I have a 9 year old Whirlpool dishwasher that is not opening up the dispenser to release the liquid detergent to wash the dishes. I have tried using alcohol to clean the springs, because I thought it might be just build up on the little door. The door opens and closes when we pop it ourselves, but just doesn't open automatically when it is supposed to in order to dispense to wash our dishes. It's frustrating. Help.
By ScrpBkBon from Cincinnati, OH
Fill your soap dispenser with either powdered Tang or powdered lemonade and run empty of dishes.
I did this twice and it cleared up the problem. The ascorbic acid cleaned up the problem.
We had the same problem with our 2 year old dishwasher. Too new to replace and not worth a repair bill. Now we just fill the cup as usual, but we don't close the door to the cup. We just wait to fill it until we are ready to run the dishwasher and then close the dishwasher door and start it. It has worked great so far...nice clean dishes every time.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
The house we just bought has a small GE stainless steel dishwasher and it will not dissolve the soap. After running the cycle, even twice, the soap is stuck (not dissolved) in the holder. I just want to save water by washing the glasses in the dishwasher. Please help.
By Java from Newport. MI
Try adding vinegar to your detergent, also I notice that when I used cheap dishwasher detergent this happen. But adding vinegar to it the dishes comes out sparkling.
Check to see what your water heater's setting is, we turned ours up so our DW would dissolve the soap. Good luck.
Make sure you are not loading the dishwasher in a way that is blocking the soap dispenser. I used to have this problem when we put plates in the area that was in front of the dispenser, until I realized it wasn't getting a direct hit from the spinning water sprayer deal (also make sure that's not blocked).
I have an older GE dishwasher. I am sure it is not worth it to get a repair done. The detergent cup is not opening, it is not blocked and there is no residue gumming up the works.
I would like to know when it is supposed to open so I can watch for the right cycle and manually intervene :)
All the washers I have had in the past the detergent cup was filled first before the machine was started. I have never seen a washer that opens the cup on a special cycle. The soap is put in and when the machine fills the water runs through the cup and is added to the clothes.
Why not try one of the newer dishwashing pods that are sealed and open after dishwasher starts the cycle?
You can find these on sale for about 14 -17 cents each.
www.amazon.com/
Check some of these videos/sites out as you might find a solution even if it is not the same brand of dishwasher.
www.google.com/
If you are having trouble with your cup filler, it maybe the spring on the cup. You could just add the tab packs inside your dishwasher.
I have a Hotpoint Aquarius FDF784 dishwasher. Lately, during the wash, the detergent door doesn't open. The spring is good (it releases manually) and the container is clean (no gunked up powder etc.).
Can you help me to repair the dishwasher as the crockery and cutlery is no longer clean after a wash cycle.
Thanks and regards.
Make sure there is nothing blocking it. We had a cutting board that was right in front of it. Once we moved it, the dispenser worked again.
i agree that you should purchase some of the dispenser paks that just drop in the dishwasher until you can get your dishwasher repaired.
It probably needs the impellors or filters cleaning.
My soap dispenser isn't opening to let the soap out during the wash and I'm pretty sure it's because the bottom rack is blocking it. However I do not know what to do to fix that. So if there is anybody who does please let me know. I am willing to try anything.
You are either positioning high items by the soap dispenser, using wet hands to put in the soap pod, or not letting your kitchen sink run until the water is hot. Today's dishwashers have a sensor that will release the soap only if the water is hot enough.
Sometimes if the silverware basket is by the door, silverware will press up against the dispenser. Make sure everything is pushed away from the dispenser along with any dishes, etc. that might extend towards the door.
Pour hot water thru it to make sure it isn't gunking up and sticking closed. Can you raise your bottom rack?
You did not mention the make of your dishwasher but most are very similar (except some dispensers are in the door). This is not an uncommon problem - try reading some suggestions from manufacturers:
products.geappliances.com/
If nothing works for you - try finding the web site for your brand and ask them for help (phone or email). Most companies respond to their consumer's problems.
My dishwasher is not releasing all of the soap. Once the cycle is finished I open it to find that not even half he soap has been used. The lid is open, but a quarter of the soap is still in the soap box. I don't know what to do. Can someone give me advice please? I moved into this place and never used a dishwasher before so its all new to me.
Thank you!
Dishwasher Soap
Step 1
Make sure you run the hot water in the sink before you run the dishwasher. Some dispensers have a sensor that opens only when the water is hot enough. Yours may be opening too late.
Step 2
Make sure nothing is blocking the dispenser. Download the manual if you dont have one and they will show you how to load it.
This past week, when putting the dishes away after the cycle has been completed with the dishwasher, I notice first the dishes are not clean. Then I still see the glob of dishwahser detergent sitting in the cup.
The door of dispenser has opened. I do not understand why the soap is not disolving and washing the dishes.Open it mid cycle and make sure that it is hot water running through it and not cold. It won't dissolve in cold water. Are you using a powder or a gel? I find the gels dissolve easier.
Make sure nothing blocks the dispenser. Always run your sink water until its hot before you start the dishwasher. The soap dispenser has a sensor and won't open if the water is not hot enough or dissolve the pod.
My dishwasher is not releasing soap. How can I fix it?
If you use the pacs or tablets you don't need to. Just drop in the silverware basket instead. If you use gel or powder , I would suggest googling it, searching YouTube, or appliance pros.com. You should be able to find something to help you figure out how to fix it.
Our Maytag dishwasher detergent dispenser has a wax motor to open the dispenser door. Recently, but not after every wash, when opening the dishwasher at end of the wash and dry cycle we found the liquid soap had dripped down the inside door and become hardened and dishes and silverware are not fully cleaned.
This seems to indicate that the dispenser opens, but at the wrong time late in the cycle after the wash and rinse and possibly opens due to the heat in the dry cycle. If the detergent door didn't open at all I would be sure it was the wax motor, but since it is intermittent, sometimes functioning correctly, we are baffled.
We made sure the spring is clean and functions (the door snaps open), the hinges are clean and not gunked up, and gasket is sealing well, the door catch funtions. We opened the interior door panel and removed the wax motor checking its electrical connections for oxidation (they were clean) and made sure the plastic parts to be moved by the motor to open the door moved freely. There was no detergent residue in the motor area or assembly.
What do you think is happening? And what can we do about it?
Make sure when you load it nothing is blocking the soap door. The same thing happened to us. We checked the manual and saw how to load it properly.
My Airstone LKF6 dishwasher's soap dispenser not working during cycle.
By Sona
You can find several answers right on Thrifty Fun-use this search on the site: Dishwasher Not Releasing Soap
What would cause an automatic dishwasher dispenser not to eject the soap when cleaning the dishes? I can tell because I have not had to refill it in quite a while.
By Arlene
Do you have hard or soft water? It sounds as though you've been using too much detergent for the type water you have coming into your home and as a consequence dishwashing detergent is probably caked behind the dispenser.
If you can see caked detergent in the dispenser cup, scrape as much of it as you can out of that cup and discard it - it isn't effective soap anymore, trust me. The only thing cleaning your dishes right now is the hot water, not the soap.
After you get all of the caked soap out that you can see, run your dishwasher empty (no soap, no dishes) at least twice at the hottest setting. Add a full cup of white distilled vinegar (put the vinegar in both dispensers if you have one for something like JetDry) each time to boost the cleaning of the hot water.
Do this at least once a month for the rest of the time you have a dishwasher. Also, to prevent future build-up, go easier on the detergent. Use half of what the package or the directions for the machine suggest.
If you continue to 'not need detergent', you have a more serious problem and should call in a repair tech.
