KitchenAid dishwasher not cleaning well

[jjsunshine]

Hi everyone!


My mom has a KitchenAid dishwasher from 2007 — model #KUDS03FTSS — and it's having an issue with the top rack not cleaning properly. After a cycle, glasses and dishes still have food residue on them. The bottom rack washes okay, but not great.


I did the cup test by placing an upside-down cup in each corner of the top rack, and after the cycle, they barely had any water in them.


The dishwasher fills for approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds during each part of the wash cycle. While there isn’t a lot of water in the tub, it does appear to be enough — at least visually.


Here’s what I’ve done so far:

• Replaced the water inlet valve
• Replaced the control board
• Completely cleaned the filter and chopper blade
• Inspected the check valve flapper
• Removed and checked the wash arms for blockages

The spray arms are moving during the cycle, but despite all of this, the top rack still isn’t getting enough water to clean properly.


Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated — thank you!

 

[dermacie]

I had a similar problem and my upper arm was really clogged. I have the Kitchenaid dishwasher with the filters at the bottom and the bottom filter was apparently warped. It was letting particles clog the arm. I replaced the filters with new and replaced the upper arm it’s actually ( under the upper rack) and the machine works like new again.

 

[phillymatt53]

Good chance the supply hose from the pump to the upper spray arm is clogged.
Pour a cup of CLR in the machine and run it through a cycle.

 

[lakewebsterkid]

Our supply hose was slightly clogged. I removed the flow restrictor, and the machine performed significantly better. With advanced age, I would imagine that this could be a culprit. Though if she is using rinse aid, it can cause over sudsing as most of these machines add a little rinse aid during the wash for some odd reason.