Don Vandervort, Head Homeboy, has written more than 30 DIY home improvement books, been a segment host on HGTV, served as MSN.com's home improvement expert and written countless magazine articles.
A common cause of poor washing is improper loading—dishes block or impede the spray arms or prevent the soap dispenser from opening. On the other hand, if your dishwasher has chronic problems with washing, the problem may not be your dishwasher. Your home's water pressure may be too low, the water may be too hard, you may not be using the right amount of detergent, or the water temperature may not be hot enough.
In order to fill to appropriate levels, water pressure should be from 20 to 120 pounds per square inch. If you suspect that your water pressure may be low, turn off all water and then put a half-gallon jug under the kitchen (hot) water faucet.
Turn on the hot water full-blast. If the jug doesn't fill within 14 seconds, your water pressure may be too low for proper dishwasher operation. Call your city water utility to discuss options, or avoid drawing water elsewhere in the house or yard during dishwasher cycles.
The right amount of detergent to use depends upon how dirty your dishes are and how hard the water is. To find out how hard your water is, call your local water utility and ask.
Hardness is measured in grains—the more grains of hardness, the more detergent you'll need. If your water has 12 grains or more of hardness, fill both dishwasher soap cups completely with detergent. If that doesn't work, consider installing a water softener. For more information, see the FREE HomeTips report: Hard Water and Water Softeners.
To check water temperature, hold a meat thermometer under the hot water faucet for two minutes; if it doesn't register a minimum of 140 degrees Fahrenheit, turn up the temperature dial on your hot water heater. Note: Some newer dishwashers heat the water automatically—it isn't necessary to turn up your hot water heater if you have one of these.
If your dishwasher has worked fine in the past but, suddenly, your dishes aren't clean after the dishwasher completes all cycles:
1) Check your water heater's temperature dial to be sure it hasn't been changed recently.
2) Be sure dishes haven't prevented the detergent dispenser from opening properly during the wash cycles or kept the spray arms from turning, the lower arm from rising, or the spray from reaching the upper rack's dishes.
3) During the wash cycle, listen to the spray arm spinning inside. If it seems to be spinning poorly, clean out the spray holes in the spray arm(s) with a stiff piece of wire; wait for the machine to cool, and then remove the spray arm(s) by unscrewing the hub cap and lifting the arm(s) off.
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