How to know if a dishwasher wash arm is clogged?

[mark_wpduet]

I'm not sure that's even the case...because everything is fine except for a dead spot I've noticed in my (2014) Maytag dishwasher that's developed recently. On the bottom rack(extreme from left), I used to be able to put quart mason jars, or a tall glass, or a bowl and everything came clean. Now, in that ONE SPOT, nothing comes clean. Any glasses are hazy...or almost look like they were half sprayed but the rest of the dishes in the entire dishwasher are spotless. Just that one spot. So I really don't know what it could be. I've changed nothing. Dishwasher sounds the same and performs as well as always. I don't think anything is clogged but I don't know how to tell.

thanks

 

[cam2s]

The lower arm is held on by nut, just unscrew it and lift the arm out for a visual inspection. It’s not uncommon for the end jets to get clogged.

 

[mark_wpduet]

OK, at first I couldn't get it off. I was unscrewing to the right. It's to the left. Anyway, got it off and it's not clogged at all. Ran water through it, water poured out the holes. I shook it, and heard nothing.. I've always about once every 6 months or so (give or take) ran citric acid on the longest cycle and empty machine. When I took the wash arm off it exposed the screen which had some white chalky stuff on the edges, but it didn't look bad. I used a toothbrush on that. But the machine sounds great when running, like everything is working properly. I guess it will remain a mystery

 

[henene4]

Maybe try the old " dump a gallon of water in the main wash" trick to check if it is starting to underfill?

 

[mark_wpduet]

Hmm?
Just listening to it, opening the door and seeing the water level as it washes.....the sounds, the way it fills (the filling sequence), everything looks and sounds perfectly fine and is the same as always.

I would think underfilling the entire load would show it and not just one small spot, no?

anyway - no big deal

 

[combo52]

Lower Rack Cleaning

Almost all DWs have a few dead areas , even on my older powerful WP PC machines when I put things like empty catsup bottles in to clean them for recycling sometimes they get totally missed and most times they are completely clean,

 

 If you find a dead area just try putting different items in those areas, lower racks were mainly designed for plates bowels etc.

 

John L.

 

[maytaga806]

You’ll audibly notice if it’s under filling, the motor will surge every few seconds because it doesn’t have enough water to pressurize. I have the same dishwasher from 2009, and I thought it was under filling when actually the food chopper screen was clogged, it’s been washing beautifully ever since I cleaned that. These are such good dishwashers I love mine. Only problem with them are the unreliable control boards. But the chopper was a pain in the ass to get back in correctly, a few times it was slightly hitting the edges and I had to rip it apart over and over until it sat in correctly.

 

[mark_wpduet]

Yep

I love this dishwasher. Never had an issue with the control board (knock on wood)
It's definitely not underfilling. I know the surging sound you're talking about. In fact, everything about it sounds absolutely normal and exactly as always. But out of curiosity, if a chopper screen is clogged, is there some sort of noise you would hear? I can't think of anything I put in the dishwasher that would actually clog it as I'm the only one who loads and uses it and everything is scraped and I don't even think I've ever broken a glass in there or anything that I remember.

 

[derrick352]

Yep

@mark_wpduet

Do a few PowerBlast cycles with some Finish booster added to cycle. A TBSP will do, I dump it in the back where pipe goes up. You mentioned using citric acid, if it is Finish Booster try the 1 TBSP every load. I love this dishwasher too, the rack placement and tines space is the best I ever had. I always scrape everything too. My unit is a revised version from original/same now discontinued.

Robot or human?

 

[derrick352]

Another help is Cascade Platinum. If not using it, start!

 

[mark_wpduet]

no it's too foamy

I have best luck using finish powerball but I add STPP
I just ran a load but this time, I rearranged my usual loading and put plates there. Everything came clean

About the STPP. A long time ago, I bought some STPP from soapgoods.com. Literally years ago. I'd say maybe 10 years ago. I was cleaning out cupboards the other day and found 1/2 used container of it that I forgot all about. I started using it and even though the Finish wasn't doing a bad job on its own, I could totally tell a difference when using STPP.

That Maytag is beautiful

 

[maytaga806]

Cascade pods are NOT an efficient detergent. Look at how expensive it runs compared to the chlorine free Dawn gel they make, it smells superior and cleans JUST AS GOOD as the platinum PLUS you can dose out as much as you need for pre wash and main, which you don’t get with pods. AND, it’s far much less expensive. I love these Maytag Jetcleans, mine is still running beautifully and I miss the jetclean generation. All you need to do monthly is run some cascade or finish cleaner through as was mentioned, they do a superior job of cleaning the inside out.

 

[maytaga806]

And for another thing too these jetcleans are actually pretty quiet but you can still clearly tell it’s jetcleaning everything. Absolutely love mine, mine is from 2009 all stainless and has the black outer control panel. It’s a mid line model but for a built in machine I won’t buy anything other than a stainless interior, and it keeps itself very clean with using just Cascade fresh scent with Dawn gel. I feel like these machines are totally looked passed and under.

 

[mark_wpduet]

Me too

Wow, the manufacturers must have really figured out better formulations for their non-phosphate detergents than they did when they first started doing non-phosphate. I remember back when they banned it and people were complaining like crazy that NOTHING worked....The cascade was bad, generic was bad. Only the detergents that had phosphates worked...People seem to have the best luck with Finish, which is what I've continued to use over the years - never really paying attention to whether or not the other detergents started performing better.

Yes, the Maytag's are my favorite dishwashers (even though they are Whirlpool made) but I think the models they offer now are somewhat different than the older models.

 

[stevet]

Dig a little deeper!

These Point-Voyager based machines all do a really good job of cleaning but they are in no way as "heavy-duty" as their predecessors like Power Clean or Kitchen Aid machines.

Even though your chopper screen may be clean and not giving you any trouble, you may want to remove the wash pipe and the fine mesh accumulator and look down in the sump of the pump. There are various diffusers and guards that can accumulate debris that never gets to the chopper and does not decompose. This situation will cause a lack of pressure even though the machine sounds okay.

I picked up a Kenmore that a neighbor was tossing out because it was not washing well. Sears told them they needed a new pump and the cost to them seemed prohibitive. I sold them a refurbished power clean and I got the Kenmore as part of the deal. I tested the machine and it sure had anemic pump pressure.

I took it apart and found over 20 grapefruit pits, assorted toothpicks and other food debris, plastic bread bag clips and even a few rusty screws. All lodged on top of the pump guard where the user would never see it.

I cleaned it out and the machine soldiered on like it was brand new for over 10 years before I disposed of it when we sold the house. It was my spare machine, hooked up in the garage and always came in handy when we had large meals or to wash the pots and pans.

The grinder they have in these machines won't grind anything more than soft food that gets down there and would have disintegrated if any of the above mentioned debris worked itself down that far.

It is easy to get everything apart and inspect and clean. Plenty of Youtube videos to show you how. Just do yourself a favor, if the chopper screen looks clean. Don't take it out if you can avoid it. It does go back together easily but you wil probably sweat and curse doing it. And as always, be careful as there can be broken glass and other hazards that may have worked its way into the sump and for additional safety, turn off the power to the machine.
Keep us posted.

 

[mark_wpduet]

can anyone find a video on youtube showing this for my model? Here's what the inside looks like

I think I'm good though honestly, the dishes are spotless, but it would be good to have in the future if I decide to dig in there. I will admit, those clips make me paranoid. I've never been good with clips I always end up breaking the clip

Over the years I'm trying to think back of anything I could possibly have put in there. I'm the only one who uses it or has ever used it....but you never know. The other day after I ran dishwasher cleaner through it, later, I found a rubber band just sitting in the bottom undamaged. No clue how that got there.

I did a quick search and came across a few videos but none of them looked like my model. One video a guy found a teabag clogging his because his wife was bad about not taking tea bags out of the cup.

 

[stevet]

All whirlpool clones

Any Point voyager based machine will be the same as yours. All they did was change the wash arm and racks to suit each brand.(WP,KA,MT) You should be able to find plenty of clips to guide you and believe me, you wont break any clips, just don't go all ape shit taking it apart.

I put a link for a video that will give you a good idea of what to do and what you will find inside the pump area.
Hope this helps and gives you courage to tackle the job.

 

[mark_wpduet]

Ok gotcha. I downloaded and saved that video. Thanks

 

[maytaga806]

I really dont think anything can top the powerclean module along with the other vintage machines like Kitchenaid as you mentioned my powerclean performs better than my other Jetclean, as far as the lower rack goes, they both have the same upper spray arm but I know my Whirlpool has far much higher pressure up there than the Maytag does. As far as I'm concerned nothing tall tub is as powerful compared to the older machines that were standard size, before the tall tub was created.

Like I said mine had almost no pressure with the items I discovered in the pump area and upper feed tube, I seriously don't understand how people let things like that get inside their machine. It was able to be taken apart easily, but putting the grinder back on perfectly was tedious the first time putting it back together. But you shouldn't need to take it off unless you see debris over the screen once you remove the plastic housing over the chopper.

Aside from the notorious control panel issues with this generation from Whirlpool these were great machines. Long as you watch whats going into them you should never have to worry much. With a powerclean though, that's another story. Ive had non stop control panel issues for years on my Jetclean, and its still happening today. Steam Clean light always stays on while the panel or whole machine is running, it'll blink also. During the wash the status light hovers over DRY cycle status, and it will not release rinse aid or detergent. So essentially the Steam Clean cycle is rather always on or does not work, I have no clue because the light over that option will not turn off when the control panel is active. Its going to be replaced soon, so its not a concern to replace it. I still love it though and it cleans very well still. But here and there it'll surge while washing as if it doesn't have enough water which has been a battle with it since day 1. I do have a video of this machine running from the inside that I forgot i took.