Dishwasher woes - Simple Fix

[StevieC]

A friend of mine calls me up this week and says his Electrolux (Frigidaire) dishwasher won't fill with water and keeps generating an error code which was pointing to the dishwasher not draining.

He called the company he purchased the machine from just under 5 years ago as he has extended warranty and they send out not one but 4 techs at separate times and they fire the parts cannon at it and then tell him it's this/that etc. and they will need to return. Then after 6 hours with the last technician the tech said he didn't know what was wrong and says he's going to recommend replacement.

My friend followed up with them and they said that because it's over the 3 year replacement period of the 5 year warranty they would only give him a pro-rated amount towards another dishwasher.

Before he went this route he decided to call me to see if maybe I could figure it out. (I have fixed many other things for him over the years like their stove, computers, vehicles, t.v. etc.)

I go over and through process of elimination I narrowed it down to the water pressure switch. I take it off and there is all sorts of white soap-scum stuck in the opening. I cleaned out the small opening using a tooth pick, flushed it with some water and reinstalled and fired up the dishwasher and it ran perfectly.

I just thought I would share in case it helps anyone else out. Why it was generating an error code for it not draining is beyond me but whatever.
They really need to teach technicians logical thinking and process of elimination instead of reading codes and firing parts at things. Drives me crazy stories like this.

Anyways, Happy Saturday everyone!

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by StevieC
They really need to teach technicians logical thinking and process of elimination instead of reading codes and firing parts at things. Drives me crazy stories like this.

1. Their best techs aren't doing residential service calls.
2. The markup on parts is much more than the markup on labour. They can't make money billing an hour to clean a pressure switch. It might gain them customers, but the bigger the company, the less likely the tech is to care about that.

 

[Old Mustang Guy]

We should all have a friend like you.

 

[Pelican]

It's a Frigidaire may last 1 year, your friend is lucky!

Had a Frigidaire front loader washer that lasted 3 whole yrs and there are only 2 of us. Bought a Bosch and never looked back.

 

[Hall]

Originally Posted by maxdustington
2. The markup on parts is much more than the markup on labour. They can't make money billing an hour to clean a pressure switch.

They would (for their sake, 'should') replace it vs clean it. Odds are if the problem was solely soap scum build-up, it will return too, unless a different (better) detergent is used.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted by maxdustington
Originally Posted by StevieC
They really need to teach technicians logical thinking and process of elimination instead of reading codes and firing parts at things. Drives me crazy stories like this.

1. Their best techs aren't doing residential service calls.
2. The markup on parts is much more than the markup on labour. They can't make money billing an hour to clean a pressure switch. It might gain them customers, but the bigger the company, the less likely the tech is to care about that.

Yes but this was a warranty call so the cost is all theirs and it would be fine if they replaced the switch but they still couldn't figure out the problem to being with.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted by Pelican
It's a Frigidaire may last 1 year, your friend is lucky!

Had a Frigidaire front loader washer that lasted 3 whole yrs and there are only 2 of us. Bought a Bosch and never looked back.

Yeah mine blew the main board just after the 1 year warranty. I bought this Frigidaire because it was a really good deal on boxing day and even with the main board replacement at $130, it's still cheaper than a new one at typical retail or even an extended warranty for that matter. I knew I would most likely have to do something to it at some point.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by maxdustington
2. The markup on parts is much more than the markup on labour. They can't make money billing an hour to clean a pressure switch.

They would (for their sake, 'should') replace it vs clean it. Odds are if the problem was solely soap scum build-up, it will return too, unless a different (better) detergent is used.

Yeah I advised them to run cleaning cycles with vinegar in the unit regularly to help cut down on the soap-scum as much as possible. We do vinegar in ours regularly for maintenance and we haven't had the problem. Ours is also equipped with a pressure sensor and ours is now 5 years old and run regularly.

The good news is that it's easy to pop off and clean out because it's accessible by sliding the unit out and getting at it from the left side (facing the dishwasher). It's like a 10 minute fix really.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted by Old Mustang Guy
We should all have a friend like you.

Paying it forward any way I can. Who knows maybe I will be in a predicament one day and someone can help me.

 

[Dyusik]

Originally Posted by StevieC
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by maxdustington
2. The markup on parts is much more than the markup on labour. They can't make money billing an hour to clean a pressure switch.

They would (for their sake, 'should') replace it vs clean it. Odds are if the problem was solely soap scum build-up, it will return too, unless a different (better) detergent is used.

Yeah I advised them to run cleaning cycles with vinegar in the unit regularly to help cut down on the soap-scum as much as possible. We do vinegar in ours regularly for maintenance and we haven't had the problem. Ours is also equipped with a pressure sensor.

The good news it's easy to pop off because it's accessible by sliding the unit out and getting at it from the left side (facing the dishwasher). It's like a 10 minute fix really.


+1 on the vinegar, I use that often, and had a SIL fix her sluggish dishwasher with a few cycles of vinegar.
I also like to use bleach to maintain the drain. I had bioflm buildup obstruct the drain to have the air gap puke.
You can also mix the two for a whole house sterilization

J/K

 

[53' Stude]

Originally Posted by StevieC
Originally Posted by Old Mustang Guy
We should all have a friend like you.

Paying it forward any way I can. Who knows maybe I will be in a predicament one day and someone can help me.



He is very lucky to habe a great friend like you good sir

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted by 53' Stude
He is very lucky to habe a great friend like you good sir

 

[RF Overlord]

Last year I had to replace the dishwasher that came with the house...28 years old. I figured if the replacement lasts half that I'll be happy, but I know it's unlikely.

How much vinegar or bleach per load should be used for maintenance?

 

[StevieC]

I add a cup of vinegar sitting in a measuring cup on the top rack and the natural splashing will work it into the system.

If you pour it in too early the unit will drain it out because when you start a cycle it first runs a drain cycle before a filling with water and if the vinegar is already in there it will pump it out.

I've never done the bleach, I'm not sure of that because it's a strong oxidizer and might cause issues with metallic surfaces or weak plastic in the unit like cheap ribbed drain hoses I've seen on some washers, whereas the vinegar isn't an oxidizer and seems to work. It has a strong enough PH that it should work fine on keeping the drains from building up the slime / odour.

 

[dishdude]

I wouldn't run bleach in a dishwasher, I think all manufacturers recommend against even using detergent that has bleach. The heat from a cycle will kill any bacteria in the system anyway.

 

[Dyusik]

I feel much more comfortable repairing the dishwasher rather than replacing the cabinets under the slab of granite. My wife and kids don't stick around after they hit start, and I've come to some flooded messes already (the garbage disposal not cleared out).

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted by Dyusik
I feel much more comfortable repairing the dishwasher rather than replacing the cabinets under the slab of granite. My wife and kids don't stick around after they hit start, and I've come to some flooded messes already (the garbage disposal not cleared out).


The dishwasher we have now replaced one that had a slow leak... It's above a section of basement that is unfinished and we would see water on the floor every now and again and couldn't figure out where it was coming from as the pipes that run past there were dry not thinking it was the dishwasher above leaking water down because when we would find the water where it had dripped from was dry already.

So when we replaced it with this one I made up a tin pan to put under it with some shims in the back end to encourage the water to drip out the front if it were to leak so we can see it. The area where the dishwasher sits there is no flooring installed it's just wood slats and then in front of it is where the flooring starts. I compensated for the the natural tilt forward with the dishwasher adjustable feet so it's level.

Oh and did I mention it was dripping to the basement floor just in front of the main fuse panel?

 

[Hall]

Bleach is primarily a disinfectant. It doesn't "clean" like a soap or detergent. It also kills bacteria and some people will argue that that qualifies as "cleaning".

Being acidic, vinegar is degrading/removing minerals (hard water build-up). What may be happening is that mineral build-up is catching the soap residue and in turn that soap builds up and turns into the 'scum'.

Since most places have banned phosphates in home-use detergents, look for dishwasher tablets that contain enzymes.You can also buy enzyme-based cleaner that physically cleans the dishwasher, the drain, piping and hoses, etc if you don't want to use a different detergent for cleaning your dishes.

 

[Dave Hess]

No dishwasher at my house, my Schnauzer terrier cleans all the plates.

Not surprised the techs threw parts at the dishwasher. Many are not properly trained and don't want to troubleshoot. Same for some car mechanics.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Just a FYI.. Many manufacturers recommend a citric acid cleaner (e.x. Affresh) for their dishwashers/laundry machines. Of course vinegar works in a pinch.

I've also been told that liquid fabric softeners are a no-no for front load washing machines. HE detergents only.