Dishwasher Woes

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Hello Knowledgeable Folks.

Well my dishwasher sort of works. But it doesn't squirt from the lower arm into up turned pans etc forcefully enough or even at all to clean them. I've been around the loop clearing out filters and things as per the instruction manual. The lower arm is not blocked and I assume that the pump works OK as things (like a pot) get cleaned in the upper basket. I assume there is only one pump? Is there something I haven't cleaned out or has something gone terribly wrong? It's a Bosch SMS50T02GB

TIA

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

https://media3.bosch-home.com/Documents/9000600135_C.pdf

 

[neil_merseyside]

Does the iffy arm roatate as much as the good one as you open the door? It could be the spin jets on the end are blocked and so it only spray cleaning in one position. I always take the arm off and pressurise it with a hose to be sure all the jets are clear, blockages are usually rice grains/small food debris or small bits of egg shell (or is it displaced scale!), and they sometimes don't look blocked but are just a pathetic dribble. Is their a swivel gasket and is it still in place in the arm - if not the hub will leak and the pressure not get to the jets.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Thanks @neil_merseyside . I don't see anything move anywhere when I open the door. I really need a transparent door don't I? Well I did think I'd checked those jets. I'll check again. I've looked into the tube in the bottom of the machine that the arm clicks into. Can't see a gasket as part of the arm - would that be in the tube it clicks into? TBH I can't see where the water might come from. Should it all appear blanked off down there?

 

[midlife]

New lower spiny arms are quite cheap and they just clip on and off usually.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Should it all appear blanked off down there?

The blanking thing is on a weak spring which when pressed from above opens. To my mind it's the wrong way around as I assume the water comes from below but to my knowledge it has always been like that (me no touchy ever) and I don't see how it can be removed.

There is good flow of air from all the upper facing nozzles on the arm. There is one inner (radial) facing nozzle on the underside of the arm at the tip which allows me to blow into but I can't feel flow from in the opposite direction.

 

[neil_merseyside]

I can see both arms spinning (and making a right mess!) if I open the door mid wash, some dishwasher arms have a 'seal' some don't, my bottom arm is just a press fit, top arm has a gasket seal on the screwed centre (see photo), if this was missing the arm would lose out on a lot of flow.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

OK @neil_merseyside - If not interlocked - I'll peek inside during a wash cycle

Suspect my arm doesn't have a seal. It just clicks in and out.

 

[neil_merseyside]

You shouldn't really treat freeflow of air inward being the same as water flow out as any debris like rice can be sitting inside and only plug the jets in use. Do the arms spin freely? if not then they might just be squirting strongly in the wrong place! Most doors will just open, the interlock only killing the water, but never in time to prevent a mess if you are actively trying to do diagnostics! Most dishwashers will just restart once door is closed, others will drain and go back to start.

 

[irw]

Worth checking that your cutlery holder jobby doesn't have a hole in the bottom of it small enough for a teaspoon handle/other small ended implement to stick out of. We had a similar problem for a few weeks until we worked out ours had developed one, and things were sticking down far enough to stop the lower spinny thingy going round properly!

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Worth checking that your cutlery holder jobby doesn't have a hole in the bottom of it small enough for a teaspoon handle/other small ended implement to stick out of. We had a similar problem for a few weeks until we worked out ours had developed one, and things were sticking down far enough to stop the lower spinny thingy going round properly!

Ooh - I like that. Mainly cause it sounds easy to find and fix

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

You shouldn't really treat freeflow of air inward being the same as water flow out

Correct. I did also wiggle a bit of wire in there. But I do take your point

I'm off out for a Cycling Xmas din today so all this DiY will be waiting for me later. Door diagnostics and the rest.

 

[siadwell]

Are you using premium all in one capsules, especially on an eco wash?
I had the same problem as you and cleaned the filter and the arm etc. but noticed a bit of undissolved plastic capsule and thought that might have had something to do with it. Since switching to cheap tablets, plus separate salt and rinse aid, cleaning performance has been much better.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Our commercial dish washer sometimes gets blocked with small bits of cling film.

This tends to block just Before the filter restricting flow.

All you can do is check everything is clear.
Remove any debris

 

[bikingdad90]

Silly but relevant idea, your not accidentally blocking the flow by putting a plate or something on one side? In our Bosch one we have to load plates to the right handside not left handside to get a proper clean.