Dirty dishes maytag dishwasher

Dishwasher Repair
1

Maytag dishwasher about 6-9 months old. Model MDB6769AWW1.

Water gets hot.
Water fills around heating element. Dirty-ish water during wash cycle in the bottom, and nice clean water in the bottom during rinse cycle.

The machine sounds normal at all stages.

The little top arm doesn’t move.
The middle arm appears to move about an inch.
The bottom arm appears to move about an inch.
It seems to squirt, but not with enough force to rotate.

The soap empties normally.
The drain hose to the garbage disposal is attached appropriately up close to the underside of the counter, above the garbage disposal attachment.

We scrape, but don’t rinse dishes. we removed all three arms and ran water through them and appear all fine.

Removed the screen on the bottom, cleaned.

After all this, the dishes are still very gritty feeling with many dishes still dirty.

What is next?

Thanks in advance!

2

[quote=goldbryant;404967]Maytag dishwasher about 6-9 months old. Model MDB6769AWW1.

Water gets hot.
Water fills around heating element. Dirty-ish water during wash cycle in the bottom, and nice clean water in the bottom during rinse cycle.

The machine sounds normal at all stages.

The little top arm doesn’t move.
The middle arm appears to move about an inch.
The bottom arm appears to move about an inch.
It seems to squirt, but not with enough force to rotate.

The soap empties normally.
The drain hose to the garbage disposal is attached appropriately up close to the underside of the counter, above the garbage disposal attachment.

We scrape, but don’t rinse dishes. we removed all three arms and ran water through them and appear all fine.

Removed the screen on the bottom, cleaned.

After all this, the dishes are still very gritty feeling with many dishes still dirty.

What is next?

Thanks in advance![/quote]

Goldbryant,

A few things to check, first.

Make sure the water in the tub is at least 120 dgrs, on the first fill, and the water in the bottom should touch the heater element(at the least).

I reccomend you use a “Plain”(no additives) powderred detergent, and use the correct amount, based on your Water Hardness(1 tsp. per grain of hardness).

If you choose to use a rinse agent, and you have an adjustable dispenser, use the lowest to mid range settings.

If you’re using combination detergent, rinse agent, and the water is not hot enough, the chemicals have a tendency to start foaming, and your pump is not designed to pump foam, the detergent won’t break down proper(the grit, problem).

It may take a few wash cycles to get a more satisfactory result, but you’ll be happier in a few wash loads.

Good Luck,

:slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

3

A certain kind of detergent would cause the arms not to rotate? The water squirts through, but not with enough force to cause them to move. Are you saying some detergents will foam and block that force?

We have town water, so adjusted to normal hardness. We don’t use rinse agent. We have never needed it.

4

[quote=goldbryant;405735]A certain kind of detergent would cause the arms not to rotate? The water squirts through, but not with enough force to cause them to move. Are you saying some detergents will foam and block that force?

We have town water, so adjusted to normal hardness. We don’t use rinse agent. We have never needed it.[/quote]

Gold,

Yes, some detergents can “foam” and cause a pressure loss through the pump impeller and system. There are several conditions that can cause this. old detergent, liquid detergents separate in the bottle, the chemical compounds are combined to operate under an “average” condition, and there are more.

Like you, we never use rinse agent either, and have always used a powderred plain detergent. We’ve never had a washability problem.

You may want to run a dishwasher cleaning product like Glisten, or distilled white vinegar, through the dishwasher, and start over again.

Good Luck,
:slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

5

[QUOTE=goldbryant;405735]A certain kind of detergent would cause the arms not to rotate? The water squirts through, but not with enough force to cause them to move. Are you saying some detergents will foam and block that force?

We have town water, so adjusted to normal hardness. We don’t use rinse agent. We have never needed it.[/QUOTE]

Just to add my 2 cents…

Your dishwasher is very similar to most of Whirlpool designed dishwashers.

You may want to check the chopper assembly (#6 on the diagram). If it’s clogged or damaged, the pump will never create a sufficient pressure in the system.

You can find much more useful information in one of our previous threads: http://forum.appliancepartspros.com/dishwasher-repair/2903-whirlpool-dishwasher.html

Here are the breakdown diagrams and Replacement parts for MAYTAG MDB6769AWW1 UNDERCOUNTER DISHWASHER | AppliancePartsPros.com

Gene.