Dishwashers have one job — eat dirty china and silverware, and spit out clean dishes. When your dishwasher isn’t cleaning properly, the top rack isn’t clean, or becomes clogged regularly, here are steps to get it running normally again.
Another similar issue is a smelly dishwasher. Follow that guide instead if the problem is more applicable.
Only certain blends of soaps are designed for dishwashers. Verify that yours is designed for your dishwasher, and test another soap in you are uncertain.
The inlet valves water to enter dishwasher. When clogged or failing, either not enough water will enter the machine for a proper cleaning cycle to run, or continue filling with water until a leak or overflow. If experiencing these issues, the water inlet valve may be at fault and need replacing. Do not attempt cleaning and replacing the valve.
The spray arm may have become clogged with food particles. Unclog the holes, and wash with soap. Make sure to clean both upper and lower spray arms. Check the spray arm gaskets and replace if necessary.
If the wash arm is cracked, a stream of water can spray the door seal and cause a leak. Inspect and replace the wash arm if there is a crack. Do not fix the crack with glue as the glue will break down inside the machine. Epoxy will work as long as it can handle the internal run temperatures (120°F - 180°F).
If the wash arm is intact, check that the support screws are tight. Looseness may allow water spray between the wash arm support and the pump housing, and thus another leak.
Check the drain hose that runs from the bottom of your dishwasher to the drain pipe (usually below the sink). Make sure it’s not pinched or kinked. If necessary, replace it with a new hose.
Remove the drain hose end from the nipple it’s connected to below the sink or disposal, put the end in a bucket, then fill and drain the dishwasher to see if a garbage clog will simply blow out. If that doesn’t work, but you see a small dribble of water, you may have to pull the dishwasher out and remove the drain hose in order clean it out or replace it. (Remember, there’s still water in the unit—so put a drain pan under it before removing the hose.)
A new drain pump should only take a few minutes to remove all water from your dishwasher. Taking longer to remove the water or leaving standing water in the machine is a sign of a bad pump. Low humming or squealing noises also point to a pump problem. Pumps can fail both electrically and mechanically. Some models of dishwashers may have separate pumps to drain and circulate the water, so check both pumps. These pumps are normally on the bottom of your dishwasher.
Let’s listen to our dishwasher.
A loud buzzing noise indicates a blocked or dirty drain pump or wash pump. If the pump is jammed, remove the blockage. You may have to replace the drain pump if there are no blockages.
A squealing or droning suggests a failing wash pump. Search for blockages to the pump, and replace the wash pump.
A scraping sound suggests a damaged impeller or impeller fin scraping against the pump housing. The impeller is inside of the pump and is what moves the water through the system. Replacing the impeller instead of the whole pump may be possible. Inspect the impeller. If it’s broken, replace it.
A worn drain pump may also have a hole, crack, or worn bearings causing a leak. Replace the drain pump in this case.
If none of the above tones are evident, then disconnect the drain pump from the system, and test its continuity. If the measured impedance (Ohm, Ω) between terminals is around 100Ω, your drain pump is likely fine.
If the pump just hums when it should be running, the entire pump assembly might need to be replaced.
There are many parts of the dispenser that could fail, and prevent soap from reaching the washing chamber. Taking apart the dispenser and testing the bi-metal actuator for continuity could show a faulty part. Use a multimeter set to Ohm (Ω) and check for continuity by placing the probes onto the electrical leads. If the bi-metal tests negative for continuity, it will need to be replaced.
In the event that the dispenser is not opening, you can replace the entire dispenser instead of troubleshooting and replacing individual actuator, door pin, spring, latch, lever, lid, or slide.
Dishwasher Won’t Drain
Dishwasher Smells Bad
Dishwasher Not Drying
Dishwasher Won’t Turn On
Dishwasher Stops Mid Cycle
Dishwasher Leaking
