"Beko DW450 Dishwasher Problem / Fault"
Pros: Easy to use
"There is not much choice on the market for slimline built-in dishwashers under £400, so this one is an obvious choice. It is a little bit noisier than average, but not unbearable.
I found that after re-positioning the upper basket to accommodate larger plates, the normal wash cycle was not as effective, but this was easy to fix - see item 2 below.
General problems.
1. Cutlery tray is not a good fit in the bottom basket and topples over - this can be fixed with a couple of cable ties.
2. If you have large plates for the bottom basket, you will need to move the top tray to the upper position, but part of the wirework fouls the grey plastic catch, which prevents the upper spray bar pipework to seal correctly, so it doesn't work - bend the offending wirework side to side until it breaks away, and bend it out of the way, Coat exposed metal with nail varnish to prevent rust.
3. If the machine fails to fill or complete a programme, but sounds as if it is doing something, this is probably due to a small amount of water leaking into the base, which triggers a water detector or float switch, causing the drain pump to run continuously - make sure the machine is disconnected from the power supply, remove the door (if built-in) and remove the plinth and cover plate at the bottom-front (4 screws) and soak up as much water as possible using cloth teatowels or similar (not paper towels or tissue!). If possible, tilt the top of the machine forward while doing this and finish off with a hair dryer or fan heater before replacing covers and doors.
This is due to a built-in 'Flood Prevention' system and can happen if you accidentally open the door while there is still water inside or if the waste outlet is blocked - but there is no indication that this has been triggered. The drain pump operates constantly even though it has no means of removing water from inside the base.
4. At the end of the cycle, there is a short, quiet single beep. If you are not standing next to the machine at the time, you won't hear it! It wouldn't be difficult for the manufacturer to make this a bit louder and to beep once every minute or so until the door is opened. It should even be possible to make it a constant or more-frequent beep if the flood prevention circuitry has been activated. This would be especially useful for built-in machines where a leak under the machine might not be obvious until some serious damage has been done.
5. I found that the supplied template for mounting the appliance door was about 5mm out, making the door too low. The plastic mounting strips are fiddly to use and it is almost impossible to remove the door again without breaking them. It would have been better if the manufacturer had simply provided keyhole shaped slots in the machine door, and a few pan-head screws to attach your own door! Also, the 4 x screws for fixing the door from the inside, have a weird cross-head fitting that doesn't fit any screwdriver that I had in my toolbox, plus they are made of a soft metal which get chewed-up easily. I replaced mine with 4 x 40mm No.4 stainless screws from the local DIY shop."
9 of 10 people found this review helpful.
Location: Dudley, West Midlands.