub or door. Say whether the inlet line, drain hose and mounting brackets go with it, since a buyer without them faces a second trip to the hardware store. Someone driving in from Penonomé for a machine coming out of a Clayton townhouse will want to see it fill and drain while it is still connected. Once they have, run a drain cycle before you unhook it, so less water ends up on the floor of their car.