GE Dishwashers: Top-Control, Front-Control and GE Profile

Three control styles and a Profile line

With dishwashers, the quickest way into the model number is the control panel. GE groups its standard dishwashers by where the controls are:

• GDT is top-control, with buttons along the upper edge of the door that you only see when the door is open.
• GDF is front-control, with the buttons on the face of the door.
• GDP is pocket-handle, where the handle is recessed into the door.
• PDT and PDP are the GE Profile counterparts.

In the letter pattern D stands for dishwasher, and the next letter, T, F or P, tells you the control or handle style. That is why a GDT655SMJES and a GDF550PGRWW are not just different colors but different door designs.

Reading the model number

After the three-letter group, GE uses three digits. Higher digits generally mean a higher feature level, but the step from one digit to the next is not a fixed ladder, so compare by reading the manual for your exact number. The letters that follow carry revision and feature codes. The last two or three letters are the finish: WW white, BB black, SS stainless, and ES, DS and similar for slate shades. Take GDT226SSLSS, for instance, a top-control model with a stainless finish code at the end, versus GDT630PGMWW, a top-control model ending in white.

All eight on the site:

• Top-control: GDT655SMJES, GDT665SFNDS, GDT226SSLSS, GDT630PGMWW
• Front-control: GDF550PGRWW, GDF465PGZWW, GDF535PSRSS
• Pocket-handle: GDP630PGRWW

Finding the label

On most dishwashers the rating label sits on the door edge or the tub rim where it is visible with the door open. Look on the sides of the opening and along the top of the tub. The post on finding your GE model number centers on dishwashers, with pictures of the places to look.

Fill and drain: where the trouble starts

A dishwasher does only a few things: fill, wash, heat, drain and dry. Almost every fault is one of those that did not happen. The display often tells you which.

Others have their own pages: C2 (total pump-out over 7 minutes), C4 (filled twice after a power failure), C5 (pump-out too short), C7 (water temperature sensor circuit), C8 (detergent cup blocked), PF (power failure), PrS (pressure sensor), LEAK DETECTED and 999. On a few listed models, 999 means the control needs a reset, and the listed reset is holding Cycle Select and Start together for 5 seconds. On leak-protection models it can mean a possible leak, so do not keep trying to start the machine.

In San Francisco the hot water often has a long run from the heater, which is why C6 appears when a cycle starts with cold pipes. Run the kitchen tap until it is hot, then start the cycle.

The kitchen around the machine

A built-in dishwasher depends on three things outside its own cabinet: a hot-water supply, a drain connection and a power feed, usually shared with the sink area. After a remodel, a new countertop, or a swapped disposer, any of these can end up slightly changed. A drain hose that sags below the connection, a supply line that got bent when the unit was slid back, or a unit that settled out of level will all show up as codes long before anything actually breaks. If the symptom appeared right after kitchen work, mention that when you book.

Leaks and standing water

Water on the floor in front of the door can come from the door seal, from overloaded racks that spray against the door, from suds, or from a drain connection under the sink. To tell the causes apart, read about puddles in front of the dishwasher. If a LEAK DETECTED message appears, stop the machine and keep water away from the electrical parts.

Care habits

• Clean the filter if your manual describes one that owners can remove. A gritty or slimy filter causes dull dishes and slow drains. GE dishwasher filter cleaning, loading habits and drain care goes through it.
• Scrape rather than rinse heavily, but do not leave large bones, seeds or labels to reach the drain.
• Run the disposer before a cycle if the machine drains through it, and keep the air gap clear if you have one.
• In hard-water areas such as parts of the East Bay and South Bay, white film on glassware is mineral buildup, not a fault. Softer San Francisco water leaves less of it.
• Wipe the door gasket and leave the door slightly ajar after the last cycle of the day.
• Do not add detergent more than once; a pre-filled cup with an extra scoop on top causes suds and floor puddles.

When to book

If a code returns after the owner steps, the machine will not drain at all, or water is escaping, book. The first step on site is a diagnosis, then a written estimate; the owner decides whether the repair goes ahead. The GE dishwasher repair page has the details, and the error codes index lists every appliance type.