Undissolved soap in the dishwasher

Have you ever opened your dishwasher and found that the soap didn’t dissolve, and that it’s sitting in the bottom of the dishwasher?

This can be very frustrating but doesn’t necessarily mean you need a new dishwasher. This can happen when the dishwasher doesn’t get enough water.  The most common thing to check is that you are not overloading the dishwasher and that you are loading it properly. You can also try changing soap; some soaps work better than others.

If the problem isn’t fixed doing any of these things, the next thing to look at is the water inlet valve. There are a few ways to test that this is working properly. You can add a couple cups of water to the bottom of the dishwasher before you start your cycle. If your dishes come out clean and the soap dissolves, you know the problem may be with the water inlet valve. Another way to check this is to start your cycle and wait about 6 seconds then slowly open the dishwasher. If there is water in the bottom of the dishwasher you know the water inlet valve is working properly.

If your dishwasher is getting water but still not dissolving the soap, the high limit switch might be bad. You can test it with a continuity meter. The high limit switch heats the water which helps your soap dissolve.

For all you handy men or women out there, once you determine what the problem is you can order the part online and fix it yourself. I would be more than happy to order the part. If you need help with that, give me a call.  Remember to always turn the breaker off before attempting to change the part. If you’re not a handy man or woman, call a serviceman.

If your dishwasher isn’t cleaning the dishes, take the spinning wash arms off and make sure none of the holes are plugged. Using a rinse aid in your machine will help avoid water stains.

You should clean any strainer filters. Look at the holes in the spray arms on a regular basis to make sure nothing is getting clogged. Depending on the dishwasher and the quality of water you have, you may need to do these more frequently. It will help keep your dishwasher working correctly for a long time.