Why do I have a foul smell in my d/w. If I don't use it for a couple of days it smells like old fish tank water. Could there be a problem with the way the discharge was hooked up?

I know of one problem with dishwashers that would cause this problem. It is called 'dishwasher cheese' which is actually an accumulation of black muck around the door where the hinges are. It is caused by food residue building up and rotting. I know, not nice thought, but I have actually seen this happen at a clients. One has to get 'down and dirty' and scrape and wipe it all away.

Look and see if the discharge hose has a sag in it. Waste can collect in a sag and smell badly. Check the line from the air gap also. Mine needed to be cut shorter and reattached. Solved the problem. You might run a cycle with vinegar instead of soap to clean the inside of the unit. We pour a cup in the bottom of the tub and use a normal wash.

Yes, it could be the discharge line. If you do not have an airgap the dishwasher drain hose has to be secured up above the sink drain line. That is the hose must be tied or attached to the underside of the counter top to prevent drain water from the sink entering the dishwasher.

Hello, this is my first post. I too, have searched high and low for a solution to the dishwasher odor dilemma. And as I read through these posts, it dawned on me that I don't think anyone has tried changing the type of detergent they're putting in their dishwasher. I haven't yet, but I think I will give the bleach a try & then see what happens with some new dish detergent.

It is my understanding, ronson, that bleach is not a good option in dishwashers because it destroys synethic/ruibber fittings.