The dishwasher soap in my kenmore elite dishwasher is not dissloving and as a result my dishes are not getting cleaned. any suggestions?

Your best cleaning option would be to put a tablespoon of citric acid powder in the machine and run it on hot normal load all the way through. The citric acid dissolves much of the gunk that builds up in dishwashers without damagin any of it's components. You can get citric acid powder at your local Target or CVS (Walmart or Home Depot in Canada).

Another thing to think of... if you are using the dishwasher packets, you will have buildup in your machine as the packets are slow to dissolve fully and can cause plug-ups in certain conditions. Using the hot cycle is really the only way to use them effectively. Liquid soap is a much better alternative.

dear sir this may be the problem  Dishwashers usually run on 115-volt or 120-volt power. The water they use comes directly from the water heater, and wastewater is drained into the sink's drainpipe. The dishwasher is not connected to the cold-water supply. For best dishwashing results, set the temperature control of the water heater to no less than 140 degrees Farenheit. Water cooler than this usually doesn't get the dishes clean, unless your dishwasher is a newer model that preheats incoming water. The water shutoff for the dishwasher is typically located below the adjoining sink.
Caution: Because the dishwasher is connected to both the plumbing system and the electrical system, you must consider both systems when working on this appliance. Before doing any work on the dishwasher, make sure the unit is unplugged or the power to the unit is turned off, and remove the fuse or trip the circuit breaker that controls the circuit at the main entrance panel or at a separate panel. Shut off the water supply to the dishwasher at the shutoff in the basement or crawl space under the kitchen.
thanks..................................

Hi jerry1413,

Firstly, make sure you are using powdered soap, and not the 3 in 1 tablets. The 3 in 1 Tablets only release certain parts of itself on certain temperatures, and because all dishwashers aren't alike, they won't have the best of results on all makes & models. Cycles aren't run the same way on every Make, and don't follow the same order either. Trust Me ;-) , stick to Powder.

Furthermore, check the following link for some advice and suggestions on getting your dishwasher to clean properly again:

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR DISHWASHER ISN'T CLEANING WELL ANYMORE...

Kind Regards :-)

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Hi,

I have an older dishwasher also and recently my wife also complained about it not cleaning right... so me being the man I am tried in vain to clean the things... Bought new spray arms online and installed them in minutes...now the thing works like new... However I have also found that if the heating element goes bad then that also can mess things up bad... So I would buy new spray arms, and also check out the heating element to make sure it is working... Here is a tip that will help you with the online buying...

Dishwasher Spray Arms not Spinning

How to Buy Appliance Parts Online

A bad heating element causes many problems in dishwashers...

Dishwasher Problems The Heating Element not Working

Dishwasher Maintenance

Dishwasher Residue and Film on Dishes

heatman101

Asker

Hi,

The scum, film and white residue problems have started since the reduction of phosphates in dishwasher detergents.

Here is a tip that will help you to solve the problem of films, residue, and scum in your dishwasher.

Dishwasher Residue and Film on Dishes

heatman101

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Temperature should be 140F. and the units heater should energize during fill to achieve this.

yes it is under warranty so call whomever sears i imagine and raise hell you bought it in good faith so tell them to fix it right or replace it with a new one.if Sears they are pretty good re complaints so get on the phone and get it done good luck

Check the following to address this issue


1. No water
Make sure you get water to the dishwasher. Check to see if the water shut-off valve (located under the sink) is open. If you get water to the dishwasher, but there is still no water inside during the fill cycle, the problem might be with a faulty water valve (located at the bottom of the dishwasher, behind the kick panel, on either side), in which case replace the water valve.

2. Not enough water
If there is not enough water, the dishes would not get cleaned. This could be caused by a partially closed water shut-off valve (located under the sink), or a faulty dishwasher water valve (located at the bottom of the dishwasher, behind the kick panel, on either side).

3. Clogged spay arms
There is usually two, sometimes three spray arms in a dishwasher. Make sure there is no debris blocking the holes inside each spray arm.

4. Water temperature is too low
To get the best results, the water has to be at 120 degrees Fahrenheit when entering the dishwasher.

5. Not enough soap
If you only fill one part of the soap cup, try adding soap to both parts.

6. Smoky film on dishes and glasses
This problem occurs due to excessive calcium build up inside the dishwasher. Try cleaning you dishwasher using a dishwasher cleaner.

Do you have a water softner? If so you are using to much soap in your machine. Go to wal-mart and buy a container of dishwasher clean ( it is by the rinse aids) run that through to remove any excess soap and then cut down on the amount of detergent that you are using. 1-2 tablespoons only.

the problem is hard water. go to www.dishwahserfilter.com and get the difi filtration system.