My 9-year old dishwasher (GE GSD2220Z02FB) is not cleaning the dishes properly. I noticed that the water level is quite low during the wash cycle and water just bubbles out instead of being forced out at high pressure. Searching the internet, I found that the possible causes are :
a. Float stuck due to food particles. Where do I find the float - I don't see anything other than the heating element and a sump screen at the basin of the dishwasher.
b. Water inlet valve screen might be dirty. Do all dishwasher water valves have this screen? My inlet copper pipe is sweated on and I cannot get this off - I'm hesitant to break this if the valve does not have a screen - anybody have prior experience with similar GE dishwashers?
c. The continuity check on the drain solenoid fails - i.e it seems to be open. Could I just short the terminals to determine if this is the sole cause?
I would try the float valve first. Look inside the dishwasher. There will be a dome shaped box usually held on by a single screw, but could have two. Unscrew it and take off the dome. The float valve moves up and down. Move it up and down and if you can, clean out any debris or hard water deposits. Replace and test. If it is not a stuck valve, then it may be the switch itself. It is directly below the dome, but under the dishwasher.
I don't know about GE especially. However, it probably has a screen, but not where the pipe is sweated on. So don't break it. If it has one, it is where the pipe screws on, just before the intake solenoid valve, which you haven't mentioned having. Just before the first thing that grit in the pipe could damage or clog.
And have you verified that the meter works at the moment? See if the meter itself, without the solenoid involved, shows continuity.
If the drain solenoid were open, wouldn't the bigger problem be that it doesn't drain. You haven't mentioned that.
You've lost me. Short the terminals? While the power is connected? That seems like a very bad idea. While the power is not on? What's the point of that?
Nothing in the DW is connected in series except switches and the things they switch. So an open solenoid winding will only affect whatever it is that the solenoid is controlling physically. Each solenoid, motor, heater etc, is connected in parallel, and gets the full 110 volts.
I don't see anything about the fill solenoid. Doesn't it have one? If not, how does it keep the water from going in when the dishwasher is off?
I've seen quite a few trouble shooting charts where they list some possible causes and totally omit others.
When my dishwasher didn't fill, it was not really possible to listen for the fill solenoid clicking as I turned the control dial. The clikcing made too much noise. Your timer is probably electronic but I would still do it this way: So I took the bottom front cover off, removed the connector from the fill solenoid (which they conveniently mounted up front), put the DW in the fill position, and lightly touched the connector to the solenoid contacts, tabs. Then I could hear the click clearly. So the electrical part of the solenoid was not the problem.
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