Hi,
I have an older dishwasher also and recently my wife also complained about it not cleaning right... so me being the man I am tried in vain to clean the things... Bought new spray arms online and installed them in minutes...now the thing works like new... However I have also found that if the heating element goes bad then that also can mess things up bad... So I would buy new spray arms, and also check out the heating element to make sure it is working... Here is a tip that will help you with the online buying... Dishwasher Spray Arms not SpinningHow to Buy Appliance Parts OnlineA bad heating element causes many problems in dishwashers...Dishwasher Problems The Heating Element not WorkingDishwasher Maintenanceheatman101 asdsrtns
The first thing to check with any of the newer dishwashers is the water temprature coming into the machine and the amount of water coming in. Since you are having trouble with the detergent dissolving, I expect the water is not hot enough. Many of the detergents require 140 degrees f to dissolve properly.
The incoming water should be 120 degrees minimum, then the dishwasher will heat it up some more. The cooler the water, the longer the cycle will take. It won't advance to the next step until the water reaches a certain temp, depending on the cycle selected and the model of dishwasher.
If the dishwasher has to heat the water too much, it will cause the heat element to fail prematurely.
If your water heater is set to the average 130-135 setting, then you may be able to solve your problem by running the hot water at the sink before turning the dishwasher on. This will get the cold water flushed from the pipes so the washer fills with hot water on the first fill.
Also. start the washer in a cycle, let it fill and start washing. Open the door and see how much water is in the tub. It should come up to the bottom of the heating element.
Post back and let me know what you find out.
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