Ok, given that the collective knowledge on this NG seems fairly good I wonder if anyone can advise why the top "wand" that distributes the water to the top wire basket does not spin anymore.
Filters clean. Plenty of H2O around. Free spins by hand No leaks up the tube at the rear of the machine connecting the bottom wand to the top etc.
Pump failing ?
Are you sure it doesn't have an (half load) option to turn off the top bar?
Pump may just need cleaning. Fats, and other melting things, coming from the plates and cutlery can solidify in places where the water is allowed to cool after a wash cycle. Anything sticky will cause a blockage and reduce the power of the pump to push water up the hose. Some machines have a grab filter on the bottom of the hose, just where it attaches to the pump, for the very purpose of trying to catch all the fatty stuff. If this has filled up and not been emptied, then it might just be enough to reduce the flow to the top agitator.
It's a "go in and see" scenario on this one. Also check inside the impeller housing on the pump for anything stuck in between the housing wall and the fan itself. And check if the fan has not unscrewed / broken itself off the motor shaft. Usually more noticeable when the machine is working, is when the pump impeller is stuck, the machine makes a noticeable buzzing noise and a burning smell is given off. If you haven't noticed any unusual noises or smells, then the hose filter could be blocked or the pump is broken in some way.
Good luck with it.
I'd go with that... worth trying one of those 'deep-clean' bottles of detergent - run on very hot setting, with an empty machine. I'd always thought they were marketing bollocks until a dishwasher engineer advised me to use them regularly (at the end of a 60-quid callout to fix similar symptoms to yours, which was caused by crud build-up). Have been getting much better washes since using them.
The fat doesn't even have to be anywhere near the wand thing - just build-up in pipes elsewhere can reduce the overall efficiency and power so there's not enough oomph to spin the thing.
David
When the one at work had that problem, it was flakes of limescale clogging up the angled nozzles that make it spin.
Well it's clean all the way through, No scale anywhere. No blockages (As the water on the floor in the kitchen testifies to ) even fitted a slim O ring to the top basket at the end that fits into the distribution tube and nuffin, nada,zero change.
I'll try a double descale, powerwash and general clean through again and see if there's anything in the impeller on the pump.
Cheers all for advice
Some dishwashers have a motorised valve that diverts water to the top/bottom arms. This could have failed.
Ours was snagging on (under) the top rack when loaded with water(it span freely without water). I added a piece of plastic sleeve to the wire frame on which it was mounted slightly tilting/levelling it so that it could not snag.. It's worked with this fix for a couple of years now. It's a Bosch! Michael
Hmmmmm.
Although I can't see it snagging it's hard to watch as the door needs to be closed etc.
It does stay in relatively the same place wherever I put it manually though, so perhaps it just isn't getting enough flow to turn it in some positions.
.
I identified mine by noticing that the arm was always stopped in the same place after opening the door even though it always had turned if I had pre-placed it at another position. When I poured water in it tilted under the weight and hit the rack.. The bearing thing is held by the wire frame which I guess could be easily bent but my quickfix with a bit of plastic tube around the wire has now been there for a long time. Michael
On my Neff you can 'trick' it into thinking the door is closed by pushing the door catch with a small screwdriver. As you push it in it rolls away from the body of the machine and another piece of the catch rolls up - this keeps the door closed. You will need to roll this part of the catch back down (I do it using two small screwdrivers, on either side of the catch) BEFORE you try to close the dooor properly.
If you try this do it with the dishwasher OFF. Otherwise you mght get wet. You will probably need to keep the upper tray pushed in. This keeps the upper spray arm pressed against the water supply at the back of the machine.
Apologies to any experts who are now sucking eggs. I was a bit chuffed when I realised how to do this last night. Just wished I'd thought about it years ago..
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.