Anyone know about dishwashers??

Mandles

I just bought a new (second hand )dishwasher for £50. Its a zannussi. It ran fine for a week but when you opened it mid start of cycle it smelt of eggs.Next it has now does not was properly at all.Sometimes it does not fill & then yesterday it started washing after doing nothing for 4 hours & left everything really dirty with a horrible sort of film on everything also.Anyone know what it could be? Any advise please as i cant afford to call out chap to mend it at moment.thanks

trumpet_2

I would check the filters and make sure the outlet pipe is not blocked or kinked.

Tim_L

Some simple checks first - check it's draining by pouring a jug of water into the bottom and starting the cycle (the start of the cycle is always to empty excess water). See if it pumps the water out through the outlet pipe (you can point it at a bucket to see, but there should be a gurgling swishing noise). If there's a pool of water in the dishwasher this also points to a draining problem.

My guess is that it isn't pumping water out - the washing won't start until it thinks it has which explains the delay - and the eggy smell suggests something is blocked in the drain department. Worth checking the pipe the outlet pipe sits in isn't blocked (pour a bit of water in from a jug and make sure it runs away). There's a filter inside the dishwasher on the floor which collects bits of food, so pull that out and clean it carefully (then wash your hands!). If there's a grinding noise when the pumping is going on then it's probably a faulty pump - these cost more than £50 so you're better off with a new dishwasher. But probably it's just blocked internally, which may explain why the owner sold it!

If it's pumping OK, then the next thing to check is that water is coming in OK during the next stage of the cycle. This is pretty easy to check as you'll be able to see the water when you open the door. If not there may be a problem with the inlet valve - this is about the only other part in a dishwasher that can go wrong, and again is a little costly, probably £30 just for the parts.

It's not at all difficult to replace faulty dishwasher parts (tip the dishwasher on its back to get at the gubbins underneath without getting drenched by residual water - if you tip it on its side water will pour out!). But you have to be confident you can work safely bearing in mind there is a combination of water and mains electricity, and if you get a leak on first turning on there could be a lethal problem. I wouldn't go near a dishwasher repair without checking the earthing of the plug and socket, and using an RCD (lawnmower type would be OK if you don't have an RCD fusebox). Keep plenty of towels around (or disposable nappies - wonderful for mopping up spills), and don't cut corners or take risks. Always stand well clear of the unit when reapplying power and have some strategy for cutting the power immediately if it leaks.

Usually there is a panel on the front of the base which is accessed via screws hidden under the door or beneath plastic caps which you may need to remove to get at the works. There are basically only two operating parts, the outlet pump and the inlet valve - the timer unit is extremely simple and unlikely to go wrong (unlike a washing machine). It's easy enough to work out how to remove these, usually there are rubber hoses held on by clips and a few screws here and there - make careful notes of what you do when dismantling as it may be a couple of days before you replace them. Then go and look for the parts online - there are a couple of stockists of dishwasher parts in the UK.