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abbyqueue · Apr 16, 2009, 09:38 AM

Hi (again) guys. I built a home three years ago with a brand new (obviously) dishwasher installed. However, it has never successfully cleaned my dishes. It leaves what looks like grit all over some dishes, especially the ones on the top rack.

I've searched the Internet and tried several different options, including:

1. Using vinegar in a dishwashing cycle to clean the appliance.
2. Using professional cleaners to clean the appliance.
3. Measuring my hot water temperature at the kitchen tap to make sure it's hot enough (122 degrees is what it's measuring -- my hot water heater is directly below the dishwasher in the basement and is turned up almost all the way).
4. Using all kinds of detergents.

My family's never had problems with their dishwashers, and when they come to my house, they always comment on how hot my tap water gets... so obviously it's getting hotter than theirs but is still not cleaning my dishes.

Is there anything I'm missing? If I buy a new dishwasher, will that solve the problem, or will it persist? My dishwasher brand is Hotpoint, which I think is made by GE... I'll be willing to trash it if it'll clean my dishes!

Thanks. :)

letmetellu · Apr 16, 2009, 09:57 AM

Most dishwashers have a mesh screen in the bottom of the tub, this is to stop food particles from going into the pump. I mention this because some washing powders tend to stop up this screen, and then then next washing even leaves more of the washing powder. I advise you to take out the screen filter and make sure that it is clean. You may not be able to see all of the stuff on the screen until you get it out of the washer.

I hope this helps.

abbyqueue · Apr 17, 2009, 07:16 PM

I have a plastic screen. I unbolted it, removed it, and cleaned it. There was also another plastic piece underneath that that fits into a hole in the bottom of the tub. I took it out and cleaned it too. When I took the second piece out, I noticed that the hole was filled with scummy-looking water. Is that normal?

Is there anything else I should do before I bolt the screen back on?

letmetellu · Apr 18, 2009, 12:34 PM

If the screens were dirty and you got all of the tiny holes open then I think that is all you need to do, if it takes more than that you may have to get a repair man.

abbyqueue · Apr 20, 2009, 09:16 PM

Well, I cleaned out the screens as described above and also ran a commercial dishwasher cleaner before running a full load of dishes. There was still some grit on the top rack of dishes -- less than before, but it's still there. Any thoughts?

abbyqueue · Apr 27, 2009, 02:41 PM

A friend of mine with the same dishwasher (and same home builder) said to run the garbage disposal during the first rinse cycle. I did this and it seems to have greatly improved the cleaning quality! What does this imply? Is there something else I should be cleaning out or is this normal?

letmetellu · Apr 27, 2009, 07:00 PM

It implies to me that your dishwasher is not installed right and that if it does not have a air gap installed then it needs one.

If you have an air gap installed already it implies that it must be working improperly.

abbyqueue · Apr 27, 2009, 07:53 PM

It does have an air gap (assuming that's the metal-capped drain thing on my sink). A few months ago the air gap started leaking out into my sink and onto my counters when the dishwasher rinsed. I had a plumber come and snake out my drain -- he said there was some food stuck in the garbage disposal. Since then, the gap hasn't leaked anymore but I still have the grit problem.

What should I do?

abbyqueue · Apr 27, 2009, 08:06 PM

Also, I just took a look at the corrugated hose between the air gap and the dishwasher -- it's pretty cruddy inside from what I can see. I've seen some posts online about cleaning them out, but the hose simply goes to a hole in the cabinet leading to the dishwasher. How would I ever unhook it and rehook it again if I can't see where it goes?

letmetellu · Apr 28, 2009, 06:36 PM

The is a toe space under the front of the dishwasher, you take this off and you can see where the hose connects to the drain pump of the dishwasher.

I am not sure that this is a job that you want to try. It is not simple.

abbyqueue · Apr 28, 2009, 07:58 PM

OK... any other ideas before I call a plumber?

Is this a dishwasher-specific problem or a crappy-builder problem?