I have a Whirlpool dishwasher, DU945PWPQ2. It has worked well until the past 4 months.
There is chopped up foods left on our glasses/dishes. It doesn’t seem to effect plastic wear. The majority of crud is on the inside of the glasses or bowls and only on the top rack. It also leaves debris at the bottom of the silverware basket (on the door), along the door seal and in the vent. I end up with sparkling clean dishes with clumps of chopped up food on parts of them. The door and sides are also getting dirty. I have run a few empty loads and a few loads with vinegar and it never gets really clean.
I took it apart down to the filtr-pump (part# 3384593). I cleaned anything and everything I could find to clean out. The filter was full of food crud. I cleaned it out as best as I could (there is only a small marble sized whole to drain the junk out of-took forever!) and it cleaned our dishes really well for 3 washes. It is now back to leaving debris.
We were told (online) that it needed a new pump as it wasn’t draining completely between cycles. This makes sense, but we don’t know what parts exactly are needed.
Any ideas? Does needing a new pump sound like a good diagnosis? What exactly do I need? It seems like it may need a new filter too (the part posted above # 3384593)
Any help would be appreciated. My husband is ready to just buy a new one.
Remove the bottom panel. Be prepare to catch some water and disconnect the drain hose from the check valve (#15 on the [B]diagram. Unscrew the check valve and clean it inside.
Any debris inside the check valve will cause a slow drain.
I have a Whirlpool dishwasher, DU945PWPQ2. It has worked well until the past 4 months.
There is chopped up foods left on our glasses/dishes. It doesn’t seem to effect plastic wear. The majority of crud is on the inside of the glasses or bowls and only on the top rack. It also leaves debris at the bottom of the silverware basket (on the door), along the door seal and in the vent. I end up with sparkling clean dishes with clumps of chopped up food on parts of them. The door and sides are also getting dirty. I have run a few empty loads and a few loads with vinegar and it never gets really clean.
I took it apart down to the filtr-pump (part# 3384593). I cleaned anything and everything I could find to clean out. The filter was full of food crud. I cleaned it out as best as I could (there is only a small marble sized whole to drain the junk out of-took forever!) and it cleaned our dishes really well for 3 washes. It is now back to leaving debris.
We were told (online) that it needed a new pump as it wasn’t draining completely between cycles. This makes sense, but we don’t know what parts exactly are needed.
Any ideas? Does needing a new pump sound like a good diagnosis? What exactly do I need? It seems like it may need a new filter too (the part posted above # 3384593)
Any help would be appreciated. My husband is ready to just buy a new one.
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Mrskatie,
First thing,
Have your husband disconnect the dishwasher drain hose from the drain connection under the sink, then fill and drain the drish washer once or twice, that should flush any debris or small clogs from the drain system and pump.
Replace the filter if it has a hole in it.
Change to a plain powderred detergent, and use the proper amount based on your water hardness, make sure the water temperature is at least 120 dgrs. in the tub on the first fill of the wash cycle.Reduce or discontinue using rinse agent if possible.
I think you’ll see an improvement in the performance of the dishwasher.
Gene said:
Unscrew the check valve and clean it inside.
Any debris inside the check valve will cause a slow drain.
Did you check the chopper when you removed the filter?
We checked the chopper and it looks good as new; no worn spots.
I unhooked the hose that hooks to the check valve and water came out really well - nothing nasty looking there and the water had lots of force. I wasn’t able to actually get the check valve off, do you think I should still do that?
Have your husband disconnect the dishwasher drain hose from the drain connection under the sink, then fill and drain the drish washer once or twice, that should flush any debris or small clogs from the drain system and pump.
We did this and the water that drained was decently clean (no chunks) and came out with plenty of force - no blockage that we can see.
Joe / APP Team said:
Replace the filter if it has a hole in it. We are wondering if the filter is at fault… it does has a small screw size whole in it, but I wouldn’t think that small of a hole would be the reason for it getting clogged with junk.
Joe / APP Team said:
Change to a plain powderred detergent, and use the proper amount based on your water hardness, make sure the water temperature is at least 120 dgrs. in the tub on the first fill of the wash cycle.Reduce or discontinue using rinse agent if possible.
We use Walmart detergent - 2 T per load, our water is plenty hot, and we don’t use a rinsing agent.
I really appreciate all these recommendations! They are things we hadn’t thought to check. Any other ideas?
Thanks for the photo’s.
Looks more like a re-deposit of debris, to me.
Were it me, I’d remove and check the "check valve" at the least, if not replace it.
[part]AP2910020[/part]
It could be malfunctioning, and allowing the drain water to flush back into the pump.
Replace the filter,
[part]AP3130690[/part]
Because it has a hole in it.
Remove the water distribution tube(going up the back of the tub) and check it for possible debris build up on the inside.
(only because the deposits appear to be in the upper area of the tub/tank assembly).
Based on your posts and descriptions, I doubt you would need a pump assembly, but that would be the last resort.
I am having a hard time finding words to fully express my thanks to you all for helping me fix our dishwasher.
Since replacing the check valve and the filter it is working like a charm. One interesting thing to note, when we took the old check valve off we discovered that it was completely hollow. It didn’t have the valve part in it. We are guessing that not having that in place caused the filter to work overtime and after 3 years it just became too clogged to work properly anymore.
So all is happy and peaceful in our family now. This thanks comes to you from a 7 month pregnant mother of 5 children and wife to a husband who works from the home. (So we end up with a lot of dirty dishes!)
I will be telling everyone I know about your site and your helpfulness.
I am having a hard time finding words to fully express my thanks to you all for helping me fix our dishwasher.
Since replacing the check valve and the filter it is working like a charm. One interesting thing to note, when we took the old check valve off we discovered that it was completely hollow. It didn’t have the valve part in it. We are guessing that not having that in place caused the filter to work overtime and after 3 years it just became too clogged to work properly anymore.
So all is happy and peaceful in our family now. This thanks comes to you from a 7 month pregnant mother of 5 children and wife to a husband who works from the home. (So we end up with a lot of dirty dishes!)
I will be telling everyone I know about your site and your helpfulness.
Very sincerely and gratefully,
~ Katie
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MrsKatie,
We’re happy for you, and good luck with #6.
Try and remember some of the "tid bits" we gave you and see what happens.
