How to repair your dishwasher

Your dishwasher is not worth the price you paid for it. The dishwasher may not even turn on, the dishes may not clean, or the machine may not even drain. What do you do for a living? Instead of calling the repairman, you can save a package and try to repair it yourself. Open the kick panel at the back and get to work, carefully following these dishwasher repair tips:

1) If your dishwasher doesn’t seem to work at all, first check the plug and circuit breaker. If they work, check the door switch, timer, and selector switch. If any of these three items is broken, replace it. If all of this checks out, the problem is internal and the wiring needs to be replaced. Call a technician.

2) If the dishes are not cleaned, there may not be enough water entering the machine. There might even be no water at all. Check the water shutoff valve under the kitchen sink to make sure it’s open. Otherwise, the machine may have a defective internal water valve and will require professional service. However, before calling to repair the internal water valve, try to check the spray arms for clogs and unclog them by hand if necessary. Once you’ve done this, see if the water is hot enough. Cool or cold water will not wash dishes. Make sure the water temperature is at least 120. If your dishes still don’t clean, try adding soap to both cups of soap. Also, if there is a steamy film on your dishes, it means your water is “hard”. You will need to clean your dishwasher with a dishwasher cleaner. Use one specially formulated by your dishwasher manufacturer, or use a quality cleaner like Washer Magic, Dishwasher Magic, Glisten (which also acts as a deodorizer and can be used in any porcelain-lined machine or tub), or Glass Magic.

3) If your dishwasher won’t drain, there are seven lucky things you can do before calling in an expert. First, check the air gap in the sink, near the faucet, and unclog it if necessary. Unscrew the top cap and rinse it well. Second, check the drain hose that runs from the air gap to the garbage disposal. Clean it and put it back. Third, if your dishwasher uses a belt to drive the pump and the pump doesn’t seem to work, try replacing the drive belt. It may be broken or stretched. Fourth, for models that have both a flush impeller and a drain impeller, the drain impeller may be broken, either at the shaft or at the blades. Replace the broken parts of the drain impeller. Fifth, some dishwashers use a drain solenoid to drain the water. This could be stuck. Try to loosen it by hand. If that doesn’t work, replace the pump assembly. Sixth, maybe the motor is stuck. Try to start the engine by turning it by hand. If that doesn’t work, replace the motor. Finally, if the wash timer is broken, you will need to replace it.

By following these basic tips, you’ll be off to a good start in becoming a dishwasher repair expert on your own.