Skip to main content

Broken Dishwasher Makes Noise? Not so fast. It's my hot water pressure.

My dishwasher hasn't been cleaning dishes well.  It is about 12 years old... is time for a new one?  The short answer is no. A new dishwasher will not fix my problem.  It turns out that my kitchen's hot water flow is very low, and so my dishwasher is not filling up with enough water.  Buying a new dishwasher won't fix this, so therefore I won't be buying a new dishwasher.

[ UPDATE!  After a 12+ months of suffering, I solved all my dishwasher problems by flushing my kitchen's hot water plumbing!  See this post for more information. ]

How the Dishwasher Inlet Valve Works

My dishwasher fills up using a timed water valve. Given reasonable water pressure, my dishwasher accurately accepts about 3 gallons of water per cycle in 95 seconds.  If the water flow is very low, then less water comes in over those 95 seconds.   If water pressure is decent, the dishwasher fills until a float switch is triggered.  

If the dishwasher doesn't get enough water, the pump still runs but it sucks in water and a bunch of air.  This makes the dishwasher very loud, and water/air mix dribbles out of the washer arms. Nothing gets cleaned.  After a while, the dishwasher realizes that something is wrong, drains any water, and tries again.  

Verification of Water Issue

Since I perceived a water fill issue, I decided to verify the problem.

While the dishwasher was filling, I'd stop it by opening the door and manually add about a liter of water.  Then I'd close it and allow it to fill up more.   After doing this at each fill, it seems to make it run perfectly again.

 It turns out that I can add up about 3 liters of water, so it is filling to about 70% of what it actually wants.

Fixing the issue

I tried to replace the inlet valve, thinking that it was maybe clogged.  Nope, it was fine.  The problem is in the plumbing.  In fact, the kitchen hot water tap is noticeably slow.

Now I have a couple options:

  • Get a plumber in to address the low hot water pressure.  This is likely the right answer, but that seems expensive.
  • Connect the dishwasher to the cold water line.  This likely isn't a bad idea, as long as it doesn't make my dishwasher freak out due to the cold water.  If I use this approach, then my dishwasher will have to heat the water much more than it does now.

Do you have any thoughts on how to inexpensively address this issue?


Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Fixing a SodaStream Jet, part 1: Disassembly Guide

I've had my SodaStream Jet for years, and once in a while something has gone wrong. Disassembly is the first step to repair.  Start with this article to see how to disassemble the SodaStream, and then once you have that down, scroll through my other articles to see how I repaired specfic SodaStream problems. SodaStream Jet Disassembly Guide Tools Required Flat head screwdriver Phillips head screwdriver 1. Remove the Carbonator.  Duh. 2. Remove the black panel lever The front big black tilt lever needs to be removed first. Removing this panel is tricky, but it isn't impossible. Looking up at the bottom of the black panel, there are two tabs, one on the left and one on the right. These tabs fully secure the panel in place. The trick is to use a flat-head screwdriver under the plastic to gently lever the tabs out of the way.  Note in the pictures how I approach these tabs with my screwdriver.  I usually release the left side first, and then I release the right
Read more

Fixing a SodaStream Jet, Repair #2 - Broken Fill Button

My Soda Stream Jet's fill button broke, which means I can not longer carbonate water by pressing the pushbutton. This caused all sorts of grief in my household. Here is how I managed to repair my Jet to give it another 10 years of life (hopefully). First, a look at the button The fill button on the top of the SodaStream is actually a simple lever. Pressing down on the button moves a pin that does the actual work of pressing open the Carbonator's valve. Unfortunately, the axis point is fairly thin and can see a lot of stress. That's where my Soda Stream button cracked. [ I think the usage tip here is "don't over-press the button like a gorilla, it doesn't do anything but put high stress on the button."] Cracked levering point of the button The Pesky Lever Retaining Pin The Fix It was pretty easy for me to replace the button: Take off the back of the Soda Stream and remove the carbonator. Push out the the button lever's steel retaining pin. This takes qu
Read more

Fixing my Wahl 9918 Groomsman Beard and Mustache Trimmer

Not everyone would bother repairing a $25 beard trimmer, but why not fix something for under $5 instead of spending another $25? My  Wahl 9918 Groomsman Beard and Mustache Trimmer  has admirably performed its beauty duty for many years, but the time came when the battery just wasn't holding a charge any more.  Most people would just put the trimmer in the trash and buy a new one, but I figured I could repair my otherwise excellent Wahl and save some money. In fact, even high priced trimmer and rotary shaver brands, like Norelco and Remington, can be easily repaired using a process similar to the one I used to fix my Wahl.  Read on to find out how. I opened up the Wahl by popping off the black plastic faceplate with a tiny flathead screwdriver, which revealed two screws.  By removing the two screws I was able to easily open up the unit, revealing the guts of the device. Backplate off, Revealing the screws The internals are rather simple: a motor, a simple circuit boar
Read more

Sodastream Carbonator Leakage, Usage, and Weight

SodaStream 60L "Carbonator" CO2 cylinders have a specific weight when empty, plus about 410 or so grams for the CO2 they should have when they're "full".  A little while ago I went to buy a replacement Carbonator from my local hardware store. The dealer pulled a new Carbonator out of the box and sensed it was lighter than usual.  He put the "light" Carbonator in the "empty" pile and sold me a different one.  At that moment I concluded that it would be smart of me to weigh both new and empty SodaStream carbonators.  Here are the results. Weighing a SodaStream Carbonator - for both Science and Consumer Protection.       The dealer told me that sometimes the carbonators leak after they leave the SodaStream filling facility.  That means there could be an opportunity for customers like me to get ripped off! The SodaStream cylinders I buy claim to have a net product weight of 410 grams - and that means that a full Soda Stream Carbonator shou
Read more

MacBook: burnt out magsafe connector repair

My MacBook (A1342 model from 2009-2010) stopped working, thanks to a cheap knockoff magsafe charger. The magsafe connector looked burnt with heat-distorted melted plastic and some black carbon surfaces.  Plugging in the charger resulted in no lights and no action.  My MacBook was dead. First I tried to clean up the connector with some Q-Tips, tooth picks and solvent, but that did little, as seen in this "after" picture (below).   The heat generated by the aftermarket charger permanently deformed and distorted the MacBook's magsafe connector.  Clearly the damage was significant. Burnt Magsafe Connector - Replacement Required! Looking at iFixIt , I determined that it would not be difficult to replace only the magsafe connector with the right tools.  I hoped and prayed that the problem was isolated to the connector assembly and not the logic board. I bought a replacement magsafe connector assembly (available from Amazon) for under $20 and started to replace it by
Read more

Living Next to a Freeway

I've been living next to the interstate highway for the past couple years. And I mean right next to it. My house is 105 feet away from a major six lane freeway, and my property abuts it. I can see vehicles pass by from my living room. Let me tell you what that's like to live next to the freeway, and what to look for if you are considering moving near a major traffic artery. Home Construction First of all, a little background. The home I live in was designed and built in 2000 with the freeway in mind, and so road noise was taken into consideration when it was built.  The Interstate was planned in the 1950's and built in the early 1960s. Therefore, most of the windows in my house face away from the highway, and the bedrooms are the rooms furthest away from the road. The side of the house closest to the road consists of bathrooms and a stairwell. These internal rooms help absorb some of the noise that would otherwise enter the house. Given the building's urban setting, th
Read more

Other Posts

Show more