I have an insinkerator dishwasher thats getting on the old side. It's started not rinsing the soap off very well. I notice that the soap cup in the door still has a good amount of undissolved soap in it even when it finishes. I called the company and they dont support dishwashers anymore. Is there anything I can do for it short of calling an appliance repairguy or buying a new one?
I had the same problem intermittently with an older washer. You could try a quart of vinegar in the unit, no soap and full wash. See if that helps. If not there might be a blockage in the screen in the bottom of the washer.
Two thoughts:
1) Have you tried running a dishwasher cleaning product in the machine? By that, I mean a product intended to remove any soap or mineral buildup in the system itself. I just saw an ad for one made by whatever company makes Jet Dry, the rinse agent, so you should be able to find it at the supermarket.2) Water temperature: Does your dishwasher get its water via a connection to the hot water pipe under the sink? If yes, think about this: If you haven't run the hot water at the sink for a couple of hours, and then you do, how long does it take for the cold water to become hot at the tap? If it seems like a couple of gallons go by before it gets hot, your dishwasher may not be filling with hot water. Some machines only use 2-3 gallons at a time, so the water could be lukewarm or cold instead of hot. Run the sink faucet until the water is hot, then start the dishwasher.
Undisolved soap is an indicator of two things. The water temperature may not be getting high enough. Most machines have an element to boost the temperature and yours may not be working.
It is also possible it is not getting enough water circulation to clean out the soap cups. If that is the case, it will not clean and rinse as well.
Assuming the spray arms are not clogged, check any filter screen, but it is also possible the pump is wearing out and not putting out the pressure needed to do a good job. In that case, the repair is going to be at least half the cost of a new machine and it may not bring it back to full power anyway.
Also check to see if it is filling up with enough water. It should be about an inch or so from the heating element. You could have a clogged water valve.
I had this same problem once and it was a clogged or weak water valve. The dishwasher wasn't getting enough water to fill completely. Put in a new valve and the problem was cured.
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