Bosch Dishwasher Greasy filters - fixed!!!

[rolls_rapide]

Since I bought my Bosch dishwasher seven or eight years ago, I have always been bothered by greasy filters, even after a few washes - until now.

The picture below is not mine (I nicked it off Gardenweb forums), but it illustrates the problem perfectly.

The filter on the left, sits inside the filter on the right, in the sump, with a large flat filter plate.

The 'left' standard filter on my machine always had a greasy residue around the grey plastic flange - just like this photo.

Recently, the 'right' fine filter deteriorated. The off-white nylon rims and supports darkened and became brittle, like uncooked spaghetti strands. It virtually fell apart in the kitchen sink, so I threw it out.

Now I wasn't concerned about the machine running without the fine filter, as my sister-in-law has a built-in Bosch with only the 'left' filter. Apparently, some models only had standard filtration, as opposed to high filtration.

So, I washed the other filters and replaced them securely.

The result after a fortnight or so? Perfectly clean filters and no grease whatsoever.

I came to the conclusion that the 'one filter inside the other', must have created a doldrums zone where water current was reduced - possibly an air trap around the flange of the filter, and maybe the water was cooler too.

Anyway, it's fixed, and there are no particles on the dishes either.

 

[logixx]

The picture below is not mine

Yeah, they're mine... ;-) That's our Siemens dishwasher.

 

[aquarius1984]

Callum

I used to find the same on my Hotpoint DF31 but put it down to me being unfussy with loading. Didnt mind as washed items never came out greasy, wonder if it is like you
say due to the doldrum zone lol.

Yet our current DW a 1991 Hoover Crystal Jet has 3 filters similar in style to the Bosch and the fine filter dosnt suffer. Perhaps its the 5 or 6 litres in every fill that keeps it clean lol.

 

[aquarius1984]

Filter arrangment

 

[aquarius1984]

filter

 

[rapunzel]

Could it be the detergent?

I recently bought some powder from Aldi that had little blue bits in it (don't remember the name now); it was a first time purchase. I found that these blue bits were binding with grease and morphing into a sticky, blue substance that lined the inside of the filter and stuck to the bottom of the tubs (F&P dish drawers). The Aldi powder got turfed and I am currently using Morning Fresh powder, which is working fine and the greasy residue gone.

 

[rolls_rapide]

Logixx, try running the Siemens without the finest particulate filter, and see if it still comes out with the greasy flange. Mine used to collect quite a lot of tomato-based sauce and cheese residue; rather nasty. Auto Superwash programme is now showing no sign of greasy filters.

I'll have to test further on the Auto Normal programme, it always left a greasy smell/taste on the crockery. Maybe the greasy filter was contaminating the two rinses.

Rob, I am thinking that your Hoover machine is ever so slightly different:
>you have a large flat metal filter plate, just like the Bosch;
>you have a 'catchpot' coarse plastic filter, better than the Bosch. My Bosch has a funny staggered arrangement, open bottom, grey plastic catchpot.
>you have one metal mesh cylindrical fine filter. My Bosch had two, now one.

So it looks as if your Hoover won't suffer a doldrums/air pocket between the two fine filters that the Bosch had. Your filter has very little plastic flange, unlike the Bosch 'left' filter, in Logixx's photo above.

Anyway, 'tis nice to see the Hoover Crystaljet still doing its duty, 20 years on! I always liked the name, "Hoover Crystaljet". Sounded like quality

 

[rolls_rapide]

Rapunzel

No, not the detergent. No matter which detergent was used, there would always be a greasy residue on the grey filter flange. And it was grease, the type you would see if you handwashed greasy dishes and left the wash water to cool. The grease would collect and congeal around the rim of the washing-up basin/bowl/sink.

 

[logixx]

Well, I no longer life at home so using the Siemens would be a little difficult... :-/ The (true German design) AEG we had before would also have a greasy filter and so does my Grandma's Miele and the POS Indesit we have at our current flat. No dishwasher I ever used would have a squeaky clean filter after the wash - dishes were always clean, though.

Alex

 

[logixx]

The filters of the 1999 AEG after an Intensive 70°C cycle with a very dirty load.

 

[rolls_rapide]

Interesting, the AEG has three cylindrical filters; coarse, medium and fine filtration.

Can just the two plastic filters fit together, without the metal one? If so, try it and see if there is any improvement.

I was thinking back to the Zanussi machines of the 1980s and '90s (DW400, DW925). They had just two cylindrical filters (plus a filter plate). The cylindrical filters were a coarse and a fine one.

 

[rolls_rapide]

Here is the fine one that the coarse one fits into.

 

[aquarius1984]

yes Callum

those filters were what my mums Tricity Bendix DH101 had.

dont suppose your about on fb or msn?

 

[logixx]

Can just the two plastic filters fit together, without the m

Sorry, again... The AEG was junked in '06 and replaced by the Siemens.

Alex

 

[rolls_rapide]

Logixx, that's a shame.

Rob, no, I don't have a facebook account, nor MSN.

 

[combo52]

GREASY FILTERS ETC.

If any part of your DW is still greasy after a full cycle you are not using enough detergent, hot enough water or the correct cycle for what you are washing. I see this all the time when repairing DWs here, often when I remove the sump cover from a GE or WP built Tall Tub DW the bottom is covered in greasy gunk. Then I go to the next house and work on the same model machine and there is no greasy gunk at all. I believe that part of this is caused by only putting detergent in the one main wash cup and or using detergent tablets again only in the main cup. I always suggest to my customers that if using the detergent tablets to also use some regular detergent in the first wash cut. And for the DWs that don't have a first cup I suggest putting at least one table spoon of detergent on the door before starting the machine.

 

Proper dishwasher performance is a very fine line between the proper amount of detergent, water condition and temperature amount of food soil and the cycle used. There are no hard and fast rules for all dishwashing situations. But if you notice grease left behind something is not ideal, the greasy buildup can destroy plastic and rubber parts of the machine and cause clogging problems in the DW and in the household drains.

 

[rolls_rapide]

Nope...

I stand by what I first posted, that the Bosch always suffered from greasy filters, irrespective of Auto Superwash being engaged AND detergent was added to prewash and mainwash.

The culprit seems to have been the two finer-mesh cylindrical filter creating a dead zone between the two filters, allowing grease to accumulate.

With one cylindrical filter, there is no grease.

Make of that what you will.

 

[drhardee]

Yeah, I've got to chime in that the filter on my Miele (Premiere Plus) STAYS greasy, despite 150F washes and Miele tabs. I've run Finish dishwasher cleaner through it, and that seemed to mollify the grease (at 170F), but a few standard washes later it's back to schmutz.  Before anyone asks or accuses; yes, I scrape thoroughly, and no, I don't pre- rinse.  (disclaimer) It is, however, my common practice to use only 1/2 Miele tab.  Dishes, unlike filter, are sparkling.   I even tried adding a level tsp of TSPP to the detergent dispenser, to little effect. I used to think it was the rinse agent, but now, I just don't think about it.

 

[labboy]

Finish Dishwasher Cleaner

I've noticed outside North America Finish Dishwasher Cleaner specifically calls out that it cleans grease and limescale where the North American version does not have a grease claim. The product also looks different (an opaque and a blue layer) compared to the one we have in the US (only blue). I wonder if the degreasing capability is targeted for European style machines that experience the issue people have described here.

I had a Bosch before and also experienced the greasy filter issue. I never loved that machine and was happy to get rid of it. The dishes came out clean but the drying was horrible and the interior never smelled clean at the end of a cycle.

Dishwasher Cleaners

Discover Dishwasher Cleaners, designed to clean those areas you can't get to. Remove grime build-up to keep your dishwasher working at its best for longer!

www.finish.co.uk