Ge dishwasher not cleaning dishes and leaving debris behind

The best thing to do here cost wise is to replace the unit.

first clean dw use tang then prime sink and run dw after that cut back on detergant

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

\

Make sure your water is hot, at least 120deg f. Also, use least amount of soap you can get away with. Usually around 2 tablespoons for soft water. Use powdered soap not gel. Gel leaves a tiny residue each load and will clog up plumbing in dw after 4,5,or 6 years. Rinse agent such as Jet Dry is highly recommended.

Try the "Tang" trick. Orange Tang drink mix is mildly acidic. With an empty dishwasher, start and fill, then normal drain. On second fill, add a full jar of Tang then let the dishwasher run for a few minutes. Crack the door to stop the dishwasher and let it sit for several hours or overnight. Then close the door, push start and let the dw run through the remaining cycle. This will sometimes clean out the crud in the water lines.

Hope this helps! Ken

Try these things in order:

-Try to use a name brand powder, rather then a generic. Even a small box. I had similar problems with my LG dishwasher when I tried to save money by buying a generic powder. My dishes did not get clean and white marks were left behind on my stainless steel DW liner and the dishes. When you ad the powder, do not over fill the dispenser. Add less than the full dispenser cup and close it. Place some powder in that shallow square indent on the dispenser lid to help the pre-wash cycle. Also, run the water in the sink until hot water runs immediately before you start the DW.

-If, after using Electrosol or Cascade for 2 - 3 loads and your dishes do not come out clean, then I would run a load of dishes without adding the soap. Start the dishwasher and wait for it to fill and begin to wash. Open the door and add one cup of vinegar (white vinegar is fine.) Feel free to ad another cup after the first wash water drains and the second wash water enters and the DW begins the wash cycle again. Run a load of dirty dishes with the soap and check for good cleaning.

-If the problems continue, it is time to remove the filter assembly by removing the 9 silver phillips screws from the filter assembly. You will also need to remove the lower sprayer arm by pulling straight up and then out. With a flashlight, inspect the sump area that was hidden by the filter assembly, looking for any debris that has jammed into anywhere down there. Watch out for broken glass as you feel around. Reassemble and test with a load of dirty dishes.

The poor drying may be caused by not keeping the rinse aid re-filled. Check that first.

Also, these water and energy conserving dishwashers actually use the "dirt" from the dirty dishes to help clean the dishes during the first two wash cycles. Simply clear the big chunks off the dishes and put the dishes in the DW.

Please report back what you find or if you have more questions. OK?

Put some CLR on the jet sprayer and use an old tooth brush on the jets.Cleaners do no good if the jets are blocked

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.

When ever I hear of a dishwasher "suddenly" not cleaning properly, with spots on the glassware and soap not dissolving:

-If the spots are white patches, you can suspect the DW detergent powder. Go buy a name brand of detergent powder and I bet you will see a dramatic improvement. You may need to run a cycle or two with white vinegar added (up to two cups added after the DW starts, fills and begins to wash.)

-If the spots are a film / slime, you should suspect that the heating element. For the dW to be effective cleaning and rinsing clear,the DW needs to raise the water temp during the ~wash~ cycle (after the detergent dispenser has magically opened. After the heating element has been replaced, you will see an immediate improvement.

-If you had reported food debris sticking to dishes, (which you didn't), the first thing to do is clear the holes in the wash arms, then open the sump area , remove the filter assembly and inspect closely with a flashlight to locate blocking debris. (watch out for broken glass!) Inspect the impeller and make sure it is not damaged. If after assembly, the cleaning is still poor, it is time to replace the wash pump / motor assembly.

Good Luck! Ask more questions as needed!

Recommend you remove the approximately 10 screws to pull the entire filter and manually clean. Remove all debris you find and thoroughly rinse out the filter if you can separate the top from the bottom. If the sump area is greasy, use a de-greasing spray to cut through it. Resemble, checking that there are no blockages in the holes on the spray arms.
Fill a bowl or cup with white vinegar and place it on the lower rack of the empty dishwasher. Do not add detergent. Run the quick cycle. The inside of the dishwasher should now be clean and not greasy. If still greasy, use the de-greasing spray (avaiable at all stores in the cleaning section.)
For 30 days, use only Electrosol or Cascade powder. Do NOT use gel or tablets, ever. Please report back your results. Good Luck!
ianc435 , please ask your question in as a new problem and I will help you out. I understand your problem.

Don't Buy GE :)

pump may me clogged does it drain, can you hear water spray. is water filling into unit on start up? I had to take pump of bottom of mine had piece of tooth pick jammed in impeller + GE just stinks anyway. I will never buy again