Kiwi engineering with a few unusual ideas
Fisher & Paykel got going in New Zealand in 1934, when Woolf Fisher and Maurice Paykel began importing refrigerators. Over time it became a manufacturer with a name for original engineering. The best-known example is the DishDrawer, a dishwasher split into separate drawers that run independently. DCS, short for Dynamic Cooking Systems, joined the company in 2004. It's an American brand known for outdoor grills, and it makes indoor cooking gear as well. Since about 2012 it has been part of the Haier Group.
In American homes, you'll find Fisher & Paykel DishDrawer and full-size dishwashers, integrated column and freestanding refrigerators, ranges, wall ovens, cooktops, and washers and dryers. DCS grills show up in outdoor kitchens as well.
How a DishDrawer gets itself in trouble
A DishDrawer doesn't work like a standard dishwasher. At the start of a cycle, an internal lid comes down and seals the drawer, which makes the way you load it matter more than you'd expect.
- Keep the load low, with nothing poking up past the rim or forced in. An item that stops the internal lid from sealing is a common reason for service calls, and on current models a lid fault shows up as E5.
- Clean the drain filter often. With the power off, lift the grid, pull out the small drain filter, rinse it and seat it back flush. A little water sitting under it is normal.
- Give the spray arm a cleaning about once a month, and while you're in there, fish out any fork or spoon that slipped through the basket and is keeping it from turning.
- Need to get into a drawer mid-cycle? Hit pause and hold off until you hear the extra beeps.
- Watch your water temperature. The manual calls for incoming water below 149°F (65°C), and a very hot water heater can set off a temperature fault.
Codes change from one generation to the next. On current models, a code that starts with U is usually something you can fix yourself, like U1 for no water supply. E codes, such as E1 for a detected flood, point to a fault that needs service. In a two-drawer unit, a fault in one drawer can lock out the other one.
SmartDrive washers and the dryer basics
Fisher & Paykel washers run on the SmartDrive direct-drive motor, which turns the drum with no belt and no gearbox. The motor gets longer parts coverage than the rest of the washer (more on that in the warranty section below). The motor controller isn't part of that extended coverage, though, and a controller fault can look a lot like a failed motor. On the dryer side, the old basics still prevent most problems. Clean the lint filter every load and keep the vent run clear.
Write the numbers down while it's new
On a DishDrawer, the serial label lives inside the cabinet. Pull the drawer all the way out and look around the frame. For other Fisher & Paykel products, the user guide shows where the label sits, and every guide has a page for recording the numbers along with the purchase date and dealer. Fill it in while the appliance is new. Built-in units can hide the label once they're installed.
Two years, then the extras
Fisher & Paykel's US warranty gives two years of parts and labor on new products in normal household use. Refrigeration sealed systems get three additional years. On washers, the SmartDrive motor itself has parts coverage for eight years past that, though the controller doesn't. Put a unit in commercial use and coverage drops to one year, parts only. The paperwork that came with yours spells out what's still covered. Warranty claims go through Fisher & Paykel's own service network.
Closing up a DishDrawer for the off season
Plenty of seasonal owners in Southwest Florida leave a DishDrawer sitting unused for months. Before you leave, run the drawers empty and clean the drain filter so no food sits in it. Then shut off the water supply under the sink. When you get back, turn the water on and run a rinse cycle first. During hurricane-season outages, unplug the unit or switch off its breaker so the electronic controls aren't exposed to a surge when power returns. That's what the Red Cross recommends for appliances in general.