Common Dishwasher Problems

As with all household appliances dishwashers can sometimes develop faults. It might not always be fatal to your trusty old dishwasher however, as many problems can be troubleshooted and fixed without any technical knowledge required. This articles covers just a few of the most common faults that affect dishwashers and offers up a few possible solutions.

If your dishwasher isn't cleaning as well as it used to, there are a few possible problems. If it's simply an odd smell but everything seems clean this is generally an indication there's a problem with what's going inside rather than the dishwasher itself. Anything containing wood or porous plastics can absorb fragrances during its use, especially as they get older. The effect of the high temperatures inside the dishwasher can make this smell more obvious.

If the problem is remaining dirt or residues rather than simply a smell then there's much more that could be happening. One simple problem is that you might not be using enough detergent. Especially if you live in a hard water area a single dose might not be enough, and you should consider adding more first to see if this works. Many people find that increasing the temperature or the length of their programme can solve cleaning issues, especially if they use tablets which might not have time to dissolve on short cycles. You should also make sure rinse aid is used and consider adding special dishwashing salts.

If these don't work then it could be the way the dishwasher is being loaded. Make sure that the dosing chamber isn't being blocked and nothing is stopping the spray arm from turning. If this isn't what to blame then you'll probably need to go inside the washer and give it a good clean, as food stuffs can block not only the drain and dosing chambers but also the spray arm nozzles. Check thoroughly through the dishwasher while cleaning as it's easy to get food debris anywhere within it. There are filters, also know as sieves, that can become clogged with food residues. You can take these out and wash them. There's also specialist dishwasher cleaning products than can be used to help dissolve this dirt and grime.

If your seeing a red light on your dishwasher and don't understand what's trying to tell you don't worry too much. Generally this light indicates that the rinse aid needs topping up. If you're using a tablet which is 'multi-benefit' or contains a salt solution that replaces rinse aid then you need not worry about this and can continue to use your dish washer as normal. If not, all you need to do is top up your rinse aid.

Many people complain of glasses appearing cloudy after being washed in a dishwasher multiple times. This generally is caused by one of two things. One is mineral residues such as lime scale, which is the most likely cause if you live in a hard water area. You can use a product made of citric acid or vinegar to remove lime scale. The other possibility is glass corrosion, which happens over time to certain types of glass used in certain conditions (high temperatures or hard water). Sadly this process is irreversible and if you don't want clouded glasses you'll have to replace them.