Basic Guide to Dishwasher Repair and Maintenance

If you’re deciding on whether to buy a dishwasher or already have one, there are a few things to remember to properly care for the appliance.

Dishwasher repair (Photo credit: Bosch Dishwasher Reviews)

Maintain Your Dishwasher

Although each model varies to some degree, there are some essential truths about dishwasher maintenancethat can be applied to each type.

Keep Debris Clear

They should be used regularly to keep them working correctly. Drains are kept clear when water regularly flows through them. The spinning arms should be cleaned at regular intervals. Once a week should be sufficient to keeping the sprayer holes clear. A fine wire, pliers or a bristled scrub brush can get into the small sprayer holes easily. At the bottom, there is a trap or drain for waste water to leave the dishwasher. Large food particles should be scraped from dishes before they are loaded into the dishwasher, but even small pieces can get stuck in the trap.

Tips for Proper Usage

Load the unit properly. Plates should be facing the same direction; towards the back of the dishwasher. Bowls and pans should be facing downward, so the sprayer arm can shoot water into them.

Don't overload the dishwasher. Each dish washing cycle should include a full load to conserve water and energy, but if the unit is overloaded, the arms cannot spin freely. Dishes won't get cleaned and the motors and gears could grind, overheat and burn out.

Hot water should be run into the sink first to ensure that the water is the hottest temperature possible. This helps the dishwasher to clean the dishes thoroughly. While the water is running, this is a great time to run the sink's garbage disposal. The drain should be clean since the dishwasher and disposal use the same water drain.

Not only should the inside of the unit be cleaned properly to remove particles of food and other debris, it's helpful to run white vinegar or a dishwasher cleaning product through a cycle. This removes hard water deposits and cleans the inside of the unit.

This should keep the dishwasher running smoothly for a very long time. Still, problems can occur even with the most routine maintenance.

Common Problems

No Power

Make sure the door is latched properly, and there is power to the unit. Before assuming it's a mechanical failure, eliminate the simple fixes first. Check the connection to the wall outlet, or if it's wired directly into the under counter wiring, check the circuit breakers. There might be a timer that is set to a delayed start, or a child lock-out feature enabled. All these things should be checked before assuming mechanical failure.

No Water

If no water is entering the unit, make sure the door latch is tight and secure. The water inlet valve should be working properly to allow water to fill the unit. The float switch or overfill protector should be checked too. Any of these valves and switches may be working improperly and need to be replaced.