Dishwasher not cleaning

9 years ago

You guys have been so helpful in saving us repair visits....so I am going for one more! Our 12-y-o Kenmore dishwasher isn't getting the dishes clean any more. We have well water but it is softened. We haven't changed our soap or loading method, I have cleaned it with vinegar numerous times. The heating element is fine, and water fills quickly. I think the problem is the pressure coming out of the arms, as there is often soap left in the dispenser. I have read this is likely a pump issue, but there is SOME water coming out of the arms when I open it. What else can I check? Thanks in advance!

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Comments (3)

dadoes
9 years ago
You didn't cite the model number for specific advice.

Suggest disassembling the pump assembly to check for clogging from debris (stringy food residue, stray paper labels, twist-ties, bone fragments, etc.).

Depending on what design is your pump mechanism, there are videos on YouTube on how to do this.
missymoo12
9 years ago
My Frigidaire was also limping along with cleaning and I started to use the "ultimate" cycle. Longest hottest heavy duty cycle. Anyway It cleans GREAT now. Anything but burnt on bacon leavings...just tried it to see if it would clean that.
Now if it would just quit sporadically leaking and would dry plastic...
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chas045
9 years ago
The arms can get junk in them too. They can be taken off and partially apart to get rid of crud. The 'bearings' that the arms spin on can get damaged. Do the arms end up in different places if you open the door several times? I guess if you have multiple arms that you couldn't have the problem of removing the bottom trey and then putting it in backwards. This misaligns the water to the top.