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Handyguy Paul Takes apart his Dishwasher to clean out the basin.
The Handyguys planned to tackle two issues in this episode. They began with Paul’s Dishwasher problems and hoped to talk about the Handyguy’s electrical toolkit. However, the dishwasher took up the entire episode and the electrical toolkit discussion got pushed back to another show (ok… we sometimes record these episodes out-of-order so the electrical toolkit discussion was published with episode #70).
So what is the problem with Paul’s dishwasher that is worth talking so long about? Well, no one likes an expensive dishwasher that has problems doing the one thing it is supposed to do. Cleaning Dishes! Handyguy Paul’s wife was not happy about this arrangement. Upon removing glasses from the dishwasher each morning, she was finding them covered in a cloudy white film. Typically this is due to hard water and can be taken care of with a rinse aid product. In this case, plenty of rinse aid was being used with no success.
To make matters worse, the dishes on the top rack were also not being cleaned very well. In fact, it appeared that the upper spray arm above the top rack was not spraying much of any water onto the dishes.
So what was the solution to the white haze (or is it etching?) on the glasses? And how do you fix these problems. You can find the answer by listening to our podcast or watching our little video. Or how about both? Check it out.
In addition, the Handyguys discuss other common dishwasher problems.
Thanks to erento for sponsoring this post – Whatever the magnitude or complexity of the project you wish to undertake, online tool hire will provide you necessary tools and equipment.
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{ 95 comments… read them below or add one }
Great work guys! It’s amazing how clogged up it was after only three years. Maybe a design flaw? I have one quick question: You mentioned that not using the heated dry feature saved on your electric bill. Did you actually calc this or see a savings on your bill? If so, how much? Or were you just making a general statement? Thanks!
We didn’t actually calculate the savings of not running running the heat but we could have estimated it. We did a show where we talked about a mower cost monitor. You can check it out here Episode #42 – Monitoring Your Power Consumption
It appears that my Kenmore Elite is manufactured by Whirlpool which also makes KitchenAid appliances. My Kenmore Elite Dishwasher has nearly (or completely) identical guts as many KitchenAid models. See http://www.appliance411.com/purchase/make.shtml on who makes what.
I have a kenmore elite very similar to the one on your episode and it has always only been able to wash “clean dishes”. What i noticed to be different from yours mine is nearly dry in the base, not filled with water ?
Fritz,
Good point. Another listener made a similar point via email. The reason is due to the fact that my Dishwasher had one more issue that was discovered after the video shoot. I plan to create another video to explain. The water should be drained out. There may be a little left in the basin but not as much as I had.
Paul
Concerning the Kenmore Elite Dishwasher (episode 73), you wrote, “The reason is due to the fact that my Dishwasher had one more issue that was discovered after the video shoot. I plan to create another video to explain. The water should be drained out. ” Is that info available? I have a one-year-old Kenmore Elite that is now leaving clearly too much water after its wash cycle.
Ron,
I had to remove one more piece at the bottom of the basin. If I remember correctly, there is a single torx head screw holding the cover to the chopper (mascerator) assembly and the drain valve. In my case, the small drain with check valve (about the size of a dime) was covered with a piece of glass, thus preventing of dirty water containing food particles. Here are some pics of the mascerator and check valve:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zenzoidman/117417445/
Handyguy Paul
This video was great! Thanks- still can’t figure out how to put the end “caps” back on the slides so that the top rack can go in, though. Help please.
I responded to Jill via email but thought I would leave some information here about getting the end caps back on the upper rails. The design of these caps is a bit odd and takes me a minute to get them on every time no matter how many times I have done it (and it has been at least 8-10 times for each side). Just keep trying and it will work. When I update the video I will try to get a close-up of this as well. I guess I need to get working on that video.
sears dishwasher model 665 fills with water but drains when the wash cycle starts, washes ok until the water is gone. motor is running crrect way for washing and draining.
Hey Guys,
I just want to say thanks for the video. We were going to put in a service call, which would have easily been $100.00 or more. We live in a small town and someone would have had to come in from out of town. Anyways, thought I’d scan around the net for some tips first and found your video.
My dishwasher is the exact same and it was so easy to do but without the video I would never have tackled it. In fact, I had tried to take the top rack out once before and couldn’t even figure that out
I found some nut shells, glass, and a couple of bone pieces in there. After cleaning it out, the machine works like new again. My wife was really impressed 
Thanks for your note. We love hearing stories like this. It makes what we do worthwhile.
Great video. I was completely frustrated before you explained that the trick is taking out the upper drawer so you can detach the hoses. Thank you.
cool thanks!
You’ve saved us a few hundred dollars!!! THANK YOU. We’ve had Sears out to look at it 4 times and each time they say it’s our hot water heater, or our hard water, or this or that… We gave up on it and started hand washing dishes. After 2 months of hand washing I finally stumbled upon this blog and did as you instructed. It now washes beautifully.
Thanks Again!
Awesome! We love this kind of feedback. Thanks for checking us out. Make sure you subscribe and tell your friends!
THANKS GUYS. THE VIDEO DID A GREAT JOB OF SHOWING HOW TO GET TO THE CHOPPER SYSTEM. I HATE TO TUG AND PRY PLASTIC PARTS. THEY CAN BREAK PRETTY EASILY AND THEN YOU HAVE A BIGGER PROBLEM.
where can i get an end cap for the upper slide rail (Left)??
kenmore elite model 66517593201
Thank you
gary
Try http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/index.action
After losing electricity my Kenmore Elite seemed to have no power. I held the heat/dry button down for 4 seconds and the lock light came on. Thrilled that I thought I had fixed the problem, after one wash cycle I seem to have the same problem – no power. Unfortunately, the same trick didn’t work this time. Are there any other tricks to this dishwasher?
Some simple things to try first:
1. Door is not latching properly.
2. Child lock is “ON”.
3. Wash Cycle not set properly.
4. Household fuse blown or circuit breaker tripped.
5. Dishwasher is not wired into a circuit with proper voltage.
I would check your breaker first.
Maybe I’m not too bright but I did not notice the first time I watched the video that the knob that holds the bottom spray arm is a left hand thread. I wondered why it was not loosening when I turned it to the left. I was about to take a pliers to it but watched the video again and saw I had to turn it to the right. Lucky I did or I might have stripped the thread.
Its a great video and I too was surprised by how much junk had accumulated
Hi and let me thank you for your public service,
My Kenmore d.w. is about 15 yrs. old. While it was still under warrenty my complaint was that the water wasn’t hot enough to sterile the dishes. The serviceman took the temp and declared that the 120 degrees was OK. Not in my book! Whenever I open it during the process there’s never any steam as in my previous d.w.
In fact, I consider that temp only tepid, I wash my hands in hotter water. So, for the past 15 years I just wash dishes by hand because I feed cats and want to make sure everything is really clean…plus, by washing by hand I can add a little bleach to the water. What’s your take on what the temperature should be? BTW, that was 120 with my water heater on high prior to both visits by Sears serviceman.
Alice – Your incoming water temperature is 120 degrees (from the water heater in high). If the rinse temp that the dishwasher is using is also 120deg then something is wrong with your dishwasher. The dishwasher should heat the water to about 135 -165 degrees. Maybe even higher if you have a “sanitize” setting. Every dishwasher may be different but that’s generally how they work. Commercial dishwashers will heat to 180 degrees to meet certain sanitation standards. I would suggest you try a different service company.
You may also want to check this article
http://searchwarp.com/swa8094.htm
My wife just opened the Kenmore Elite Dishwasher and foudn an orange rubber band piece. It seems like some sort of gasket for the dishwasher and it was laying on the top rack. When she picked it up it caught and broke. Did you encounter this piece when taking apart your dishwasher and where can I get a replacement? Thank you.
geoff – We haven’t seen a gasket like you describe. Could it be from something else that was washed? Do you notice any leaks, unusual noises or inadequate cleaning? Maybe its a gasket from something like a canning jar.
I had the same problem except my rubber band was purple so it is a actual problem. Mine did’nt leak until after 3 washes and it only leaks out a small amount but enough to be annoying. Please help us. Thank you.
I have the same exact problem except my rubber band peice was purple. After three washes it did start to leak. It did’nt leak a large amount but I am afraid that it will continue to get worse. So Geoff I understand completely because at first I thought it was something my wife might had stuck in there. Thanks,
Forest
Great instructional video. It gave me the confidence to take my Kenmore Dishwasher apart. Thanks.
Unfortunately, taking it apart and cleaning it out didn’t solve my problem. Additionally, I discovered that the plastic around the center of the jet nozzle was broken and probably reducing the water flow to the spray arms, therefore reducing the cleaning effectiveness.
The broken part I can easily replace, although I think it will be an expensive part $100+.
However, do you have any suggestions for solving my original problem? Here it is: Glasses come out with tiny pieces of debris. I put a bowl (right side up) in the empty washer and ran the rinse cycle. Small debris (the size of finely ground pepper) collected in the bottom of the bowl. It’s the same stuff on my glasses.
I’ve tried an acid (CLR) rinse. Also, a chlorine bleach rinse. I’ve taken it apart and cleaned out all the gunk. Nothing works, I still get this tiny debris in the rinse water and then on my glasses.
I couldn’t open up the grinder section, so maybe it needs cleaning? How do I open it up? Your video didn’t go that far.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
- Simon
The particle issue is very similar to what I had going on but did not document this well in my video because I actually had multiple issues (and didn’t discovery the particle part until after filming the video). At the bottom of the basin is the plastic strainer which I clean out in my video. You can remove that with a single torx screw being removed. Under that is the grinder and a little valve. This valve consists of a small rubber flapper about the size of a quarter (but not round). This “flapper valve” is supposed to open at various times of the wash and allow the soiled water to escape while other water gets re-pumped to the top of the rack. If the valve is not working, you will get the debris you mention on you dishes.
This valve is hard to see because you only see the top edge of it. It can be removed with needle nose pliers. You just pull it out of its slot to inspect. You can also check with your finger to see if it moves in and out of the small outlet (this outlet is only about the size of a dime). My valve had a piece of glass lodged in front of the outlet which was preventing the soiled water from escaping. As a result, the dishwasher was re-circulating the dirty water… thus leaving particles all over the dishes.
I am planning a new HD video with closeups of all these parts.
Handyguy Paul
Handyguy
You sure reduced your client base but have helped so many. I would say that when you have a strainer smaller than anything you can access without a tool you are just asking for trouble. Design Flaw for sure. My Elite is under warranty and one tech wanted me to pay for the service call because there were foreign items in the strainer. Like Lemon seeds and a couple of pieces of food. That is not foreign in my book and once I watched (and saved) your video, I will never need that service again
Thanks Doug – Our client base is YOU. We are not appliance repair people. The Handyguys, Brian and Paul, are just a couple of average homeowners who happen to be handy. We produce the podcasts and videos as a free service. If you like what we are offering you can consider supporting our advertisers and sponsors or tell your friends to subscribe to the show. Any diggs, stumbles, tweets, etc are also appreciated.
Thanks everyone for the great feedback.
Last night I noticed that my Kenmore Elite dishwasher was having the same problems- it wasn’t washing the upper rack of glasses. I found your site on the Internet, watched the video, did exactly what Paul said, and fixed the problem. The pump was clogged with 4 years of debris- toothpicks, bay leaves, cellophane, glass. Fortunately I had a torx screwdriver that had been given as a christmas present. So I have to thank you guys- it all worked perfectly!
Gary, glad it worked out for you. We didn’t expect that this show would be one of our most popular shows. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
hi watched your video, really good, my elite is a little diff. model 655- but electronic..also… dont have any more info. as when i bough the house it was here… it recently hasnt pumped water up also… i took apart and went a little futher by removing another piece that looked like it was suppose to chop the food, it was completely plugged with food and looked like wet ground up paper… unfourtantly i already replaced the washer but want to repair this.. what do you think, you think i fixed it by cleaning the added part plus what you did? i havent been able to test it yet…..
thank you
Lynda – I would guess that after cleaning out the grinder things will work much better.
Thank you for the great tutorial! My husband and I just cleaned our Kenmore Elite and found what appeared to be cardboard jammed into the drain. So glad we didn’t have to pay to have it serviced!
Laura, glad we could help.
Thank you for the wonderful video. My dishwasher was here when we moved in 6 months ago and I have hated it since day one. My dishes are never clean, especially the cups on top – always gunked up. I just finished putting the dishwasher back together and have high hopes – I found several twisty ties, many fish bones, and toothpicks! I would never have attempted this without your video – thank you!
You’re welcome Amy! We are going to have some more videos in the future but also there is a lot of great information in the audio podcasts. Give them a listen.
Thank you!! This podcast was given to us as a link by the technician at JustAnswer.com. We had the same problem (dirty top rack dishes and film on glasses) on our 3 yrr old Kitchen Aid that looks exactly like your Kenmore with the exception or different configuration of racks. We’d already taken apart the water delivery arms and tubes to unclog hard water deposits to no avail. Tried your fix and announced that I found 3 toothpicks, piece of glass, unpopped popcorn kernels, a Lego sword and general schmootz. Our 9 yr. old replied, “Who is General Schmootz?” Our other problem is that the Rinse Aid is dispensed by the bushels even though the arrow is on 2. It empties in 4 days! Should I just replace it or is there another fix. You guys are GREAT!
I also noticed the cap on the bottom arm turned in the reverse direction from what I’m used to and unfortunately, I ended up breaking off the tabs of the cap. Any suggestions for what I can do to take off a tab-less cap in order to take the bottom arm off?
That’s a tough one. You need to try to find a way to hold down on that cap while you turn the spray arm. It should unscrew. It usually does not take a lot of force. But without the tabs, I could see this being quite difficult!
That is not a cap. It is a plastic bolt that the spray arm screws onto.
I thought it was a cap and also broke off a tab (but fortunately not both).
I was able to hold onto the plastic bolt and rotate the spray arm off. In the video, it looks like a cap is taken off and then the spray arm.
It may be the specific model. I have a Elite 659
Correction, my model is Elite 665, not Elite 659
Good point. It is not the “cap†or Bolt that unscrews, but the spray arm itself. I plan to refilm this very soon in a higher definition so people can see it better). I’ll be sure to provide closeups of this removal!
When I removed the screen, the “basin” underneath had no water and it did not look like a basin to me. It looked like a plastic cover over the pump (I could see the impression of what looked like a pump underneath the plastic). When I look closely at the video, I think I see the plastic cover in the water. There was some broken glass on top of the cover.
My goal is to see if I can replace that pump, which I am told is bad, myself. There were two more screws in this pump cover but removing the screws did not allow me to remove the pump cover. I guess I have to get underneath the dishwasher to release this cover?
I had a repairman come in and he said after trying the machine that the pump needed replacement and quoted me 475 for the repair. So we left it that I would replace the dishwasher. Still if I can repair it myself for less it may be worth it.
To clarify my model it is Elite 665 . 15912001
Thanks!!!
This video has been helpful for a lot of people. If you have found this site via google or other search engine, please be sure to check out all of our podcasts. We are also working on many new videos in HD which will presented on this site. The new dishwasher video will be included.
Update: The new HD video of this dishwasher repair is recorded and in post production. Stay tuned.
The video was extremely easy to follow and I cleaned out 5 years worth of garbage trapped inside. I even replaced the Turbo Zone assembly because a hole from overheating/weak plastic had crumbled, leaving a quarter-sized gap. I thought this was causing low water pressure to the top rack. The bottom rack works fine. Anyway, I’m still getting debris on the bottom of coffee mugs, all glasses, etc. It’s incredibly frustrating because we paid a lot of money for this dishwasher 5 years ago. If you can help me figure out why it’s spraying dirty water to the top rack, I’m all ears! Thanks!
Thanks for the comment on the Handyguys Podcast.
Your problem sounds like my original problem. And I didn’t completely solve it in the video you saw. I had to take out one more cover that protects the chopper assembly and a small valve. In my case, I had a piece of glass covering this valve which was causing all of my glasses to have grit on them. The valve is supposed to allow soiled water to escape during the wash cycle. If something is blocking the hole to the valve, the dirty water can’t escape.
I almost always find stuff blocking this valve. So make sure you take off this cover. Unfortunately I did not show this in the video. However, we have a new video due to come out soon which shows this.
Thanks for listening to the podcast.
I followed your directions, but discovered there was no water in the bottom basin. Cleaned everything and put everything back together, but I realize the water is not being pumped throughout my dishwasher, although water does fill in the bottom of the dishwasher. I guess I’ll have to call Sears, but I have to say, this has been the most expensive dishwasher we’ve ever purchased and it’s never done its job.
Robin, Paul is out of town this week, he will respond if he has any thoughts. Maybe one of listeners has a suggestion for Robin?
how do I replace the gasket over the pump and under the wash arm. the big one at the bottom of the tub.
June, i’m not 100% sure. In general some gaskets are just force fit, sometimes they are held with screws. Paul or one of our other fans may have more info.
Your dishwasher podcast was great although I’m afraid it didn’t quite completely alleviate the problem. It was sounding like a washing machine prior to taking it apart and at least its now as quiet as when
it was new. My Kenmore model (665-16462300) has a small plastic
part at the back about halfway up that snaps onto the vertical water supply. It has two ports that receive the connecting pipe on the upper
rack (one for each of the two height positions. These ports have plastic ‘hinged’ covers so that one is forced open when engaged and the other presumably closes to allow water to continue to flow upwards. On my washer, these ports are worn and one in particular doesn’t close at all. Has anyone else commented on this? Could this be the cause of a loss of pressure? What seems odd is that the port covers on this part don’t look as if they ever could have sealed unless they’re designed to close under pressure. Please comment if you can. In the meantime, I’ll try taking the mascerator cover off and look at the check valve’s condition. Thanks again for your site! I’m looking forward to the follow-up video!
Tim – The approach I take when trying to repair things like this would be to replace broken parts as I encounter them. This applies to anything, not just appliances. I know the part you are referring to but I’m not 100% sure of its operation or exactly what its called. There are many good online sources of parts. One that I have used before is http://www.repairclinic.com . Paul may chime in if he has anything to add.
-Brian
WOW!!! I am simply amazed at how well you explained this technique! I had the holiday at my house, filled the dishwasher full and had all my dirty dishes on the top rack yet at the end of the cycle of my Kenmore Elite. Found your site, did as you explained and within minutes (literally!), I was back in action. Before starting the task, I too, checked to see if I had any water coming out of the top spray arm. It was a very weak stream, not even able to spray upright. Now that I’ve cleaned it out (unbelievable at what I found in there…a piece of hard plastic that had to be 1″ x 1.5″, numerous pieces of rubber from the dogs’ toys that were probably 1/2″ in diameter, 3 twist ties and a few bones!!), I have a pressure washer in there again! Thanks guys, you’ve really made my day!!
The only downfall I had was being able to clean out the macerator (model number 665). I was able to take out the hex screw, but other than that, I wasn’t able to remove anything else?
On a side note, do you recommend using the tablets or liquid/gel detergents? I had an awful lot of detergent caught up in there and was thinking maybe the tablets weren’t the best route to take?
In any case, I am certainly going to recommend this site to any and everyone that I hear having problems with their machines!
Patty, thanks for taking the time to write a comment! I don’t have a specific recommendation for detergent, I do notice that you don’t usually need to fill the hopper full when using liquids or powders. We buy whats on sale or inexpensive, Electrosol I think is what my wife gets. Try going half full and see if your dishes are clean enough.
hey, this video was very helpful and i did everything you did, but the dishes are still coming out dirty. They are a little cleaner but not much. so i did it again and went a little further in the dishwasher. i saw this picture in one of the comments here.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zenzoidman/117417445/
I took the cover off and found some stuff in there, but i also saw some stuff behind this and another grid, but i can’t find away to get to it. there is only a little hole on the top. i tried scraping it with a screw driver but that didn’t do much. it looks like some tissue paper is blocked in the grid. any ideas on how to get to it?
Thanks!
I am not sure if you can get any further then chopper assembly that you see in that photo. But be sure that the valve is working and that there is nothing clogging it. I am not sure what other grate you are referring to because there isn’t much behind the chopper other then a pathway for water do go back through the pump (I think). Our new video will be posted on this site very soon (within about 1 week).
did you find out how to clean the other grid? i have the same think and cant find out how to clean it back there
Great video! I not only was able to retrieve something from the trap that my daughter dropped in but was able to clean out lots of debris at the same time.
One comment… when putting the lower sprayarm feed, need to make sure the sprayarm seal in on top of the hub just below it…. I actually was completely finished and I found the seal on the floor wondering where the heck that came from… So I had to work backwards to determine where it belonged. Those seals or o-rings can make a world of difference in their performance.
Thanks for the good work and keep it up. I’m going to check out other Handy guy videos…
Thanks for posting this. I have a Kenmore 665-13729. It is similar, but has 2 philips head screws holding the “tubing” up on the back and top of the dishwasher. After opening the base, I found several twist ties, some broken glass, a piece of bone, some cherry pits, a needle with thread in it, and some other small pieces of plastic etc. (I sucked the base out with a shop vac.)
Thanks again!!!!
The dishwasher is running now, I just opened it and it looks like it is working as good as new.
Very cool. Yes, the shop-vac can come in handy for getting it clean.
Thank you so much. I was 30 minutes away from buying a new washer and was at Sears looking to buy another one when I found this post on my iPhone. This post saved me $700 and I am very thankful. If I can help you in any way please let me know.
Thank you.
Hey Rob, Thanks for taking the time to write. Glad you had success. We don’t ask anything. If you want to do something just tell your friends about our show, tweet about it, use the buttons below the post to stumble, digg or whatever. Any promotion that our fans do is greatly appreciated.
Top rack wasn’t getting any water and after researching online I found your video. My daughter and I followed your video and also removed the other screw and pulled up the cover on the chopper blade (which your video doesn’t show but found in your comments) and we found a piece of plastic, nuts, etc. Cleaned it all out and put everything back the way it was and YIPPEE the dishwasher has amazing pressure again with water covering the entire top rack. Thanks so much – you guys are awesome. We would have never tackled it without seeing your video. It was so quick and easy! Now we just have to figure out wats wrong with the fan on the microwave lol.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this very informative piece. The top rack of my dishwasher wasn’t getting wet and thus was not cleaning dishes. The bottom rack wasn’t getting very clean either. I was brave and decided to take the dishwasher apart myself – figuring it couldn’t get much worse – but missed the critical last step of cleaning around the flapper valve and chopper and was about to spend money I don’t have on a repairman when I stumbled upon your podcast. I was able to clean the flapper valve and chopper with your help. Right now the washer is running great! I’d also like to add that my top water spin arm was clogged. I had to take that part off (simple screw in the center) and use a toothpick and tweezers to get the junk out.
Thank you so much from a new subscriber!
You’re welcome and thanks for subscribing!
I opened my dishwasher after washing my dishes and found a green rubber band lying on the bottom of the dishwasher, my dishwasher is a little older I’m not sure what year but is a model 665.15625 and I have the installation manuel and user/care manuel and they don’t say anything about a green rubber band in them, I can’t find any troubleshooting manuals out there on the internet, trying to figure out where this rubber band goes back on, it is not broken or frayed and is flat with a raised lip on one side, someone please help!!
Interesting. What makes you so sure that the rubber band belongs in the dishwasher? I don’t recall seeing anything like that when I was opening mine. However, I wasn’t looking for it either. If I see something like that I will let you know.
Thank you so much for the instructions about fixing the dishwasher. The top spray arm has been broken for at least a month and has been driving me crazy. I have looked at different websites but today I found yours. I watched your podcast and this 50 year old woman fixed it. I couldn’t believe the stuff I found. Now what else can I fix:)
Thank you so much for the instructions they were fantastic.
Sue, Thanks for taking the time to write. 50 is the new 20!
is the sprayer arm on the bottom supposed to wiggle after it is tightened down?
Julie,
There is a lot of play in the sprayer arm. You should be able to wiggle it up and down. You can also manually spin it if I recall. It should spin easily.
Paul
i put it back together, but it is making a LOT of noise now. Did i put something together wrong
Yes, most likely something is out of place.
I love you guys!!! Stumbled upon your web site and video searching the Internet this morning, and am I ever glad I did. We were having issues with our dishwasher, not cleaning…first top rack, then recently bottom rack as well.
My husband followed your EXCELLENT video, and within an hour my dishwasher was up and running, like brand-new, cleaning everything! Our dishwasher is 5 years old, and I’m embarrassed to tell you what we found…pieces of chicken bones, glass, unidentifiable gook…This taugh me a lesson to be sure and rinse thoroughly everything before putting into dishwasher.
I’m a fan of you guys for life!!
Thank you, thank you , thank you!!
Robin, you are making us both blush!!! Thanks for the high praise!
Thanks for the simple instruction on how to fix this washer. Best father’s day present is to impress your wife.
THANK-YOU! You just saved me $160 to have the repair guy come clean out my trap. That’s what it cost last time anyway….
Thank you SO MUCH! Like so many of the other commenters, I had had problems with my dishwasher cleaning dishes. And like one other person, I had the S—-s repair guys out to fix it. Twice. First time it was the “hot water not hot enough” excuse and the next was to sell me some “dishwasher cleaner” off the truck. Of course this didn’t work either. Neither of them actually took anything apart in the dishwasher! So with my laptop nearby and my daughter holding the flashlight, I followed your absolutely excellent video and had my dishwasher apart and cleaned up, and put back together again in a half hour! The bottom parts had bits of paper, plastic, food chunks and unidentifiable shmootz all over! And now the dishwasher actually cleans dishes again, rather than leaving food particles and un-rinsed soap all over the dishes! Thank you thank you thank you!
Yay!!! You made me smile, congrats.
Hey! I had the same problem with white crud on the top rack and dishes on the top not getting clean… so i looked around and found your video and took her apart — lots of gunk down there that I cleaned out. When I first ran it again, though, still looked like there was crud… Am now running it a few times to see if it disappears. My husband is very amazed as I never took anything apart and tried to fix it before. One question — I took out the flapper valve and cleaned it but now I’m wondering if there is a special way it should go back in? Didn’t really think about that when I popped it back in. That is, can it be put in backwards so it wouldn’t drain the dirty water properly? Also, as someone else noted those end clamps on the top rack are really tough to figure out… They’re back on, but seem pretty loose and wiggly. Thanks for the great video, though — it was unbelievably helpful….
I don’t think it can be put in backwards but I am not positive. I always just put it in the same way I pulled it out.
Thank you guys for the podcast! I just disassembled and cleaned my washer and can’t believe the difference. For what it’s worth, mine was far dirtier than the one you showed – I took apart and scrubbed all of the internal parts as well as removed the food bits. It’s only been in operation for about two years – looks like this may become an annual event.
Just wanted to let you know, if it hasn’t been mentioned before somewhere in the comments – DO NOT clean out all the dirty water from the basin! The washer won’t restart if it doesn’t have something in there to drain first. I took everything apart again, verified that I had done everything correctly – but no water was going anywhere. Finally decided that the only thing I had done differently from the video was to completely empty the basin that has the flapper valve, so I added water back in and – voila! – it’s now working the way it should.
Good catch! Thanks for the tip.
wow, thank you so much. i just took apart my dishwasher by myself and cleaned it out. thank you for the great step by step video. this was my first time doing anything like this. thanks again, i really appreciate it.
Glad we could help
Thank you. My dishwasher clean light came on a month ago and it hasn’t run since. I called Sears and was told the service call would be $129.00. So you literally saved me.
Tip: some models have two phillips head screws holding that oblong plastic spray-arm pipe to the back and top of the dishwasher. After reassembling the strainer and before putting those screws back, throw a dishtowel over the strainer…so if the screws drop into the basin, they don’t skitter down the strainer and you don’t have to disassemble everything AGAIN! (I’m glad I did this…’cause I DID drop that very last screw–but the towel saved it).
Thank you so much for posting this video! I’d just had a service call (bum control panel) and didn’t want to spend the money to have them out again, just to fish out the bits of the glass that shattered into the strainer…as a single mom, I feel very empowered right now.
Barbara – Great tip! I do the same thing when working on a faucet, I put a towel in the sink (if I don’t have a stopper)
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