How to Fix The Most Common Problems Of Dishwashers

By Razione Latapiatti

 

Your dishwasher consists of a pump, a motor, a timer, a small valve that lets the water into the dishwasher and a heater coil in the bottom that dries the dishes. If you are patient, you can repair your broken dishwasher yourself. This guide should help you get started.

The pump is the first thing that will go out. You know the pump is the problem when you open the door after the dishwasher has stopped and there is still water in the bottom.

The pump is not difficult to remove and replace. If you have a little bit of mechanical ability, you can replace the pump easily. You can find the pump by following the drain line into the bottom of the dishwasher. The drain line connects to the pump.

The pump will come out fairly easily by removing a couple of fasteners. Make sure you find an exact replacement part or you could be in for a world of trouble.

The solenoid valve lets the water come into the dishwasher from the water supply. When it fails, no water will go into the dishwasher. You can find the solenoid valve the back of the dishwasher. It has wires going to it. But be careful! Don't touch the bare wire, it will shock you. These wires will have 110 volts going through them if the dishwasher is still plugged in.

You can replace the solenoid valve very easily by removing the wires, removing the supply line and then loosening the fasteners that secure the valve to the dishwasher frame. Be sure to mark each hose so you put them on the same port on the new valve that they were on the old one. Purchasing an exact replacement part will make your job easier.

The next part that will fail is the motor. To remove it, the dishwasher has to be taken out of the counter and laid on its side. Only the mechanically inclined should attempt to replace the motor. Hiring a professional will give you peace of mind.

The timer is the another part that most commonly fails. Its completely electronic and controls all functions of the dishwasher. The timer is located behind the front panel on almost every dishwasher. Without the timer, your dishwasher won't do anything. If you're familiar with electricity and electrical parts, changing out the timer will be no big deal. Its hard to diagnose a faulty time.

The last part to fail is the heater element. Its the wire in the bottom of the dishwasher that looks like the wires in the bottom of your oven. The heater element allows your dishwasher to sanitize your dishes.

The heater element is held in place by a couple of screws and can be replaced quickly. The dishwasher has to be laid on its side to make this repair. The heater element is faulty if the dishwasher will not get hot when the unit is on sanitize mode.

Remember to disconnect the power before working on any electrical device. Don't worry, almost all dishwashers are
plugged directly into the wall. Simply pull it out of the wall and start work.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Get illustrations of your dishwasher by searching on the internet for the name brand of your dishwasher plus the word "repair".

You can save a lot of money by fixing your own dishwasher.

ARTICLE POSTED August 04, 2005

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