Somebody Help Me...Stinky dishwasher

[rapunzel]

If you are using your dishwasher daily....

stagnating water ought not be the problem. Unless there is a leak, where water pools in an un-obvious place and stagnates, how could that be the case?

Did the repair guy not notice the smell? I would write to Miele. If this smell is frequently present it has to be some kind of problem with the design of the machine or the materials that were used in its construction. Maybe some of the plastic components react with certain food substances? Your dishwasher shouldn't leave a smell of muddy water and dead fish, even if that's what you've had for lunch.

I know that smelly dishwashers are a common problem. I also know that a lot of people, who have these issues, are not interested and they buy dishwasher deodorizers and other gimmick products to mask odors. For them that is a good enough solution. They would never think to check and clean filters and, even for the dirtiest loads, only pick low temp eco cycles.

It's the same with folk who think their vacuum cleaner is broken when the dust bag is full or they have a mold farm in their washers for only washing with cold water and lots of waxy, oily additives.

Since you are not one of those, the problem is not of your making and that points the finger right back to Miele.

 

[foraloysius]

Are you using a rinse aid? If so, which one?

 

[mielerod69]

After having read your problems with your Miele. It sounds to me that it depends on the soiling on the dishes which either leave a smell behind in the machine or not. Since you may vary what you cook and eat it seems the most logical explanation.

I don't believe it would be any components in the machine because if you run the machine empty no smell is noticed at the end of the programme, so you can rule this out.

If you have the machine correctly installed, you can rule this out as well, so this leaves the type of detergent used to break down food residue and neutralise odours.

Today's detergent contain active oxygen and enzymes to break down food residue containing protein and starch and the active oxygen removes bleachable stains such as tea, coffee and lipstick.
It may be that changing to a detergent with chlorine bleach which could solve this problem.

I have a Miele dishwasher and have never had a problem with smells. My mum has a 17 year old one with no problem either, but if she uses raw eggs in bowls or dishes, she actually rinses them and rubs a lemon over them prior to putting them in the machine as she said to me once that egg smell is the most stubborn to shift.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Miele

Does your dishwasher have a salt re-generation unit like Miele European models??, if so, do you use it and fill with salt regularly??, I know you said you have soft water but I would still advise filling with salt & using it just turn the selector down to its lowest setting...

Also if it does have a salt fill reservoir, make sure the cap is on tight to seal, have seen a few instances where the unit is not sealed after filling and dirty water has entered the unit, all the salt is flushed out , the cycle completed but then the next water regeneration before the start of next wash has dirty water in it and pumps that into the tub instead of clean regenerated water...

Good luck with finding the problem!!

 

[rapunzel]

Does your Miele have the turbitdity sensor?

If soil level is causing this malodorous problem, could it be that your machine isn't using enough water to flush out the feculence that comes off your dishes?

 

[retro-man]

In my opinion if you have spent this amount of money on detergents and such I would scrap that dishwasher and buy something new. You can but a Whirlpool silent partner for around $400.00 at Sears. Have had 2 of them with no problems or smells. I don't have the time to keep "playing with a problem" such as smelly dishes. Ugh. The mental anquish is another story. Get rid of it and get something for a third of the money and be done with it. Just my 2cents worth.
Jon

 

[whirlcool]

I would give Miele Technical Services a call and discuss the situation with them. They seem to be very interested in keeping their customers happy. When I had a problem with the bags on my Miele vac, they sent me a free set of new bags and a new HEPA filter free of charge and then called me a week later to find out if the problem was resolved and if I was happy with the results. And this was for a 6 year old Miele vac too!

I'd tell them that you are most unhappy and that you would like them assist you in determining why your unit is odoriferous.

 

[ajer72]

Morning update...

Yesterday before going to dinner and the theatre, I took all the glasses out of the cupboard and ran the cycle, came home unloaded it and no issues, was just a glasses load washed on normal wash and cascade complete liquid.  This morning I had a very lightly soiled load of dishes, cereal bowls, flatware, coffee pot, and just mixing bowls...ran the same cycle normal wash and cascade complete and I opened the door and no smell...the moment things started to cool everything stinks.  I think I am going to give up.  Re running it now....as far as the eggs go...I was thinking this week....there hasn't been any eggs all week and 4 times this week it has stunk.....

 

Any thoughts from anyone on a 20 years old KitchenAid KUDS220, it I have emailed the person still waiting to hear back, I am in NC and I am going to be willing to drive to CT.  I had that dishwasher in another house.  I found the lower model on Craigslist.  I am going to buy it today and try it to see if it makes a differents KUDI220, I had the Superba in my other house and my mother had Imperial, the main difference was more cycles and mine was much quieter. 

 

My concern is if the dishwasher is 20 years old even if it hasn't been used...do you think the seals will be ok?

 

[tomturbomatic]

Does you dishwasher have an air vent in the door for drying? If so, has that been taken apart for inspection? Sorry to go to basics here, but does your tap water ever have an off smell? I ask this because we have had several periods of stinky water when we had algal blooms in the rivers and reservoirs. You are not on a well are you? Have you asked neighbors & friends if they have noticed any off smells in their DWs? Have you called other service companies to see if they have had similar complaints? Finally, the rotten egg smell you are talking about is hydrogen sulfide. That can come from the anode in your water heater reacting with sulfur in the water. Check the link to see if you might avail youself of any of the knowledge it contains. Maybe changing out the anode in the tank from magnesium to aluminum would help.

There is also this from the article I linked so I would ask the question have you turned down the water heater thermostat?

Odors from Hot Water Only
"Rotten egg" odors from hydrogen sulfide are sometimes only present in hot water. This may indicate a reaction with the magnesium rod in the water heater. Consider either removal or replacement with an aluminum rod as a remedy. Sometimes hot water will have a "sour" smell, similar to the smell of an old damp rag. This happens when, in an effort to save energy or to avoid blending hot and cold water, the thermostat of the water heater is lowered. Odor-causing bacteria live and thrive in warm water and can infest the water heater. This is corrected by returning the thermostat to its recommended temperature, because the odor-causing bacteria are killed at the higher water temperature (at or above 140 degrees). Caution: Be sure the water heater has an operable pressure relief valve before increasing the water temperature. If you want to keep your water heater temperature at a lower setting because scalding from hot water is a concern, each time the odor returns, increase the water temperature for a few hours to kill the odor-causing bacteria. Then flush the very hot water out of the tank and lower the temperature back to the desired level.

I remember staying in a hotel in Mississippi in the 50s that had water from an artesian well and the water stank. You did not have to do anything in the bathroom to make it stink. The water was almost undrinkable unless it was so cold it numbed your tongue. Thank heaven it was only an overnight stay.

I hope you find relief.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/aex-fact/0319.html

 

[mrb627]

Internal softener

I would begin to suspect the internal water softener as well.

Malcolm

 

[logixx]

If the techs have already increased the final rinse temp... the only thing else I can think of is to have them activate the 2nd rinse function and/or the extra water function.

Maybe a Miele tech can come out and borrow a smelly glass from you and take it to the lab to analyse what's going on?

At least we know now, since the clean glasses load didn't stink, it's not the rinse aid, detergent or the machine that itself smells. Must be something to do with the soil not being removed - I suppose.

 

[ajer72]

See, I have talked with the neighbors, I live in a town house , there are 177 homes here....the builder installed plastic tub models.  I had the Profile, but was plastic.  None of the neighbors seem to have be complaining.  I went to the neighbors and asked to have a glass of water while I was there to check it out and there was no smell.

 

I went to Lowes today and bought the Whirlpool Gold, plastic tub....it is washing a load now, I hoping it works.    I found

 

My Miele was only the 1600.00 one it doesn't have the salt system.

 

I truly appreciate all the advise...I will admit I am really bummed about this....but I am truly at a loss...I just hope this cheap one cleans and doesn't smell...

 

this is what I bought...

 

http://www.lowes.com/pd_362071-46-WDT710PAYM_0__?productId=3546992&Ntt=whirlpool+dishwasher&pl=1¤tURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Dwhirlpool%2Bdishwasher&facetInfo=#BVRRWidgetID

 

[toploader55]

23.875 ???

Not 24 "  23.875 ??? C'mon now.

 

Overnight Soak Cycle ?  Pretty soon there will be a 2 day extended wash with 1/2 a cup of water for Heavily Soiled Dishes. I apologize for the sarcasm, but it never ends.  I guess I'm getting too old to understand some of this nonsense. (As it appears to me).

 

I do wish you the best of luck with this machine. Too bad the Miele couldn't be remedied.

 

[tomturbomatic]

The remedy might have been easy if the poster had not posted the problem the day before going out to buy a new one. We were supposed to have the answer immediately. We can learn from this that often people do not want help as much as they want sympathy; more than a solution, they want to get everyone excited about their problem. Why could this person not tell us on 2/17 that they were going to buy a new dishwasher on 2/18? Most of us here are men and it is our first impulse to solve problems when someone writes in with an appliance situation. Maybe we need to begin with the question, "Have you already decided to replace the machine?" This is far more diplomatic than asking if they want help or sympathy or just want others to get upset also.

Asking for a glass of water at the neighbors was not a bright way of researching the problem because the water you drink is cold while the water for the dishwasher is from the water heater.

 

[arbilab]

Smells and sounds are virtually impossible to diagnose in text. One person's squeak/fish is another person's grind/egg.

 

[mattl]

One thought that comes to mind that I have not seen mentioned is sewer gas.  If the vent stack is partially blocked, or depending on how the wind blows sewer gas may be getting into the system.  Kind of a long shot, but it seems nothing else has shown up.  If the problem continues with a new machine I'd certainly look into that as a cause.

 

[coldspot]

I also think it is sewer gas. Easy test for this do not use the dishwasher for a few days and leave the door closed. Then open and that a smell. This happen to a person I know let me say it smells well like poop. lol

But this is also very dangers very very dangers. Sewer gas well and can become a flash fire very scary stuff.

Few other things does this sink where it is hooked to have a p trap. I know you might think duh yes it dose, but I have seen homes where they did not use them to save money.

If you think you got a sewer gas back up get a person out there fast before something happens. Same thing can happen with a hot water heater if not used for so long they can build up gas that also becomes a flash fire.

 

[rapunzel]

"I guess I'm getting too old to understand some of t

Same here. A dishwasher with an overnight cycle is the apex of idiocy. The only way to remedy this nonsense is to buy a commercial machine that has to do its job quickly and effectively. Domestic appliance design has clearly succumbed to political and social agendas that are no longer concerned with purpose, function and pragmatism; and it has nothing to do with intelligent environmentalism either.

 

[cleanteamofny]

The thing that is most over looked is the rinse aid. Too much can cause this smell.
If the level is not set to the lowest level and with the use of detergent with rinse aid this can ba an over kill.
Since you've changed your dishwasher, apply this solution to prevent this from happening again.

 

[mielerod69]

Miele ProfiLine

Well talk of dishwashers using so little water and taking hours to complete a cycle, there is a solution!
This machine can complete a cycle in just 17 minutes!
It also can be used up to 6 times a day compared with most domestic dishwashers which on average are used once per day.

http://www.miele-presse.de/de/en/press/article/artikel_101_2011.aspx