Dishwasher Repair

Dishwasher Repair Problems and Solutions

DISHWASHER REPAIR service requests we receive most are:

1. Dishwasher not draining.
2. Dishwasher Leaking
3. Dishwasher not cleaning
4. Dishwasher noisy during drain or during wash.

SOLUTIONS to common dishwasher repair problem of unit not draining are:

1. Blockage in drain hose where the end of the drain hose secures to the drain pipe under the sink. Solution is to remove the clamp and check and clear debris built up inside either or both the hose end and the pipe piece where it is attached.
2. Blockage in pump or where the drain hose attaches to the pump. Solution is to slide forward the dishwasher out from under the counter, remove drain hose where it is attached to the pump, check inside the pump and the drain hose for broken glass or debris. Also be prepared for whatever amount of water may spill out.
3. If there is no blockage in drain hose and or in the pump, and you are certain that there is proper power getting to the pump, (you can hear the drain pump humming sound during the drain cycle time) then the pump should be replaced.
4. No power getting to the pump can be a control issue, or door latch trouble.

SOLUTIONS to when a dishwasher is leaking water the most common causes are:

1. Leaking from door gasket strip at bottom of door, or sometimes gasket corner pieces on some model. Solution is to remove old pieces and replace.
2. Leaking at separate drain pump. Remove lower front panel pieces, observe if leaking appears to be coming from pump area, uninstall unit and replace pump.
3. Drain hose may be checked for leaking and outer tub cabinet seals can be replaced if leaking from one of those.
4. Sometimes someone has used the wrong kind of dishwashing soap and a massive bubble build up inside the unit can cause water to be leaking from the front door. Only soap designed for dishwashers can be used in dishwashers. It is a special low suds soap. If the wrong soap has been used the only way to get it out reasonably fast is to remove the lower rack, bail out all the water as much as possible and soak up the rest of the water and suds with dry towels. Then run through more water in the wash cycle and repeat by trying to drain and bail and towel dry until the excessive soap bubbling has stopped.

SOLUTIONS to when a dishwasher not cleaning properly the most common causes are:

1. Water is not circulating properly due to junk in the sump housing. Solution would be to find a you-tube video which describes how to dismantle from inside your particular brand of dishwasher the area above the wash motor under the lower rack, and under your lower wash spray arm. Some special torx bits or drivers will usually be required and pay close attention to how the parts come apart and what order they will go back in. Clean debris as much as possible and be careful not to cut your fingers on invisible pieces of broken glass.
2. Sometimes not washing well can be caused by not enough water coming into the machine. If you experiment and by adding a few cups of water to each stage of the filling cycle causes the unit to wash better then the problem likely is not enough water coming in. The solution is to check the screen at the water inlet valve to be sure it is clean, if the screen is clean the water inlet valve needs to be replaced.
3. Sometimes spray arms can have debris stuck inside the pin holes where the water is being forced through causing blockages in the spray areas and effecting cleaning. Also inspect spray arms for cracks or holes that are not suppose to be there, this can also cause interruptions in the spray directions that these pieces are designed to spray in. Replace the spray arms if they can’t be cleaned easily or if they are cracked or broken in any way.

SOLUTIONS to when a dishwasher is noisy during the drain or wash cycle:

1. Debris such as broken glass, cherry pits or toothpicks can work there way into the drain pump motor or the main wash motor. Solution is to dismantle and gain access to the area where the impellers are located and check and clean any debris found there.
2. If after having removed any debris noise still persists then either then whichever motor that is noisy will have to be replaced.

Some of the most common work and brands that we see are Kitchenaid dishwasher repairs and Maytag dishwasher repairs. Frigidaire dishwasher repairs and Whirlpool and Inglis are also very popular units. We also take care of Bosch dishwasher repairs and find the number out there in the market is ever increasing in the upper end category.

We hope that some of this information will have been helpful to our customers, and if you still need additional help please call 204-772-2020 for service if needed, or email us at service@citywideappliance.ca to request a service appointment.

To see a detailed listing of our rates please click Services and scroll down to rates.