Does My Dishwasher Need Replacing?

Walmart sells a product that you run thru a complete cycle that will remove calcium, lime and any other residue. My buildup was so bad, I used two to be safe, but now my machine is running like it did 10 years ago!

My dishwasher is full of black gunk! i ripped it apart today and cleaned it as best I could. i run a couple of cycles with Limeaway. the little holes at the bottom of the door were plugged with a gritty gunk that looked like calicum,,,needless to say, what a mess...Any one got a suggestion/ the darned thing is about 8 years old

Our dishwasher is also the same age as yours. This past weekend we found that no water was spraying inside the dishwasher. We took it apart piece by piece and found a way down in the bottom of the layers of plastic parts a screen that we did not know about that was totally full. YUK!! We thoroughly cleaned all pieces, even the little front part that adjusts the level of the water that comes into the dishwasher (took that apart, boy was that awful). I had cleaned all the parts of the dishwasher that I knew about over the years but had no idea that these other places were slowly clogging. Now each time I am adding just a little squirt of javex bleach along with my dishwashing detergent and I have not seen dishes this clean and sparkling since we bought the dishwasher. We do not have the problem with the calcium buildup but a combination of calcium and maybe some layers down there that you may not know about could make for dirty dishes.

Dear Deb
I too live in Az. and know the problems you
are having..my washer and dishwasher both get covered in Calcium from the hard water so I use CLR on both.added to the water,it disolves the crust that is on the inside of the tub and inside the dishwasher.I also use really hot water because it disolves the dishwasher soap.I use a granulated product with a rinse agent already in it.then when all the calcium is gone[might take 3 or 4 soakings] I run a gallon of white vinegar thru both machines.works perfect. do this about once a month. good luck. FoxFire

Also if you look into a water softener, this will help out, not only your dishwasher but all other things in your house that use water. Hard water is so rough on everything, including your body.

Lime-A-Way is always good for a dishwasher when used correctly. But you may want to look at how you are using your dishwasher. First the average person uses too much detergent. The cleansing agent is used in the first cycle to grab onto food particles and the other cycles help cleanse and sanitize. Second DO NOT WASH YOUR DISHES PREVIOUSLY TO DISHWASHERS. The dirt particles are nessessary for the cleaner to grab onto, otherwise it grabs the finish itself and wears the dishes. Last but not least, dish rinse aid is a must. Even fancy dishwashers like BOSCH recomend a rinse aid to help the water peel off and prevent additional dirt from sticking. Good luck

Hello! I've had trouble with mine too lately...The soap doesn't get all washed out of the dispenser when it opens, and I have to wash them first for them to get "clean". Pointless huh? The water pressure doesn't seem to be enough. Thanks :) Aeromama

I would put 2 or 3 cups of white vinegar in the bottom of the dishwasher and let it run a few minutes. Then interrupt the cycle by moving the door latch as if you're going to open the door. Let the solution soak for 20 or 30 minutes this way. Then close the latch to resume the cycle. I would run this complete cycle 2 or 3 times before I tried more expensive solutions. It is possible that the blade that pulverizes food particles may be damaged. This can happen if small bits of broken glass or bone are allowed to remain in the bottom of the dishwasher. According to my son, some models use very flimsy thin aluminum blades (as opposed to heavier stainless steel) which can be "chewed up" quite easily. Good Luck getting your problem resolved!

A good product on the market that might help you is called Lime-A-Way. Try placing some directly on the bad stains, and lastly send 1/2 cup through the whole cycle. This stuff is great on faucets and shower heads. Just dip the shower head in a glass of this cleaner for about 5 - 15 minutes depends on the lime buildup and presto a unclogged shower head.

Make sure your drain hose is higher than the drain plug or it will siphon the dirty water back in. Also running a load with vinegar helps. Is your water very hot? It will need to be to clean well. Spin your spray arm in the opposite direction it usually runs to loosen it. hope this helps.