Dishwasher problems

Does anyone know about dishwashers? For some reason when a load of dishes is finished washing I open the door and find the tablet half disolved on the bottom of the dishwasher or in the cuttlery rack. This happens I guess 80% of the time. Any clues? We have extended warranty on it but if it's something simple I can do at home I would rather do that instead of calling a repairman.

That has been happening  to ours too so I'm curious to know the answer.

I think that whatever controls the door on the tablet-container isn't working properly.    If so, you can do the easy thing, and just put the tablet into the cutlery tray.  Or call a tech to fix the door.. use the warranty!

And wait for Paul and Dennis!  I know nothing about anything, nohow.

http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-repair-a-dishwasher2.htm

This site says that making sure it's clean and not touching anything is important.

We have this problem sometimes. I have switched to the cheap Tesco powder detergent and that solved the problem. 

We have this problem sometimes. I have switched to the cheap Tesco powder detergent and that solved the problem. 

No it's not that for me. I use everything from Tesco to whatever is on sale.

No it's not that for me. I use everything from Tesco to whatever is on sale.

Yeah same here, I have tried them all and it's the same. I think it's just our landlord bought the cheapest dishwasher available! hardly anything in this house works like it should, or else it falls to pieces.

As a first step I'd check around the dispenser mechanism.  Make sure that it's not clogged with old detergent and that the spring snaps the door open smartly (hold the flap almost closed then let go).   Check also that the release latch moves without too much pressure.  You might have to look around carefully to find where the latch is located, as there are different physical arrangements.

Aside from the things that Paul has already suggested - make sure you've got free movement on your spray arms.  If there's a deoderizer or some dishes blocking them - then you won't get water distributed properly.  Also - ensure your spray arms aren't blocked up.  Most of them will detatch - so clean those bad boys out periodically! 

Not sure how to test they're spinning properly?  Line them up so they're pointing at the door.  Close the door and let machine run for a few minutes.  Then (slowly - or you'll get splashed!) open the dishwasher door - if they're still in the same place you've either got a blockage of some kind or possibly (not too often) a problem with your circulation pump.

Good luck. 

I sometimes have the problem, but even when the tablet fully dissolves, most of the dishes aren't clean. They either have this residue, or bits of food are dried on hard and it takes me several handwashings to get it off (and sometimes I can't). I don't know what to do; I've given up using the dishwasher. Which sucks, as I have back and knee problems and it's nicer not to have to stand there and wash dishes. Not to mention we pay a fortune for a place where nothing works properly.

How old is the dishwasher, groovy yank?  I'd guess (from your description) that it's a few years old.    It may have a build up of food in the machine itself.  Your best bet then is to first give it a good clean out (including filters and spray arms).  Then chuck in some soda crystals (they'll help break up the gunk) and let the machine run (empty apart from the crystals!) on at least a 65% wash.  You might want to let it run a second time - just to clear out all the residue.

Please always remember to give your dishes a rinse - otherwise you're just washing the food _into_ your machine.  :O

Also - keep your salt topped up!  If you live in a hardwater area (if you're near London - you're in a hard water area!) you need that salt!  I don't care if the tablets claim to have it. 

How old is the dishwasher, groovy yank?  I'd guess (from your description) that it's a few years old.    It may have a build up of food in the machine itself.  Your best bet then is to first give it a good clean out (including filters and spray arms).  Then chuck in some soda crystals (they'll help break up the gunk) and let the machine run (empty apart from the crystals!) on at least a 65% wash.  You might want to let it run a second time - just to clear out all the residue.

...
Also - keep your salt topped up!  If you live in a hardwater area (if you're near London - you're in a hard water area!) you need that salt!  I don't care if the tablets claim to have it. 

This apartment is only two years old, so the dishwasher is fairly new. I didn't know about the salt; I use tabs that say they have it (I'd never heard of this before, but I never used dishwashers when I was single because there just weren't enough dishes). Where do you put the salt, and is it some kind of special dishwasher salt?

Yes, it is special dishwasher salt.  Usually there's a cap you can unscrew (generally on the bottom, left hand side) and you just dump salt in.  Rinse aid will also improve the quality of your washes.  I'm not a fan of the tabs. 

Your dishwasher isn't an Indesit by any chance? :O

The #1 reason why you have the problem you describe is that there is something sticking up from the bottom layer of dishes that is causing the spinner underneath the top layer of dishes to stop from spinning. The whole cycle will run through regardless, but the dishes will not get cleaned properly and you will end up with a half dissolved tablet still in its little box.

So it is always important to check the spinners after you have loaded the dishwasher. All you have to do is reach in and flick it and if it doesn't freely spin all the way around, look at what is stopping it. Usually it will be a wayward plate that is a wee bit too tall in the slot it is in, or maybe a pot handle that went a little higher as you rolled the tray in.

Sometimes the spinner thing gets pushed in so that it is flush against the bottom of the tray, and that can cause a problem too. Just pull the tray out and give the spinner a wee tug at the base of it, you will feel it pull and snap into place. Then flick it for a test spin and you should be fine.

I have never known a dishwasher to not 'bake' food that didn't get rinsed off before the dish was put in the washer, which to me always seems to defeat the purpose of a dishwasher but there you go. Anyway, if you are having a problem with food still being stuck on the dishes after a wash, the simplest solution to that is to be sure that all food is wiped/rinsed off any dishes before you put them in.

Hope this helps. If you are still having tablet problems after you've cleared the spinner issue, I don't know what it could be. But it is probably a plate or something getting in the way. I put all my tall plate on the outside edge for that reason, it helps. After a bit of time things inside the dishwasher aren't level anymore.

Wench: It's a Maytag. I don't have a slot like you describe for salt, but I'll look at the manual as there is another slot that I don't use.

StellaMarie: I think you may be on to something, I have some very big plates that may hinder it. I was basically always against using dishwashers, besides the fact I was single and ate mostly Lean Cuisine and didn't use a lot of dishes, because the one time we had a dishwasher when I was a kid you had to wash the dishes before you put them in, which like you said, seemed to defeat the purpose of having a dishwasher. When we were dating, my hubby, who simply won't wash a dish by hand, told me dishwashers have improved since then. Apparently not that much. It's not like I live food on the plates, I rinse them off. But I don't rub a sponge over them before putting them in the dishwasher. I guess I'll start doing that.

I'll give all the suggestions a try!

I was basically always against using dishwashers

I've never had one myself, nor had the desire to have one.   I can see how for a large family they can be useful, but for small households they're often not used very efficiently.   Additionally, by the time you've rinsed off the dirtier items to put in the dishwasher, I figure you might just as well finish them off by hand anyway, and things like plates which have had only a piece of cake on them or spoons which have been used to stir drinks don't really need to spend a half hour or more being washed within a inch of their lives anyway.