dishwasher repair

Dishwasher Repair: Mistakes You Are Making With Your Dishwasher

While dishwashers have been around for a long time, many people tend to make mistakes that not only lead to the dishwashers consuming a lot of energy, it also leads to them failing to work. Here are some of the most common mistakes that people make as given by dishwasher repair professionals:

Using the wrong dishwasher detergents

For the dishes to be clean you need to use the right detergent. There are plenty of detergents in the market that you can go for. Ensure that you go for the one that is ideal for your machine.

Some people add a lot of detergent with the hope that the dishes will get extra clean. There is nothing that is as misleading as this. Using a lot of detergent leaves a film of detergent on the entire dishwasher, that is problematic to get rid of.

Regardless of how clean you want the dishes to be, always use the right amount of detergent. You don’t want to damage the machine, do you?

You are overfilling the machine

It’s good to maximize space when you fill the dishwasher, but you shouldn’t overcrowd it. You should note that when you overfill the dishwasher, you not only prevent the dishes from getting properly clean, you also tend to damage them as they bump into each other.

For the dishes to be properly clean, you should space them properly so that each of them has enough space that it needs to get clean.

You allow too much food in the dishwasher

Most of the modern dishwashers are highly effective at getting rid of food residues, but this doesn’t mean that you should allow a lot of food in the unit, especially if you have older models. This is because the older models don’t have the capability of removing the food residues that you leave on the dishes.

You don’t need to prewash the dishes to get rid of the food—scraping is enough to get the dishes ready for the dishwasher. You should always get the dishes as clean as possible before you allow them into the dishwasher.

You allow non-dishwasher safe items down the unit

When your dishwasher is functioning optimally, you might be tempted to put everything you come across inside it. Don t do this as you will end up damaging the machine forcing you incur expensive repairs. In some cases, the damages are so severe that you have to replace the entire unit.

Some of the things that should never see the insides of your dishwasher include: wood, delicate glassware, cast-iron, copper, and any other non-dishwasher safe items that you might be having in the house.

You are placing the different dishes in the wrong place

Did you know that different dishes clean well at different locations of the dishwasher? Many people don’t know this hence they put them at any place. This not only leads to the dishes failing to clean as well as they are supposed to, it also leads to them melting, warping, and even breaking.

For the bowls, cups, glasses, and oversized serving utensils to be thoroughly clean, you need to put them at the top of the rack.

Pans, pots, plates, and utensils tend to clean well when they are at the bottom.

It’s common for people not to pay attention to where they place the dishes especially when the restaurant is busy, but for them to properly clean and protect them from getting damaged, you should be cautious where you place them.

You are blocking the sprayer

The sprayer produces the water that you use cleaning the dishes; therefore, you should ensure that it’s working properly all the time. During the loading, some people tend to block the sprayer, which leads to dirty dishes.

For the sprayer to clean the dishes, it should reach all corners of the dishwasher and clean every dish. When you are loading the dishes, double-check that the sprayer has a full range of motion and it isn’t being blocked by a pan or large bowl.

If there is anything on the way, you should get rid of it immediately.

You don’t tune up the appliance

Did you know that the dishwasher is just like your furnace or air conditioner? You need to tune it up regularly. If you don’t, the dishwasher tends to develop problems that lead to it consuming a lot of energy. It also tends to break down after a short time.

For ideal results, you should make a habit of hiring an appliance repair Fairfax professional at least once a year to inspect the appliance and fix any issues it might be having.

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Commercial Kitchen Appliance Repair: Common Dishwasher Problems

Just like any other appliance, the dishwasher also develops a number of problems that you should be aware of. Here are some of the most common dishwasher issues as given by commercial kitchen appliance repair professionals:

Dirt on dishes on the top rack

All the dishes coming out of the dishwasher should be clean, but when you are having issues with your unit, the dishes on the top rack might be coming out dirty. This issue can be brought about by a number of factors. One of the factors is if you are loading the bottom rack too heavily that the top rack isn’t receiving enough water flow.

If there isn’t enough water flow on the top rack, it means that the dishes in this area won’t be getting clean. For you to fix the issue you need to know how to properly load the dishwasher.

The best way of loading the appliance is to place the plates on the bottom rack, the bowls on top, the cups upside down, and the spoons and forks should be in their own cup.

Pools of water in the dishes

Water pools come from light, plastic bowls and cups that might be flipping over during the washing cycle. For you to fix the issue you need to ensure that the cups aren’t flipping over during the cleaning process. You can do this by putting the light items on the rack, then lean the heavier items against them.

Dishwasher making a lot of noise

The dishwasher is meant to make some noise but when the noise is excessive, your unit might be developing problems that you should fix. The noise might be coming from a defective pump that you simply need to replace. If you have the skills you can replace it by yourself but if you have never done it before, you will have to hire an appliance repair professional to help you out.

The problem might also be due to problematic spray arms. The arms might not be turning as well as they are supposed to thus hitting the racks and dishes, hence the noise. You need to inspect the nature of the arms and fix them if they are the source of the problem.

Failure of the dishwasher to drain

The dishwasher should drain water and if it’s not doing it, the unit might be holding your dishes hostage and it might cause flooding in your kitchen. When you are having this problem, you should check the valve in the drain pump.

If it’s not moving properly, you should consider replacing it. You also should consider updating the drain pump or motor. Also, take a look at the drain flapper and solenoid. Are there obstructions there? You should think about getting rid of it.

Leaking dishwasher

There is nothing as dreadful as a leaking dishwasher. In addition to it failing to clean your dishes as well as its supposed to, a leaking dishwasher also causes a risk to your home as the water can flood your house causing damage.

When having this issue, you need to check the drainage hose for cracks and other forms of damage. Also, take a look at the pump seal and pump. In most cases, you will find that the seal is missing. In such a case, you will have to reseal the unit. If the pump is defective, you will have to replace it.

Awful smells coming from the dishwasher

The dishwasher is meant to keep the dishes clean and it shouldn’t be producing any bad smells. This means that if there are any bad smells coming from your unit, you have a problem that you should fix as soon as possible.

The dishwasher will make bad smells when there is food or grease trapped in the unit. The food will most likely to trapped in the strainer screen, jets in the sprayer arms, and along the bottom edge of the door.

If there is any food in these areas, you should get rid of it immediately. After removing the food, commercial appliances repair Northern VA professionals recommend that you run a full cycle without any dishes. You also should remember to add a disinfectant to keep the smells away.

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