[khabecker]

Over the past couple of months our dishwasher has cleaned dishes in the top rack less and less effectively.

I'm trying to determine what the problem might be. My first question is how much water should be in the tank when it fills. Different sites seem to have different opinions. Some sites say the water should be just below the heater element. Other sites say it should just cover the heater element.

I'd estimate that the level is 1/8 to 1/4 inch below the element. Is this correct or do I have a water level problem?

[PS Staff - Sheila]

Your water level sound like it is just fine.

Have you broken any glasses or lost the handles off of any mugs?

This may have damaged the impeller.

[khabecker]

Nothing has ever broken in the dishwasher. I've tried disassembling the Upper Wash and Rinse parts to see if there was something blocking them but they appear to be clear.

[PS Staff - Sheila]

Take the impellers out and check them.

Something could be blocking the water flow.

[khabecker]

So what seals and parts will I need to replace if I open up the pump and motor assembly to check out the impeller?

From my parts diagram it looks like the Volute Seal and perhaps the Face Seal Assembly and washer that are behind the impeller. Would the sump seal need to be replaced as well?

[PS Volunteer - Appguy]

It is sometimes very hard to get impeller out, they freeze on shaft. I use a cold chisel to split it and pull out. Use a pump kit with all the parts. You will need to sand the motor shaft to get the new one on.
Before you do that fill dw and open door while it is spraying and see where the water is going, you may have a split lower wash arm, or one just clogged up. If you see water spraying out the bottom of spray arm you have a bad spray arm seal.

[khabecker]

How do you remove the motor assembly from the sump. I've removed the screw that holds the motor to the sump. I can rotate the motor housing and it appears that it should slide backward away from the volute or the whole unit detach from the sump. But something is holding it fast.

Is there a fastener inside the sump that I need to remove? I don't see anything on the parts schematic but I assume that I am missing something.

[PS Volunteer - Appguy]

Sorry I thought you had a bottom mount motor, you have a sidewinder. Just yank on the motor housing, it will come out, they just stick. You probably have a semi-clogged screen in there. In there you will find a shredder that is broken causing the screen clog.

[khabecker]

Problem was food bits that were small enough to pass through the openings around the edge of the accumulator assembly but which did not pass through the openings of the inlet protector that covers the chopper assembly. Smaller food particles built up around the large ones until water flow through the food chopper and into the inpeller was restricted enough the the upper wash arm and 3rd level spinner no longer received enough water. Cleaning the stuff out solved the problem.

Having the smallest holes tuched down inside the sump where you have to removed all the wash arms and open the top of the sump seems like a design that encourages service calls.

[PS Volunteer - Appguy]

If it continues to clog up, verify chopper is ok and remove inlet protector. Now just make sure you remove chicken bones from dishes and busted glass from tub.