GE GSD1200M-20 User manual

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Contents
Air Gap 17 P~SCRUBBER Cycle 4,6,9
Appliance Registration 2Problem Solver 14-16
Care and Cleaning 17 Rinse Agent 8
China, Crystal, Sterling 5,13 Safety Instructions 3
Clear-Reset 5User Maintenance Instructions 17
Consumer Services 19 Warranty Back Cover
Cycle Features 4,5 Water Temperature 8
Detergent, Detergent Guide 89 Winter Storage 17
Dispenser Cups 9
Energy Saver 4,6,7
Energy-Saving Tips 7
Front Panel Color Change 18
Loading 10-12
Model and Serial Numbers 2
Operating Instructions 4,5 GEAnsww C&m@
Drying Options 4,6 8W.6262Mfl
Model GSD1200M-20
GEA/piiicim 5?!77

If vw need service
Help us help you...
Beforeusing~wr dishwasher,
read this book carefully.
It is intended to help you operate
and maintain your new dishwasher
properly.
Keep it handy for answers to your
questions.
If jou donut understand something
or need more help, write (include
your phone number):
Consumer Affairs
GE Appliances
Appliance Park
Louisville. KY 40225
Write down the model
and serial numbers.
Model NumDer
If Youreceived
adamaged dishwasher...
Immediately contact the dealer
(or builder) that sold you the
dishwasher.
Save time and money.
Before you request
service ...
Check the Problem Solver
(pages 14-16). It lists causes of
minor operating problems that you
cm correct yourself.
I
T{)obtain aSptinish language
~ersic)n ot this b(mk. call
GE Answer Ccntcr R
800.626.2000
consumer inform:ition service
Pard obtcncr la kcrsi(in en
cspantll de este manual.
IIJIIWd
GE Answer Ccntcr~
\cr\ icit~de iniornuci6n
para c1consumidor,
tcl~fonu 800.626.2000.
Ser!al Number
.4’
%. >>...
‘.
w
To obtain service. see the
Consumer Ser\rices page in the
back of this book.
We’re proud of our ser~ice and
want jou to be pleased. If for some
reason you are not happ> with the
service you receive. here are three
steps to follow for further help.
FIRST, contact the people who
serviced jour appliance. Explain
why you are not pleased. In most
cases. this will solve the problem.
NEXT. if you are still not pleased.
write all the details—including
your phone number—to:
Manager. Consumer Reltitions
GE Appliances
Appliance Park
Louisville. Kentuck} 40225
FINALLY, if~rour problem is \tIll
not rcsol~’ed. write:
Malor Appliance
C(msumcr Action Panel
20 Xt)rth Wxkr Dri\c
Chicago. Illinois 60606

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
Read all instructions before using this appliance.
WARNING-When using this
appliance, always exercise basic
safety precautions. including the
following:
●Use this appliance only for
its intended purpose, as you
will find described in this Use
and Care Book.
QThis dishwasher must be
properly installed and located
in accordance with the
Installation Instructions before
it is used. If you did not receive
an Installation Instructions sheet
with your dishwasher. you can
obtain one by contacting the
service location nearest you.
—This appliance must be
connected to agrounded metal.
permanent wiring system; or an
equipment-groumiing conductor
must be run with the circuit
conductors and connected to the
cquiprncnt-grounding terminal
or lead of the appliance.
—Connect to aproperly rated,
protected and sized power-supply
circuit to aw)idelcctricul overlotid.
●Do not store or use
combustible materials, gasoline
or other flammable vapors and
liquids in the vicinity of this or
any other appliance.
●LJseonly powder or liquid
detergents or wetting agents
recommended for use in a
dishwasher.
●Do not wash plastic items unless
marked “dishwasher safe”’or the
equivalent. For plastic items not so
marked. check the manufacturer-s
recommendations.
●Load light plastic items so
they will not become dislodged
and drop to the bottom of the
dishwasher—they might come
into contact with the heating
unit and be damaged.
To minimize the possibility of
injury.
●When loading items to be
washed:
A. Locate sharp items so that
they are not likely to damage
the door seal, and
B. Load sharp knives with the
handles up to reduce the risk
of cut-type injuries.
●Do not touch the heating
element during or immediately
after use.
●Do not operate your dishwasher
unless all enclosure panels are
properly in place.
●Do not tamper with controls.
●Do not abuse, sit on, or stand
on the door or dish rack of the
dishwasher.
●Close supervision is necessary
if this appliance is used by or near
children. Do not allow children
to play inside, on or with this
appliance or any discarded
appliance. Dispose of discarded
appliances and shipping or
packing material properly.
Before discarding adishwasher,
remove the door of the washing
compartment.
●Keep all washing detergents
and wetting agents out of the
reach of children, preferably in
alocked cabinet. Observe all
warnings on container labels to
avoid personal injury.
●To minimize the possibility of
electric shock, disconnect this
appliance from the power supply
before attempting any maintenance.
Note: Turning the control dial to
the OFF position does not
disconnect the appliance from
the power supply. We recommend
having aqualified technician
service your appliance.
W~G—HYDR(X;ELY GAS
is produced by the chemical
action within your water heater.
It can accumulate in the wutcr-
heater and/or water pipes if hot
water has not been used for a
period of two weeks or longer.
HYDROGEN GAS IS
EXPLOSIVE. To prevent the
possibility of damage or injury,
if you have not used hot water for
two weeks or more. or mwcd
into aresidcncc in which the hot
water system may not hme been
used for some time. turn on all
hot water faucets and allow them
to run for several minutes before
using any electrical appliamx
which is connected to the hot
water system. This will allow
any hydrogen gas to escape. ,41s0.
since the gas is tlammabie. do
not smoke or use an open flame
or appliance during this process.
SAVETHESE
INSTRUCTIONS
3

How to operate your dishwasher
STEP 1STEP 2-.
Load your dishwasher with dishes, Add detergent to the detergent
silverware, pots, pans, bowls, etc. dispenser.
according to instructions on pages Use rinse aid agent to help prevent
10-12. spotting. (See page 8.)
Close and latch the dishwasher door.
Vapor Vent Door Latch (unloc K~
PoT- NORMAL
SCRUBBER WASH
IEHEl
LIGHT
WASH
El
ENERGY CHINA
SAVER CRYSTAL
Ella
RINSE CLEAR
&HOLD RESET
IEKl
cycle selector
HEATED ENERGY
DRYING SAVER
En Potscr
with Tei
STEP 3
1. Select Drying Option.
HEATED ENERGY
DRYING SAVER
IEm
HEATED DRYING. Turns the
drying heater on for fast drying.
ENERGY SAVER (no-heat drying).
Turns the drying heater off to save
energy. Dishes dry naturally over a
longer period such as overnight
If you need your dishes sooner.
open the dishwasher door after
cycle is complete to reduce the
natural drying time.
Use of this option reduces the
electrical energy used by this
model approximately 870 for
Normal cycle.
STEP 4
2. Latch the door.
STEP 5
3. Select desired cycle and start
dishwasher.
If your dishwasher drains into a
food waste disposer, operate the
disposer until it is empty before
starting the dishwasher.
Push the Cycle Selector button all
the way in to start the dishwasher.
There is atime delay between start-
up and water fill so you \vill not
hear any wash action right away.
POT- 1
SCRUBBER !
El
POTSCRUBBER. F(>ritrms such
mp~lts.pans and casseroles ~vith
dried-on or baked-~m soils. EJIcDda]
dishes mtiy be included.
NORMAL LIGHT ENERGY
WASH WASH SAVER
he NORMAL WASH. For loads of
everydav dishes. glasses and
.
cook~vare with medium soils.
Designed to yield high perfbrnxmcc
on normal loads.
i

CycleIndicatorDial
Ler 1200
[a
@
‘sure Sensor GENERAL
ELECTRIC
OFF ● ● PREWASHING
●WASHING
DRYING ●●RINSING
IEIEII13
NORMAL LIGHT ENERGY
WASH WASH SAVER
IENHEl
!
ENERGY SAVER. For tableware
that is lightly soiled with fresh soils.
Pre-rinse tabletvare before iotiding.
This cycle uses even less hot water
and energy than the Light Wkh
cycle. dnd can sm’c:Y’outime. too.
If perfc}rmance doesn’t meet your
cxtxct~t ion. mme up [~1~lnc t)f the
hi~ner pcrformtincc ctclcs.
P===
IEIIEIIEI
CHINA-CRYSTAL. For lightly
soiled china and crystal. This ~ycle
is similar to Energy Saver cycle
except the wash xtion is softened
by pumping air along with the water
to protect your delicate items.
Pre-rinse before loading.
CHINA RINSE CLEAR
CRYSTAL &HOLD RESET
lEmlEl
RINSE &HOLD. For rinsing
partial loads which will be washed
later. Do not use detergent.
iCHINA RINSE CLEAR
CRYSTAL &HOLD RESET
IEllma
CLEAR-RESET. For canceling
opemtion oftcr dishwasher htis
started. The dishwasher timer will
rapidly advance through adrain
period and then to OFF. NOTE:
Detergent and rinse ugcnt will be
released into the tub as the timer
advances. If you do not plan t(>
immediately run i.mother Cjrcle.use
RINSE &HOLD to rinse it off.

What happens in each cycle
●You’llhear occasional clicking ●During the drying period:
sounds: —Themotor stops.
—Softfood disposer shredding —Water vapor comes through the
action. vent by the door latch during
—Drain valve opening to pump drying and when water is being
water out. pumped out.
—Timer control as cycle
progresses.
—Detergent cup opening.
—Rinse agent dispenser operating.
WaterUse Approx. Wash
Wash Gallons Cycle Time Cycle Sequence
Cycles (approx.) (in minutes)
POTSCRUBBER 11.9 74* mmmEm’F
NORMAL WASH 11.9 ‘O” mmmwqk:
LIGHT WASH 8.9 4,* F~FIF~~:~Ri=l
ENERGY SAVER 8.4 40 ‘F~Fll=qpiF1
CHINA CRYSTAL 6.1 ‘O lEidHHEJLE
RINSE &HOLD 3.6 ‘[5H
*unextended times. These cycle times may be increased up to 8minutes if necessary for your dishwasher to heat the
water to proper temperature for good washability.
Drying Options:
HEATED DRYING. Available on all wash cycles except RINSE& HOLD. Add 33 minutes to wash cycle time.
ENERGY SAVER. Drying heater is turned off. Dishesdry naturally.
ACYCLE INDICATOR DISPLAY
shows where the dishwasher is in
the cycle. The indicator will pause
during the main detergent wash
portion of the cycles.
DRYIN
OFF 0,PREWASHING
gWASHI
INSING
NG
6

Energy-saving tips
,, The power consumption of your
dishwasher can be minimized if
you follow these suggestions:
●Operate dishwasher only when
full. Let dishes accumulate in
dishwasher. When you put in a
partial load, use RINSE &HOLD
cycle to rinse off heavy soils. Be
sure to latch door when waiting for
full load. This helps keep soils
moist, easier to remove.
cIf you don’t need your dishes,
right away, use your ENERGY
SAVERDRYING that turns the
drying heater off automatically.
Dishes dry naturally over alonger
period such as overnight.
cSelect cycle that uses least
amount of water to remove soil
from load. See page 6.
7

Temperature Sensor System
To get dishes clean and dry you
need hot water. To help you get
water of the proper temperature,
your dishwasher has awater heating
feature that automatically senses
the temperature of the water in the
wash cycle and heats it, if necessary,
to the proper temperature. This
water heating feature may allow
you to turn down your household
water heater and save energy if
you’re willing to let the dishwasher
run alittle longer while it heats
water to the proper temperature.
For good washing and drying, the
entering water must be at least
120°F. To prevent dish damage,
inlet water should not exceed 150”F.
How to test water temperature:
Check your 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
way:
Removethe silverware basket and
place acandy or meat thermometer
in the water towards the middle of
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.
Helpful hints: If outside
temperatures are unusually low, or
if your water travels along 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 arinse agent.
Arinse agent makes water flow
off dishes quicker than usual. This
lessens water spotting and makes
drying faster, too.
For best dishwashing performance,
use of arinse agent such as .lET-
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 adamp
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:
BENCKISER CONSUMER
PRODU~S. INC.
(“JET DRY”)
411 W. Putnam Ave.
Greenwich. CT 06830
Your dishwasher’s rinse agent
container holds 4%ounces. This
should last about 3months. Fill
as needed. Do not overfill.
How to choose and use
detergent.
First, use only powderor liquid
detergentsspecifically 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 ahigher
phosphate level will probably work
better. If the phosphate content is
low (8.7%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”
there are in your w~ter.
How much detergent should you
use? That depends. Is 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 apermanent
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.
8

Keep your detergent fresh and
dry. Under the sink isn’tagood
place to store detergent. Toomuch
moisture. Don’t put powder
detergent into the dispenser until
you’re ready to wash dishes, either.
(It won’tbe fresh OR dry.)
If your powder detergent gets old
or lumpy, throw it away.It won’t
wash well. Old detergent often
won’t dissolve.
If you use aliquid dishwasher
detergent. these precautions are not
necessary because liquid detergents
don’t “lump” as they age or come
in contact with water.
You’llfind two detergent
dispensers on the inside door of
your dishwasher. Two, because
some cycles use two washes.
OPEN CUP
See “Detergent Usage Guide”
below.
I
Always close the main cup tightly.
Men it is~rmly latched you will
hear aclicking sound. It is not
necessaq to overtighten.
NOTE: Deteqgent cup maybe
opened manually with no harm.
Turn handle counterclockwise until
it releases. Asnapping sound is
normal when it opens.
How to prepare
the dishes for washing
If this is your first dishwasher, or
if you’re replacing amuch older
model, you may wonder how much
preparation your dishes need.
Actually very little. Pre-rinsing of
normal food soils is not necessary.
With common sense and alittle
practice you’ll soon know what
foods to remove. Here are some
guidelines:
1. Scrape off bones, seeds, skins,
toothpi~ks and other hard solids. It
is also best to remove hard shelled
vegetables, meat trimmings, leafy
vegetables and crusts. Remove
excessive quantities of oil or
grease.
2. Remove large quantities of any
food. Your dishwasher has abuilt-in
soft food disposer that pulverizes
soft food bits and flushes them away.
It can handle small amounts of
sofi foods, but large amounts will
be difficult to handle.
3. Try to remove food scraps and
place dishes in dishwasher before
soil has achance to dry and become
hard. Dishes with dried-on soil are
more difficult to wash and may
not come clean in the NORMAL
WASH cycle. Remember to use
your RINSE &HOLD cycle for
small “holding” loads.
Note: The foods mentioned above
are for examples only. Other foods
not mentioned may also need to be
removed from your dishes. You
may also want to consider removing
foods such as mustard, mayonnaise,
vinegar, lemon juice and other
foods that can cause discoloration
of stainless steel if allowed to
remain on dishes for along period
of time.
When using the POTSCRUBBER
cycle, less preparation is required
before loading. The PUI_?3CRUBBER
cycle can wash heavily-soiled
dishes and remove dried-on and
baked-on soils from pots, pans and
casseroles. Items with burned-on
soils may not come clean. And the
dishwasher cannot remove burn
marks or restore fading caused
by overheating during cooking.
Detergent Usage Guide (powder or liquid)
SOFT WATER MEDIUM WATER HARD WATER
(O-3 grains hardness) (3-7 grains) (7-12 grains*)
CYCLES Main Cup IOpen Cup Main Cup Open Cup Main Cup$ IOpen Cup$
POTSCRUBBER and 1Tablespoon ~1Tablespoon Half Full +Half Full Completely
NORMAL WASH cycles JCompletely minimum minimum Full Full
CHINA-CRYSTAL, 1Tablespoon None Half Full None Completely None
LIGHT WASH and minimum Full
ENERGY SAVER cycles
RINSE &HOLD cycle Use nodetergent Useno detergent Usenodetergent
*12grains and up is extremely hard water. Awater softener is recommended. Without it,
lime can build up in the water valve. The water valve may stick while open and cause flooding.
$Fil]ed Main Cup holds 3tablespoons; Filled Open Cup holds 2tablespoons.
9

How to load your dishwasher
This is arandom mixed load, the most common type you
will have.
Make sure dishes are properly loaded to insure that
water can reach the soiled surfaces. The wash arm in the
bottom sprays water up. The tower that rises in the
center sends water out over the dishes to wash the items
in the upper rack. Aspray arm in the top washes down
also. Make sure to place tall items to the outside so the
upper wash arm is not blocked.
WATCH OUT FOR THIS.
The washer tower rises through the center of the bottom
rack during the wash and rinse portions of the cycle.
Don’t block it or load tall things next to it. Also, be
careful not to let aportion of an item such as apot or
dish handle extend through the bottom rack. This could
block the wash arm and cause poor washing results.
How to load the TOP RACK
The top rack is best for glasses, cups and saucers.
Two rows of cups can be washed when using the folding
shelf. Load the bottom row first, then fold down the
shelf and load the top row. Cups and glasses fit best
along the sides. This is the piace for dishwasher-safe
plastics, too. Make sure small plastic items are lodged
in tightly so they can’t fall onto the Calrod” heating
unit. Arrange stemware so that it cannot move easily.
Don’t let the glasses touch each other.
Sauce pans, mixing bowls and other small items may be
placed—face down—in this top rack. The top rack is
handy for all kinds of odd shapes.
10