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thread: Dishwasher keeps getting blocked!!

  1. #1
    BellyBelly Member

    Sep 2010
    North West Victoria, Australia
    3,003

    Dishwasher keeps getting blocked!!

    We've lived in the house for about 6 weeks now and the bloody dishwasher is getting clogged.

    DH pulled it all apart and has unblocked it once (itw as my fault, I put something in there with turkey fat on it).

    Since then I've been careful to rinse everything and make sure no bits of food gets put in there.

    But it's clogged again and got 2cms of water. DH is going to have to pull the hoses off again.
    I wash the filter every day.

    Is there anything we can do to stop it getting blocked?

    The dishwasher is a 2 Drawer (although we only use 1 drawer) "Dish Drawer Fisher&Paykel" (however you spell that).

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Dec 2008
    8,986

    It might be worth putting one of those dishwasher cleaner things through it.

    Ours was getting blocked because I was using tablets, once i changed to powder it was fine.

  3. #3
    BellyBelly Member

    Sep 2010
    North West Victoria, Australia
    3,003

    It does use powder.
    What kind of cleaner things? Can you get them in the supermarket?

    The dishwasher is only about 3 years old.

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Feb 2008
    Near the Snowies!
    2,975

    We have one of those dishwashers too and have had a few issues with it. This morning it decided to put a big puddle of water all over the floor..

    What kind of tablets/powder do you put in it? We spoke to the manufacturers and they said if you use tablets, make sure they are Finish, they don't recommend using any other brand. Otherwise use powder.
    I'd run one of the Finish dishwasher cleaners through it too, they are about $6 each but if you're only using one drawer it's not so bad on the pocket.
    Are you renting? Can you put a repair request in with the real estate so someone can come and have a look at it rather than your DH having to pull it apart again?

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Jan 2012
    WA
    420

    Does it have an 'Intensive' or similar setting, My F&P (not a drawer one) is way more fussy than my old LG. But it helps if i run the top setting once a week or so, with either just one or two bits or empty.

  6. #6
    BellyBelly Member

    Sep 2010
    North West Victoria, Australia
    3,003

    I think it's a Finish Powder we use in it. It's in a blue bottle/container.

    No, we just bought the house. So, not renting.

    It has a "heavy" setting, but the ex owner said she only ever used "normal". She never mentioned having troubles with it.

  7. #7
    2012 BellyBelly RAK Recipient.
    Add AngelPants on Facebook

    Feb 2010
    Under the rock
    1,320

    I would use a cleaner thru it too, it shouldn't be doing that. Descaler or something its called, you can get it in the same bit of the supermarket where the dishwasher powder is.

    sent from my watzamajig so may not make sense....

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Jul 2006
    Melbourne
    4,895

    Do a hot wash cycle with vinegar (I just put in about a cup or so) - I did this with mine the other day and it also got rid of smells.

  9. #9
    BellyBelly Member

    Sep 2010
    North West Victoria, Australia
    3,003

    Where do I put the vinegar??

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Jan 2007
    7,197

    I've got the same one and I just throw the cup of vinegar in the bottom. I use finish tablets on a normal setting with no worries, good luck!

  11. #11
    Registered User

    Sep 2005
    In the middle of nowhere
    9,362

    Kinda random but can you pull it out from the recess a bit at all? Our used to do that all the time when the hose was squashed a bit. When I pulled it out a smidge the hose could jiggle around a bit more and voila no more water pooling.

  12. #12
    BellyBelly Member

    Sep 2010
    North West Victoria, Australia
    3,003

    DH pulled the hose out of the bottom and there was heaps of crap in the hose.
    Guess I'm just going to have to be MORE careful and make sure there's no food bits.

    Pfft, may as well just handwash everything.

  13. #13
    Registered User

    Oct 2007
    Middle Victoria
    8,924

    nah, i reckon it has something blocked somewhere and if you can find that it will come good.

    the dishwasher cleaner things are good too, but worth checking if there are any blockages first

  14. #14
    Registered User

    Jul 2007
    in a super happy place!
    1,008

    We had the same problem the other nigth with ours. It kept not draining properly and not washing the dishes at all. Handwashing for 5 people is not fun. DH ended up pulling out all the drawers and the filters in the bottom and cleaning it out - ours was full of the 'dissolvable' plastic wrappers. Grrr. He has now instructed me to only use powder. He also pulled ours out of the recess, tipped it on its side and drained all the excess water out and checked all the hoses for blockages. Put it back in and ran a cleaner through it. It is working great now. Thankgod for handy husbands!

  15. #15
    Registered User

    Jan 2009
    A Pirate Ship
    3,627

    I feel your frustration. We've been in our new house for 3.5 years and the dishwasher has been crap for let's see... ummm... 3,5 years!!! SO annoying! We had a tech come an d look at it twice too as we thought that surely there was something else wrong. Turns out that powder is the best detergent to use not liquid or the tablets. Rinse dishes before putting them in, clean filter often and the little holes that the water comes out of on the spinny thingos and do those deep clean thingos that you run without any dishes in there. We do all this and the dishwasher only lasts about a week before we are both cursing it again. Goodluck.

  16. #16
    Registered User

    Nov 2008
    in the ning nang nong
    12,163

    Our did this at our old place, and it turned out that the tube behind it was getting a little bit squooshed! Someone must have bumped the front of it, and pushed the whole thing back a tiny bit - less than an inch - but it was enough to slightly crush the pipe thing, and voila - apparent blockage.

    Heaven only knows how many times we cleaned and recleaned the filter, the arms, the inside, the door, the seal, and ran vinegar and finish and whatever else runs through it before we realised what had happened ... !

    Pulled it out, straighted up the tube, put it back in with room for the pipe to remain uncreased, and it was good as new.

    And terribly, terribly clean!

  17. #17
    Registered User

    Nov 2010
    1,994

    I was thinking we will have to buy a new dishwasher yet you have all inspired me to try and fix it. The pipe being squished would make complete sense

  18. #18
    Registered User

    Jul 2006
    Melbourne
    4,895

    I just pour the vinegar in the dishwasher. I also cleaned out the filters that I could from inside the dishwasher and washed down the door & the seals etc...

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