Dishwashing
Dishwasher Repair When It Won't Clean, Drain or Fill
Most dishwasher complaints trace back to water that isn't getting in, moving around or going out properly. We follow the water, find what's blocking it, and get your approval on the price before the repair.
Booking online? The dishwasher model number in the form lets us check parts before we arrive.
Step one covers the appliance; step two, your contact details. We follow up to book the visit.
How a dishwasher cleans, one tank of water at a time
A dishwasher uses a surprisingly small amount of water, usually just a few quarts per fill, and reuses it. An inlet valve lets water in until a float or pressure sensor says it's enough. A circulation pump pushes it through the spray arms, a heater brings it up to temperature, and the detergent does the chemistry. After each wash or rinse phase, a drain pump sends the dirty water out through the hose to the disposer or drain, then the machine refills.
Food particles are caught by a filter at the bottom of the tub. Many current models from Bosch, Whirlpool, KitchenAid and others use a manual filter that needs rinsing every few weeks; older ones used a grinder. A clogged filter leaves grit on dishes and slows draining, and it's the most common single cause of a dishwasher that seems to be failing.
Drying happens either with a heating element, with a fan, or through condensation on a stainless tub, as many European models do, sometimes helped by a rinse aid or a mineral that absorbs moisture. A small float switch in the base shuts the machine down if it senses a leak, which is why some models stop and show a code when water gets under them.
- 24-inch built-in
- 18-inch compact
- Panel-ready
- Drawer dishwashers
- Third-rack models
- Portable and countertop
What the dishwasher is doing, and why
Match your symptom to a row. Several share parts, so a technician tests the likely one before quoting a repair.
- Standing water in the bottom
- Clogged filter, blocked disposer inlet (knockout plug never removed after install), kinked drain hose, failed drain pump or check valve
- Dishes come out gritty or filmed
- Dirty filter, spray arm holes blocked by scale or seeds, weak circulation pump, too little detergent or none of the rinse aid
- No water comes in
- Supply valve under the sink closed, inlet valve failed or screen clogged, float stuck up, door latch not sensing closed
- Water on the floor
- Worn door gasket, leaking pump seal, loose supply line at the valve, suds from the wrong detergent, a cracked tub or sump
- Stops with a leak code or won't start
- Water in the base pan tripping the flood switch, door latch or switch, control board, blown thermal fuse
- Dishes wet at the end
- Out of rinse aid, heating element or fan failed, drying option switched off, plastics that never dry well by condensation
- Grinding or humming with no wash
- Glass or a pit jammed in the pump, seized circulation motor, failed motor start capacitor on older models
Worth trying first
- Twist out the filter cylinder under the lower spray arm and rinse it at the sink. Scrub the fine mesh with a soft brush.
- Pop off the spray arms and clear each hole with a toothpick. Mineral crust and small seeds are the usual clogs.
- Run the kitchen tap until the water is hot before starting a cycle. A dishwasher filling with cold water from a long pipe run may never heat enough to wash well.
- If it won't drain and was recently installed with a new disposer, check whether the knockout plug in the disposer's dishwasher inlet was ever removed.
- Look under the sink at the drain hose. It should rise in a high loop or run through an air gap before connecting, so dirty water can't siphon back.
- Use detergent meant for automatic dishwashers only. Dish soap from the sink makes suds that push water out the door.
Safety first: Turn off the dishwasher's breaker or unplug it before reaching into the sump or removing the kick panel, and close the hot water valve under the sink before loosening anything. Leave broken glass in the pump area to a technician; the pump impeller is sharp and easy to damage.
When a dishwasher needs a pro
- Water still sits in the tub after cleaning the filter and checking the drain hose.
- A leak or leak code keeps coming back.
- It hums or grinds without washing.
- Dishes stay dirty after you've cleaned the filter and arms and switched detergents.
- The tub or a door hinge is broken, or the door drops open hard.
Inside a dishwasher service call
The technician runs the machine's test program where one exists, watching the fill, circulation, heat and drain stages one by one, and reads any stored codes. Many diagnoses happen right there without pulling the unit out. If the fault is in the base, such as a leaking pump or a flood switch that tripped, the kick panel comes off or the dishwasher is slid partway out of its opening.
Once we know what failed, you'll hear the explanation and the price, and no part is swapped without your okay. When a part must be ordered, we leave the machine either safe to run or switched off, whichever the fault calls for.
Repair a dishwasher or replace it?
Drain pumps, inlet valves, door latches, gaskets, heating elements and spray arms are ordinary repairs. A failed circulation motor or a control board on a basic model starts to push the decision toward replacement, and a cracked tub or a rusted-out door usually settles it.
Panel-ready and high-end European models are worth fixing more often, partly because they last well and partly because replacing one can mean refitting a custom cabinet panel. Either way, you'll get a plain answer.
What sets our dishwasher repairs apart
We follow the water
Fill, circulation, heat and drain are tested in order, so the part we replace is the one that actually stopped working.
Honest about plumbing
If the blockage is in the kitchen drain or the disposer rather than the dishwasher, we'll say so instead of selling a pump.
You approve every repair
The diagnosis and price come first. The work only happens once you agree.
See which Northern Virginia ZIP codes we serve, or request a dishwasher repair.
Dishwasher Repair for Owners, Renters and Landlords
Much of the region's tap water is drawn from the Potomac, and it leaves mineral scale behind over time: white film on glasses, crusted spray arm holes and a slower inlet valve. Rinse aid and an occasional cleaner help. In condos the dishwasher often drains through a disposer or shared kitchen line, so a slow drain may start outside the machine itself.
How a Dishwasher Repair Visit Works
Tell Us What's Wrong
Name the make, add the model number if it is handy, and describe the symptom. A picture of the label inside the door lets us check parts.
Diagnosis at Your Home
The technician tests the appliance along with its power, water, drain, gas or vent connections until the fault is confirmed.
A Price Before Work
We name the failed part and give you the cost of fixing it. Work starts only after you agree.
Repair and Check
The part is installed and the appliance is run through a cycle so you can watch it working.
Related Repairs
Other appliances, brands and service areas on the site.
Dishwasher problems we repair
Our full list of dishwasher faults, from drainage, leaks and fill trouble to heating, drying and controls.
- Not Cleaning Properly
- Not Draining
- Door Won't Close
- Making Unusual Noise
- Not Filling with Water
- Leaking Water
- Dishwasher Won't Start
- Leaving Residue on Dishes
- Not Cleaning Dishes Well
- Not Filling with Water
- Overfilling with Water
- Leaking from Door
- Leaking from Bottom
- Soap Dispenser Not Opening
- Rinse Aid Not Dispensing
- Dishes Not Drying Properly
- Heating Element Failure
- Spray Arms Clogged
- Spray Arm Not Spinning
- Wash Pump Failure
- Drain Pump Failure
- Mineral Scale Buildup
- White Spots on Dishes
- Cloudy Glassware
- Dishwasher Smells Bad
- Drain Filter Clogged
- Door Latch Failure
- Control Board Failure
- Cycles Running Too Long
- Stopping Mid-Cycle
- Error Code Displayed
- Grinding Noise from Pump
- Humming but Not Starting Cycle
- Water on Floor Under Dishwasher
- Rust Inside Dishwasher Tub
- Rack Tines Rusting
- Top Rack Not Cleaning
- Bottom Rack Not Cleaning
- Touchpad Not Responding
- Door Spring Broken
- Fills and Immediately Drains
- Running Constantly / Cycle Won't End
- Detergent Tablet Not Dissolving
- White Deposits on Plastic Containers
- Dishwasher Interior Rusting
- Cloudy Film Inside Tub
- Glassware Permanently Etched
- FH / Water Inlet Error (Whirlpool/KitchenAid)
- Leak Detection System Tripped
- Air Gap Clogged
- Garbage Disposal Connection Problem
- Hard Food Disposer Failed
- Starting Intermittently
- Exterior Too Hot to Touch
- Steam Escaping from Door
- Built-In Water Softener Not Working
- Food Particles on Dishes After Washing
- Salt Indicator Light On
- Child Lock Activated and Stuck
- Poor Results After Switching Detergent
- Not Using Hot Water at All
- Three-in-One Dishwasher Tablet Not Working Properly
- Knocking During Wash Cycle
- High-Temperature Wash Not Working
- Delay Start Feature Not Working
- Burning Smell from Dishwasher
- Control Panel Getting Wet
- Spray Arm Spin Test Failed
- Bottom Spray Arm Missing or Broken
- Third Rack Not Cleaning (Third-Rack Models)
- Not Filling with Enough Water
- Sanitize Indicator Not Illuminating
- Spray Arm Hitting a Dish During Cycle
- Steam Wash Option Not Working
- Cycle Selector Knob Broken
Dishwasher brands we service
Model-specific notes for the most common dishwasher brands, then everything else we cover.
- Bosch dishwasher repair
- Whirlpool dishwasher repair
- GE Appliances dishwasher repair
- KitchenAid dishwasher repair
- Samsung dishwasher repair
- LG dishwasher repair
- Miele dishwasher repair
- Frigidaire dishwasher repair
Guides on dishwasher problems
Dishwasher Repair FAQ
Brief answers to what customers most often ask us. Don't see yours? Ask when you call, or add it to the notes when you book online.
Still have a question?
Get in touch with the brand, the symptom and, if you can find it, the model number. Some things we can answer right away; others need a technician in front of the machine.
A small puddle in the sump under the filter is normal on many models. It keeps the seals moist. Water that covers the tub floor or reaches the lower rack isn't normal, and it's usually a clogged filter, a drain hose or disposer blockage, or a drain pump that has stopped.
E15 means the leak protection has detected water in the base pan and shut the machine down. The water could come from a leaking pump seal, hose or valve, or from suds overflowing. The unit needs the leak found and the base pan dried before it will run normally again.
More on Bosch dishwashers →Usually it's mineral deposits from the water, especially if you're out of rinse aid or using a small amount of detergent. A citric-acid dishwasher cleaner run in an empty machine removes most of it. If the film scratches off rather than washing off, it may be etching from too much detergent, which doesn't come off.
Yes. If the machine drains fine into a bucket but backs up once connected, the clog is in the kitchen drain or shared line, which belongs to a plumber or the building. We'll tell you where the problem sits either way.
Check your purchase records. If it is, go to the manufacturer first, because we work independently of the manufacturers and aren't an authorized servicer for any of them. For dishwashers out of warranty, we diagnose, explain and quote before any repair.