subject: Common dishwasher problems [print this page] Common dishwasher problems Common dishwasher problems
If you're one of the millions of people who rely heavily on a dishwasher to speed up the boring chores and allow parties to be fun, read on for the most common problems and what to do about them. There are of course other things that can happen and sometimes appliance repair isn't the option but before you rush out to buy a new one, read this and know that each of these repairs is quick, simple and cost effective.
Pump this is the part that draws water from the mains supply to which it is connected and feeds the correct amount into the drum during a washing cycle. This part of a washing machine can become blocking and will therefore need removing and cleaning or it can quite simply break when it gets old and need replacing.
Solenoid valve this is the part of a dishwasher which controls the water entry into the machine, meaning that only the right amount of water enters the drum and prevents it from flooding when working properly. It is common to need to replace this if your dishwasher is particularly old.
Motor this is an absolutely integral part of the proper functioning of your dishwasher as it plays a key role in ensuring that your appliance drains water as it should. If your dishwasher is not draining water as it should do, your motor may need replacing.
Timer The timer also affects your machine's ability to drain water as it should so if you find that it isn't, a good appliance engineer will test the motor and the timer to see which is at fault.
Heater element This, as you would expect, is the part of the dishwasher which heats the water to the desired temperature for the cycle you have chosen and if you're finding that your dishes are dirty at the end of the cycle, or that they're cold immediately after the cycle has finished then there could be a problem with the heater element. This is relatively simple to replace except that it does require the washing machine to be on its side.
Unless you're particularly proficient in DIY, electrics and plumbing, it's not advisable to start taking the dishwasher to bits, after all if you get confused and lost trying to put it back together again it'll end up costing a lot more to get it fixed than the original problem would have done had you called in an appliance repair engineer.
Dishwasher repair is simple if you know how and you don't have to take it on yourself because there are thousands of appliance repair companies out there so all you need to do is go online and find one that's local to you.
