How many decibels is a Kenmore dishwasher?
A current Kenmore dishwasher lists between 42 and 57 dBA. Nine of the twelve models show a figure footnoted "Per IEC Standards" on their own pages, and a tenth gives 49 dBA on its listing card.
Of the other two, one lists 57 dBA with no footnote and one shows no figure. Each line below gives the model numbers Kenmore prints, all colors included.
- 42 dBA: Kenmore Elite, bar handle 22-14682, 22-14685 and 22-14689; pocket handle 22-14692, 22-14695 and 22-14699.
- 43 dBA: 22-15195, bar handle, auto-open door, one stainless finish.
- 45 dBA, 24 inch: bar handle 22-14642, 22-14645 and 22-14649 and pocket handle 22-14672, 22-14675 and 22-14679, all with a floor light; pocket handle 22-14602, 22-14605 and 22-14609, without one.
- 45 dBA, 18 inch: 22-14702, 22-14705 and 22-14709, with front controls.
- 49 dBA: bar handle 22-14622, 22-14625 and 22-14629, plus 22-14632, 22-14635 and 22-14639, which share their product name.
- 54 dBA: 22-14782, 22-14785 and 22-14789, front controls and a hybrid tub.
- 57 dBA, no IEC footnote: 22-14582, 22-14585 and 22-14589, two racks.
- No figure found: 22-14592, 22-14595 and 22-14599, listed under the same name as the 57 dBA trio.
The 22-1463x and 22-1459x pages would not open from kenmore.com's own links. Their 49 dBA and missing figure come from the text on Kenmore's listing cards.
How quiet is the Kenmore Elite dishwasher?
The Kenmore Elite dishwasher lists 42 dBA, the lowest figure Kenmore prints, in both handle styles. The page words it as "At 42 dBA**, our quietest dishwasher is virtually silent."
That double star points to "Per IEC Standards", the same note as on the cheaper models.
What the Elite adds over the 45 dBA models is mostly inside: interior LED lights, a TotalFlex third rack with sliding trays, a three-level upper rack that Kenmore says adjusts "even when fully loaded", and a wine glass holder. The floor light, Quiet Wash and 15 place settings are shared with the cheaper 22-1464x and 22-1467x pairs.
Kenmore does not say which of those parts, if any, brings the figure down by 3 dBA. We would not guess.
What does "Per IEC Standards" mean on a Kenmore page?
"Per IEC Standards" is the footnote Kenmore attaches to its dBA figures, saying they were stated under International Electrotechnical Commission rules. It names no particular standard, cycle or microphone distance.
Its value is consistency. Nine Kenmore product pages carry it, so a 42 against a 49 is two figures produced the same way, by Kenmore's account. The 57 dBA 22-14585 family lacks it, which is why it is not ranked with the rest.
Across brands the footnote helps less. Frigidaire prints a Sound Level with no standard named, so a Kenmore at 45 and a Frigidaire at 45 may not have been measured alike. The cross-brand dishwasher guide treats such figures with that in mind.
How loud is the Kenmore UltraWash dishwasher?
Kenmore's plain UltraWash models list 54 dBA (22-1478x, footnoted) and 57 dBA (22-1458x, not footnoted). Their pages describe two pressurized spray arms or nozzles, while the three-arm UltraWash Plus models run from 42 to 49 dBA.
The name in a listing is therefore a rough guide to the noise. Every Kenmore under 50 dBA says UltraWash Plus, and the two plain UltraWash families are the loudest in the range. The 22-15195 lists both names on its page, with UltraWash Plus among its features, and sits at 43.
Kenmore makes no claim that the spray system itself sets the figure. The Plus models also bring stainless tubs, third racks and fan drying, any of which could matter.
What does Kenmore's Quiet Wash option do?
Quiet Wash is a Kenmore option that lowers water pressure to cut noise, lengthening the cycle in exchange. Kenmore gives it no dBA figure. It appears on the Elite and on the 45 and 49 dBA 24 inch models.
The product pages put it this way: "Quiet Wash option increases wash temperature and cycle duration while decreasing the noise." The use and care guide for the 22-1460x models adds the mechanism, saying it helps "reduce the sound level of the washing operation by lowering the pressure level of the water."
Missing from the 43 dBA 22-15195, the 18 inch 22-1470x, the 54 dBA front control models and the 57 dBA two-rack ones, it is worth checking for on any Kenmore you plan to run at night.
How loud is Kenmore's 18 inch dishwasher?
Kenmore's only 18 inch dishwasher, the 22-14702 family, lists 45 dBA with the IEC footnote, the same figure as several of its 24 inch models. It holds 10 place settings and has front panel controls.
It measures 17.64 inches wide and 32.3 to 34.25 inches tall, and its spec table says it is not ADA compliant. A stainless tub, TurboDry and a removable third rack come with it, but Quiet Wash does not. For narrow spaces, compact models from other makers are the real comparison.
What do Kenmore's "whisper quiet" and "background music quiet" labels mean?
Kenmore's quiet labels are marketing wording attached to each figure, not separate ratings. The pages call 42 dBA "virtually silent", 43 and 45 dBA "whisper quiet", 49 and 54 dBA "background music quiet", and 57 dBA "conversation quiet".
Two labels cover wide spans. "Background music quiet" stretches across 5 dBA, and "whisper quiet" covers both the 43 and 45 dBA models. Go by the number. A 10 dBA step is roughly what most people hear as half as loud, so the 54 dBA front control model ought to come across at roughly double the loudness of the 42 dBA Elite, if both were tested alike, as the shared footnote suggests.
What noises are normal during a Kenmore wash cycle?
Kenmore's use and care guides list surging while draining, a periodic hiss from the water valve and a snap when the detergent cup opens as normal sounds during a wash cycle. Thumping usually means dishes are touching a spray arm.
The guide for the 22-15195 says "Surging sounds can occur periodically throughout the cycle while the dishwasher is draining", that "Normal water valve hissing may be heard periodically", and that a snap "may be heard when the detergent dispenser opens". It adds that "Improper installation will affect noise levels."
The 22-1478x guide has a short list of quiet operating tips. Among them: "Load dishes so they do not touch one another", and, for built-in models, keep sink drain plugs closed "to prevent noise transfer through drains." Several of the 263-prefix guides blame "Shaking and hitting noises" on a spray arm striking dishes in the lower basket.
Why does a Kenmore dishwasher make a grinding or buzzing noise?
A grinding or buzzing Kenmore dishwasher most often has a hard object or undissolved detergent granules in the wash module, according to the 22-1478x use and care guide.
The guide lists "Grinding, grating, crunching or buzzing sounds" with that cause and says to remove the object with care, warning that clear glass is hard to see in water. If detergent was to blame, it says the noise should stop once the granules are ground up. If it carries on after a complete cycle, Kenmore's advice is to call for service.
Who makes Kenmore dishwashers now, and what about the 665 models?
Kenmore's current use and care guides name Transform SR Brands Management LLC of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, and say Kenmore products "are sold and distributed by Kenmore and Kenmore authorized distributors". None names the factory that builds them.
The guides give the long model numbers 263.1458# to 263.1470#, 405.1478# and 990.1519#. No dishwasher on kenmore.com carries a 665 prefix, so we found no maker figure for the 665 models that many older kitchens still have. Owners of those machines need the original paperwork for a number.
