My dishwasher is leaving a thick flaky residue on all my dishes and we use a rinse agent on nearly the max setting. The Heating element doesn't work.

I found this on ehow I believe it will help. How to Troubleshoot Dishwasher Residue By Dale Yalanovsky eHow Contributor

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Dishwater residue is a fairly common occurrence, and several things can cause it. Even the newest dishwashers may leave residue, and it might have nothing to do with the actual dishwasher function itself. However, there are things you can do to prevent, limit or completely remove dishwasher residue during every washing cycle.

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1. Detergent Residue
   • Modern phosphate-free detergents are the main culprits when it comes to detergent residue. After every wash, many leave a slight whitish residue behind. After several washings, the residue becomes caked on and leaves a noticeable white tint to your dishes. Some dishwasher detergent brands are better than others, and either minimize residue or do not leave any. Once residue is present, however, the only way to remove it is by hand scrubbing or scraping.
   Hard-Water Residue
   • Hard-water residue comes from non-softened water from your hot water tank. Non-softened water leaves a white tint on dishes, but no amount of scrubbing will remove it. Only by wiping a small patch of the dish with vinegar or lemon juice will you be able to ascertain whether the white residue left is hard water or detergent. The slight acidic action of the vinegar or lemon juice removes hard-water stains, but they have no effect on detergent residue.
   Greasy Residue
   • If the dishes feel greasy when they come out of the dishwasher freshly washed, you are dealing with a greasy residue. There are two main reasons for this: either the detergent is not an effective grease remover, or the hot water inside of the dishwasher, either from the hot water tank or the dishwasher's heating elements, is not hot enough. Boosting the hot water temperature on the water tank may solve the problem, and a second wash cycle may be needed for the dishes. A preventive measure of running the dishwasher empty with a full load of detergent also removes the residue inside of the dishwasher.
   Streaking and Spotting Residue
   • If you have spotting or streaking on your dishes, that may be a sign you need a rinse agent. Many modern dishwashers recommend a rinse agent to prevent spotting or streaking, and without one, your dishes will never be crystal clear or streak-free. The next time you do a dishwasher load, add a rinse agent. If the dishes come out spot- and streak-free, the problem is solved.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/info_12285021_troubleshoot-dishwasher-residue.html

Hi, I have an older dishwasher also and recently mywife also complained about it not cleaning right... so me being the man I amtried in vain to clean the things... Bought new spray arms online and installedthem in minutes...now the thing works like new... However I have also foundthat if the heating element goes bad then that also can mess things up bad...So I would buy new spray arms, and also check out the heating element to makesure it is working... Here is a tip that will help you with the onlinebuying...
Dishwasher SprayArms not Spinning

How to Buy ApplianceParts Online

A bad heating element causes many problems in dishwashers...

Dishwasher Problems The HeatingElement not Working

DishwasherMaintenance DishwasherResidue and Film on Dishes

heatman101

Asker's Testimonial "explanation very clear. will give it a go and see howsimple it was. thanks Ronnie " - ronnieshomes

Hi,

I have an older dishwasher also and recently my wife also complained about it not cleaning right... so me being the man I am tried in vain to clean the things... Bought new spray arms online and installed them in minutes...now the thing works like new... However I have also found that if the heating element goes bad then that also can mess things up bad... So I would buy new spray arms, and also check out the heating element to make sure it is working... Here is a tip that will help you with the online buying...

Dishwasher Spray Arms not Spinning

How to Buy Appliance Parts Online

A bad heating element causes many problems in dishwashers...

Dishwasher Problems The Heating Element not Working

Dishwasher Maintenance

Dishwasher Residue and Film on Dishes

heatman101

Asker

Hi,

The scum, film and white residue problems have started since the reduction of phosphates in dishwasher detergents.

Here is a tip that will help you to solve the problem of films, residue, and scum in your dishwasher.

Dishwasher Residue and Film on Dishes

heatman101
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Hi,

I have an older dishwasher also and recently my wife also complained about it not cleaning right... so me being the man I am tried in vain to clean the things... Bought new spray arms online and installed them in minutes...now the thing works like new... However I have also found that if the heating element goes bad then that also can mess things up bad... So I would buy new spray arms, and also check out the heating element to make sure it is working... Here is a tip that will help you with the online buying...

Dishwasher Spray Arms not Spinning

How to Buy Appliance Parts Online

A bad heating element causes many problems in dishwashers...

Dishwasher Problems The Heating Element not Working

Dishwasher Maintenance

Dishwasher Residue and Film on Dishes

heatman101

Hi, I have an older dishwasher also and recently my wife alsocomplained about it not cleaning right... so me being the man I am tried invain to clean the things... Bought new spray arms online and installed them inminutes...now the thing works like new... However I have also found that if theheating element goes bad then that also can mess things up bad... So I wouldbuy new spray arms, and also check out the heating element to make sure it isworking... Here is a tip that will help you with the online buying...
Dishwasher Spray Arms not Spinning

How to Buy Appliance Parts Online

A bad heating element causes many problems in dishwashers...

Dishwasher Problems The Heating Element not Working

Dishwasher Maintenance

heatman101

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Hi,
Check your heating element..

A bad heating element causes many problems in dishwashers…

Dishwasher Problems The Heating Element not Working

Dishwasher Maintenance

heatman101

Asker's Testimonial " explanation very clear. will give it a go and see how simple it was. thanks Ronnie " - ronnieshomes

run some calcium lime and scale remover throught the unit on an empty wash cycle just to get rid of any build up that may be there.
turn the rinse aid down to about half way.
also check the phosphours content of you washing agent.
there is a lot of factor involved with leaving film on the dishes, it could also be residual soap content that is sticking to your dishes.
reduce the amount of soap a little.does not matter if it is liquid or powder.
once every three months you need to run cleaner through the machine.
last thing but very important make sure the incoming water temp i no lowe rthan 120 degrees.

Hi,
Check your heating element..

Dishwasher Problems The Heating Element not Working
http://www.fixya.com/support/r4589033-dishwasher_problems_heating_element_not

Dishwasher Maintenance
http://www.fixya.com/support/r4319937-dishwasher_maintenance

heatman101

Same problem here. I read the manual very carefully. "OptiDry", "ExtraDry", "EcoDry", "condensation drying" -- lots of fancy words to cover the simple fact -- they DO NOT DRY the dishes. There is no heating element. I wish they would just state this up-front. Air drying the dishes for 24 hours after each wash is not workable for most users...