i have a GE dishwasher, only 2 years old. Always worked fine. Now there’s soap residue running down the door when cycle complete. I called a repair service who checked everything, then told me there’s nothing wrong with the dishwasher and that will be $75. They said maybe my hot water to the machine isn’t hot enough. My hot water tank is only 2 years old, and works fine for showers, clothes washer and sinks. If I turn it up any hotter, it might scald me. My hot water run in the condo seems to get to the kitchen sink last, but this was not a problem for the past 2 years. I’ve tried running the hot water to the kitchen sink for awhile before I start the dishwasher. It only helps a little. Any suggestions?
Water to dishwasher not hot enough to melt soap completely
- Thread starter Condolife
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Phog
Active Member
Based on what you describe, it's definitely not the hot water. Many dishwashers have built in heating elements anyway, so even if you get some cooler water going in, the dishwasher has the ability to heat it up. But if you've got hot water elsewhere, and have no problems at the kitchen sink next to the dishwasher, then you've definitively ruled it out.
Is it possible that your dish detergent has changed? Did you switch brands, or if not perhaps did the formulation of your favorite brand change recently without your knowledge?
Many detergents have been changing to low-phosphate formulas for environmental reasons, and it won't necessarily say so on the box. Phosphates are bad for the environment but really good for cleaning.
Finally do you have a water softener, and if so have you checked whether it's functioning properly? Hard water can interfere with detergent.
Is it possible that your dish detergent has changed? Did you switch brands, or if not perhaps did the formulation of your favorite brand change recently without your knowledge?
Many detergents have been changing to low-phosphate formulas for environmental reasons, and it won't necessarily say so on the box. Phosphates are bad for the environment but really good for cleaning.
Finally do you have a water softener, and if so have you checked whether it's functioning properly? Hard water can interfere with detergent.
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LLigetfa
DIYer, not in the trades
Often they are controlled by a timer, not a thermostat so the end result is affected by the starting temp.
If the water line to the dishwasher is exposed, then try insulating it. Depending on how many fixtures you have where scalding could be a problem, and depending on how they are plumbed, raising the temperature in the water heater and then installing tempering valves where you want to avoid scalding might be your best recourse. It might be easier to abandon the existing line to the dishwasher and install a new dedicated line.
Jadnashua
Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
If your DW has a water preheat setting and it's off, turn it on.
If you run the sink faucet until it's hot then start the DW, that only helps with the (typically) pre-rinse. Then, the water is shut off for awhile, allowing things in the line to cool off. Once that cycle is done, it drains then adds more for the wash cycle...that water probably is no longer as hot as it needs to be to work well.
If you have a good thermometer, check to see what your actual hot water temperature is. Code calls for the supply run to things like faucets and showers to be limited to NGT 120 F. But, it can be higher for things like a washing machine or dishwasher. Where I live, a tank is required to have a tempering valve on it to ensure the temperature is within specs, but if the tank isn't too far from the DW supply, and you have a tempering valve, if you tap off of it there, and might solve your problem. The best solution, though, is a DW that has the ability to heat the water as needed.
NOte, the characteristics of DW detergent can change as it ages assuming you don't use it up fast enough, or it's not stored in a dry location.
If you run the sink faucet until it's hot then start the DW, that only helps with the (typically) pre-rinse. Then, the water is shut off for awhile, allowing things in the line to cool off. Once that cycle is done, it drains then adds more for the wash cycle...that water probably is no longer as hot as it needs to be to work well.
If you have a good thermometer, check to see what your actual hot water temperature is. Code calls for the supply run to things like faucets and showers to be limited to NGT 120 F. But, it can be higher for things like a washing machine or dishwasher. Where I live, a tank is required to have a tempering valve on it to ensure the temperature is within specs, but if the tank isn't too far from the DW supply, and you have a tempering valve, if you tap off of it there, and might solve your problem. The best solution, though, is a DW that has the ability to heat the water as needed.
NOte, the characteristics of DW detergent can change as it ages assuming you don't use it up fast enough, or it's not stored in a dry location.
Jadnashua
Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Unless the technician is totally inept, the sprayer and the rest of the DW is probably working. Personally, I had those issues unless I turned the preheat function on. Not all DW have it, though, which is kind of dumb, since they all have heated drying, so have a heating element that can do what is needed.
The dishwasher has a temp boost setting and it is on. I don’t know if the tech is inept and didn’t check to make sure that feature is working. He works for a large, supposedly reputable company. The more I read here, the more I lean towards the “inept” diagnosis. Do I call another company and pay another service fee? Here’s the dishwasher model GDT695SMJOES. Are there any more suggestions? Thanks for everyone’s help.
I interpreted this as being inside of the door, and you see it after you open the door. Is that what you meant?
If it is, I can only think that you are putting the detergent into the little compartment that has a door inside the big door, and somehow that little door is not popping open at the right time. It does come open when you open the main door. Let the second wash not have detergent.
My suggestion would be to work around the problem by using a Cascade Platinum pod and not putting anything inside the little door.
Another thing to consider is whether the way you load the dishwasher holds that little door closed until you open the big door.
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Master Plumber Mark
Sensitivity trainer and plumber of mens souls
Just turn up the water heater and see what happens.... you would have
to be either a child or elderly or just a moron to get scalded ..
turn it up a notch and see if it helps and of course make everyone aware that you turned it up...
to be either a child or elderly or just a moron to get scalded ..
turn it up a notch and see if it helps and of course make everyone aware that you turned it up...
I turned the water temp up another 15 degrees. But got the same result. I had nothing on the bottom shelf to interfere with the little door. I ran the hot water in the sink before I started the cycle. Nothing works to fix the problem.
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Nice photo. That container looks a lot deeper than on my DW. Plus, my container has a flip-up lid rather than a slide up lid. So mine gets washed out better.
I suspect that the residual is from detergent that was higher in the container, and dripped down slowly after the big spraying.
Somebody could probably design a little deflector that would clip onto the bottom basket, and direct water into the open detergent cup during spraying.
My other retrofit idea (for GE) is a little insert that would reduce the size of the detergent cup, and not use the portion that is closest to the top (the part farthest from the door hinge). This would presume that the detergent is concentrated enough to not need the full old volume.
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Phog
Active Member
Hi Condolife, just to make sure I understand correctly: previously, your dishwasher worked fine. Then recently something changed and you mysteriously started having this problem with the soap. Is that right? I just want to confirm that this problem was not always there.
If this is correct, then either something happened to the dishwasher, or something happened to the water. You suspected all along that the hot water did not change to a lower temperature, and now you seem to have ruled it out by turning up the heat.
This leaves 3 remaining possibilities. #1, the dishwasher has something wrong with it (the pump has lost the ability to generate full wash pressure, or something like that). #2, the water in your town has gotten harder. #3, the detergent in your area has changed without your knowledge.
I suspect you realize all this, but I'm just taking the time to outline the problem.
Have you tried adding a little trisodium phosphate to the dishwasher along with the detergent? 1/2 teaspoon is common. This would help with both hard water and with a change in detergent formulation.
If you do this & still have the issue, then you can focus on the dishwasher itself.
If this is correct, then either something happened to the dishwasher, or something happened to the water. You suspected all along that the hot water did not change to a lower temperature, and now you seem to have ruled it out by turning up the heat.
This leaves 3 remaining possibilities. #1, the dishwasher has something wrong with it (the pump has lost the ability to generate full wash pressure, or something like that). #2, the water in your town has gotten harder. #3, the detergent in your area has changed without your knowledge.
I suspect you realize all this, but I'm just taking the time to outline the problem.
Have you tried adding a little trisodium phosphate to the dishwasher along with the detergent? 1/2 teaspoon is common. This would help with both hard water and with a change in detergent formulation.
If you do this & still have the issue, then you can focus on the dishwasher itself.
LLigetfa
DIYer, not in the trades
Assuming it has an "add a dish" feature that lets you open and close the door without it draining and starting over, you could open the door as soon as you hear the fill cycle stop and check the temperature, and then again when the wash cycle starts to see if the water is getting heated further.
Jadnashua
Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
I guess the real question is do you end up with soap deposits on your 'clean' dishes? If not, it's not a big deal.
Master Plumber Mark
Sensitivity trainer and plumber of mens souls
turn your heater up on high and see if it
makes any difference..... perhaps the heating element is shot in the unit....
Why dont you try those little dizzolvable balls that you throw into the unit
that is what I do , I never trust that door to open when it should......
.
or maybe you need a different brand of dish washer....
makes any difference..... perhaps the heating element is shot in the unit....
Why dont you try those little dizzolvable balls that you throw into the unit
that is what I do , I never trust that door to open when it should......
.
or maybe you need a different brand of dish washer....
I use Cascade liquid dishwashing detergent and a Rinse Aid. It will wash in cold water just fine.
I use the Cascade in the open pocket, and don't even bother with the small door that closes.
Looking out the back deck today. It's a little cold here.
I use the Cascade in the open pocket, and don't even bother with the small door that closes.
Looking out the back deck today. It's a little cold here.
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For your machine, it might be the little recess in the sliding door. If you do that, you might want to avoid the cycle that has a pre-wash.
My dishwasher has two pockets, one open and one with a door you push shut. Reading the instructions one day, yes finally after years I read them, it mentioned that my door with the catch wasn't needed all the time. So I decided to quit using that one and just filling the one pocket. The dishes were just as clean with half the detergent.
But the fact that yours worked fine for two years and now doesn't? That sounds like the machine, which trust me, I don't know much at all about fixing a dishwasher. Sometimes I do take the lower screen parts out and clean them, the lower water catch-all that collects the water at the bottom of the tub. That can get pretty mucked up on mine.
