I'd suggest that you look at the connections and see if there is some plastic in contact with the heating element, or the thermistor has gone bad and allows the heating element to go to max due to not limit. It's usually a small resistor that is setting flush to the bottom of the unit depending on dishwasher. Most stainless ones have a thermistor if there is a heating element. If you still want to run the unit and not replace, you could disconnect the heating element from below; but will lose the heating feature for water and drying also. Heck all the ones that offer air dry such as Bosch, don't even have one.