[craiginsd]

The upper spray arm on this unit receives water only intermittently... much less of the wash cycle than I would expect. I'm not sure whether it's supposed to only get water pumped through it occasionally, but I'm seeing that the dishes and glasses on the upper rack are not being cleaned effectively. I have determined that there is no clogging in the tube that feeds the upper spray arm (by hooking a vacuum up to one side of the tube), but the pump assembly does have a sticky drain solenoid, due to rusting of its shaft. I'm not sure whether the drain solenoid also operates a diverter valve that sends water to the upper sprayer, but it seems these problems might be correlated. If not, I do not know where else to start looking for a problem with the upper sprayer. It might be worth noting that the dishwasher has no problem draining... there is never standing water at the end of the wash cycle. I would like to get assistance on what else I can diagnose to be sure that I order the right parts the first time.
Thanks very much (in advance)!
Craig

[Admin / APP Team]

Craig, two things to check first:

1. (you may have already done this) Check the upper spray arm for damage and see if any of the little holes are clogged up.

2. How much water does the dishwasher get? To check, start the dishwasher, let it fill (typically takes 2 minutes, stop the cycle about 10 seconds after you hear the motor coming on). Water level should be atleast 1.5 inches (usually 2") from the bottom of the tub. If there is less, then the water valve is the problem. You can try taking it apart and cleaning the filter screen inside or simply replace the valve.

Another way to check: After the fill cycle is done, open the door and check the float (#32 on this diagram). (During normal operation, the float will raise up with just enough water and will open the switch to stop the fill cycle. The fill cycle will also stop after a certain amount of time if the float fails.) If you can press on the float and hear a click coming from the switch below, that means there is enough water. If you don't hear a click, check the water valve as described above.

Replacement water valve for DW730W