Dishwasher upper spray arm not turning despite water flowing

Usenet wrote:


I'd still strongly recommend you run it on an empty cycle using one of
those 'deep clean' bottles of dishwasher cleaner on as hot/long a cycle
as possible.  I was very scornful of those until I was advised to use
them every couple of months by a dishwasher engineer after I was
suffering similar symptoms to you.... when he visited to repair ours, he
found pipes almost completely clogged with grease, which you wouldn't
get at unless you took the machine apart.

I now use them regularly with much better results than before.

David

[snipped all the cross-posts]

-snip-

Anyone else do this?   I've had my Whirlpool going for 7-8 years now &
never used a cleaner.

But I have replaced a few grinders, but it never seems to be greasy.
[a nail was caught in the last dead one--- and someone wondered how
hair got into the OPs dishwasher]

Probably a lot to do with detergent, water chemistry & how you use the
dishwasher, but I wonder if I'm the only guy who doesn't wash his
dishwasher.

Jim

I tried using one a month ago.   I was having problems where glassware
was coming out very spotted.   I did some investigating and found
loads of grease below the metal filter at the bottom.   I removed the
lower spray arm, the filter scree, cleaned everything I could get
to.   But, I figured there must be even more in places I can't get
to.   So, I bought the cleaner, which seems to consist of citric
acid.   Ran it with the hottest water I could get and added extra heat
cycle.

After doing the manual clean and using the cleaner, the next few loads
were better than previous, but still not real good.   After that,
things got back to normal.   So, can't say for sure if it was the
manual cleaning, the cleaner.  More likely it was a combo of the two.

Another conclusion I've come to is to at least occasionally use very
hot water right from the start and select extra heat.   Normally, the
dishes come out fine if I just start the dishwasher on a normal cycle
and don't let the faucet run to get hot water there.   It;s a long run
to the water heater, and I'm sure the first cycle is tepid at best,
the second is still probably not at 130 either.   I really didn't care
because the dishes were coming out clean and I figured I'm saving
energy.   But I would suspect that over time that might allow grease
to build-up because the water isn't hot enough to keep it suspended.

To the OP, it would seem to me the upper arm should spin about freely
by hand.  If it isn't I would suspect that either there is some
material in there or something has worn out.

trader4@optonline.net wrote:


     Here I am completing this thread round full circle to some sort of
resolution.  (Am I the only one who hates searching through pages and
pages of group threads, not one of which gets a real answer or a hint of
a resolution??!)...

     ...I have run my dishwasher three times in succession (using Earth
Friendly Products "Wave" citric acid based auto dishwasher gel) at the
longest, two hour, hottest water setting (70C in my case) --

     -- And it worked!  After the first two goes, I noticed that the
upper spray arm had changed position, and was delighted to find, at the
end of the cycle, that the upper spray arm could be sent spinning round
and round much more freely.

     I'm vegetarian, with spring water, and pre-scrubbed the crockery
before loading, and have -- until now -- used nothing but hot water in
the dishwasher.  (I eat eggs and dairy.  It's difficult to get problems
with solid fats and grease as a vegetarian.)  I cleaned the filters and
grid every six months or so.

     However, over the course of three years, the dishwasher had got
slightly grungy.  This must have gradually made the upper spray arm stop
turning.

     So, to recap, running the dishwasher 3 times in succession on the
hottest 70C, two-hour cycle, using either plain vinegar or a citric acid
gel has cleaned everything out, and the spray arms both turn.  The
dishwasher is now working properly.

     From now on I'm going to regularly use the citric acid gel cleaner,
and to run the hot/long cleaning cycle every so often.

     I've had to discover for myself:

         Good maintenance really is the key.

Hope this helps in advance,

Sandy


P.S.

 > Does the upper arm get its water from a tube from the main pump, or
 > does it get its water from an extendable center post that comes up
 > from the center of the bottom washer arm when the water is under
 > pressure.  The upper arm should spin "freely".  How do you get hairs
 > in a dishwasher???

     From a tube system from the main pump.  I realize that everyone
gets the odd hair or two in the dishwasher.  However, I'm guessing that
with the caustic highly alkali cleaners people use, the hairs get
dissolved and disintegrate.

I expect you will find, for future reference, that the plastic whirly bits
all pull out for cleaning quite easily - ours do - then the holes can be
poked out before steeping them in acid.  Our local Asian 'delis' sell citric
by the kilo, and I find a 20% solution of this is great for cleaning all
sorts of things - sprayed on taps/bath etc.   Mind u it is a good idea to
descale the parts of the m/c you can't get at, your way too.

Once stayed somewhere where the dishwasher stank if it wasn't used every
day.  Ordinary bleach seemed to get at the parts official cleaners couldn't
reach, when used instead of the detergent, and did eventually get rid of the
stink.

S

Have had similar (not spinning well) on a couple of machines, in both cases
it was gunk inside the arm that had blocked some of the jets.
It wasnt obvious at first as they looked clear but the pressure of the water
when the machine was running pushed the gunk forward to block some of the
jets and then slid back when idle.
I eventually managed to disassmble the arm and in both they were full of
crap.
I also have to look out for my other half as i am sure she thinks the
machine doubles as a waste disposal unit or she puts things that are too
high and stops the arm spinning, those problems I cant cure :-(

ss wrote:

Add TSP to the dishwashing powder.

yes that works well

On 1/10/2012 1:34 PM, HeyBub wrote:

And white vinegar to the load,  preferably at rinse time if you're so
inclined to watch it.  (one cup)

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

What's TSP ?

wrote:

Trisodium Phosphate, useta be a common ingredient in detergents, and
also sold in powder form for paint-prep cleanup.  Works really well.
Unfortunately, being a phosphate, it acts as a fertilizer when it gets
into waterways, so it is banned in many areas (like mine.)
Unfortunately, a suitable replacement has yet to be found, so laundry
and washing dishes is more challenging these days.

nate

wrote:

(Amazon.com product link shortened)

I'm waiting for someone to say TSP is how you connnect your computer to the
internet.

As with many things, if it works, it's either banned, prescription, or needs
a government granted license to purchase, posess, or use.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
  www.lds.org
.



(Amazon.com product link shortened)

Good idea, but read the fine print.

"Not Available To Members in Phosphate Restricted Areas"

Although, honestly, if you don't let your grey water go into the sewer
(e.g. you let it go to a cistern and use it for watering plants etc.)
I don't see the big deal.

nate

I expect the postage would knacker any realistic chance...

Jim K

On 1/11/2012 12:32 PM, Jim K wrote:

HUH>?!

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

On 1/11/2012 12:24 PM, N8N wrote:

funny, it's not restricted when you go into home depot and pick it off
the shelf.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

Mine runs to the septic tank so it should make the little buggies grow
well :)

Harry K

tom wrote:


That's for a pound @ $8

For $16 you can get 4.5 pounds:
(Amazon.com product link shortened)