GE triton dishwasher middle spin arm not spinning

Hi Jeanette,

Maybe I misunderstood your question, but the tablet is supposed to come out of the dispenser and fall into the bottom of the dishwasher. It needs to fall into the hot water in the bottom of the washer to dissolve. The dispenser releases the tablet at different points in the cycle depending on which wash cycle is selected. On a shorter cycle it will be released soon after starting. On longer cycles, there is usually a rinse first, so the tablet will be released a little later. There would only be a problem if the tablet wasn't being released, or wasn't dissolving completely.

There are a number of reasons for poor cleaning on the top rack. The most common are the upper spray-arm not spinning, incorrect stacking or overloading. If the upper spray-arm isn't spinning, there may be caused by a blockage in the spray-arm or the water delivery system, but, as the dishwasher is new and it's not happening every time, it's possible that the dishwasher isn't levelled correctly. The spray-arms aren't motorised, they use water pressure to spin, but they wont spin if they aren't balanced, i.e. the dishwasher isn't level.

You can check whether the spray arm/s are spinning by pointing them front-to-back, or left-to-right (so you can remember the position) and allow the dishwasher to run for a few minutes. Then open the door and check the position of the spray arms. They should continue to rotate slowly for a short while after opening the door, but if they're in the same place and static, they're not spinning. I'd suggest repeating this a couple of times to eliminate the possibility of them having stopped in the exact same place you left them.

If the spray arms are spinning, test the dishwasher with only a small load in the top rack. If the top rack comes out clean with a small load, you may be overloading it or stacking it incorrectly some of the time. There should be a correct stacking guide in your user manual.

Hope this helps. If you need further assistance, check whether the arms are spinning then post back.

Regards,
BElectric

Hi,

When my wife started complaining about her dishwasher not getting the top rack clean this is what I found and I wrote a tip about it...

Dishwasher Spray Arms not Spinning


heatman101

Hi,
Here is a tip that I wrtoe about why the dishwasher spray arms do not spin...

Dishwasher Spray Arms not Spinning
http://www.fixya.com/support/r4817172-dishwasher_spray_arms_not_spinning

heatman101

Hi,
Here is a tip that I wrote about dishwashers and the spray arms not spinning..

Dishwasher Spray Arms not Spinning
http://www.fixya.com/support/r4817172-dishwasher_spray_arms_not_spinning

heatman101

Still worth checking for hot water though, stop machine when you know its at a stage where the water is suppose to be hot. Also when the machine is loaded that the top arms are able to spin freely without hitting anything. Also make sure top arm holes have not got any old foo stuck in as this will stop them from spinning properly. Open door during wash and close door then re open to see how far around it has gone. Not as powerful as the bottom arm but shouldnt be that far of.

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

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

1)please check the impeller nut is loose.

2) please check the hose connected to the arm any block.

you may be exactly right. I always start with something simple. spin the spray arm to make sure it goes all the way around with out touching anything. next is the hard partyou would have to take the motor apart and any filters you see and clean out all the debris.

Peace,
Cut off the power at the breaker for 5 minutes and then turn it on and see if the system resets!
How old is the machine?

Other wise you need hands on service! And a new machine will pay for itself in only a few years!

Bless You!

I removed the lower arm, the strainer, and three screws (Torx, but I used small allen wrench). I took of the pump cover, and found a small white ball blocking the tube that goes to the top rack sprayer. I put everything back except the ball. It has worked well ever since.