Dishwasher not heating

If you have set the unit to heated water or your hot water is not hot will delay the wash cycle. The heater in the dishwasher is very slow!
The following is from the user manual.
15
TROUBLESHOOTING
First try the solutions suggested here and possibly avoid
the cost of a service call...
Dishwasher is not operating properly
Dishwasher does not run or stops during a cycle
Is the door closed tightly and latched?
Is the right cycle selected? Refer to the "Cycle Selection
Charts."
Is there power to the dishwasher? Has a household fuse
blown or circuit breaker tripped?
Has the motor stopped due to an overload? The motor
automatically resets itself within a few minutes. If it does not
restart, call for service.
Is the water shut-off valve (if installed) turned on?
Dishwasher will not fill
Is the overfill protection float able to move up and down
freely? Press down to release.
Dishwasher seems to run too long
Is the water supplied to the dishwasher hot enough? The
dishwasher runs longer while heating water. Refer to the
"Dishwasher Efficiency Tips" section.
A delay automatically occurs in some wash and rinse cycles
until the water reaches the proper temperatur

Hope this helps?
http://www.repairclinic.com/UserManual/f75a81f2957b4b86b396c8c3629d9078/8531130/Use-Care-Guides-Owners-Manual/Use-and-Care-Guide-8531130

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

heatman101

Hi,

Here is a tip that will help you to find out why water will not come into the dishwasher...

Dishwasher Trouble No Water entering Dishwasher

heatman101

Either:

1. the water does not get into the dishwasher open the dishwasher 3-4 times during cycle, you should see some water at least once, if not - check water valve, water level float and water pressure.
2. the pump is clogged - there is water, the motor will run but no water is circulated. Check pump filters, check chopper and impeller.
3. motor in main pump is not working - could be caused by something stuck on the impeller or chopper or could be a problem with the motor itself or control board. Check if line voltage is coming to the motor during wash/rinse cycle.

Good luck,
Vlad
First Choice Appliance

hello. i can help you.
When the detergent cup doesn't open, check these:

Timer
Bi-metal switch or wax motor
Detergent cup, itself
Timer On many dishwashers, a plastic actuator arm mechanically links the timer to the detergent cup. When the timer reaches the proper time in the cycle, the timer activates a lever that opens the detergent cup. If the linkage is broken or defective, the cup stays closed after you've closed it. Check the link and repair or replace it, as necessary.

Bi-metal switch or wax motor A bi-metal switch is a simple electrical device that deforms when electricity is applied to it. The degree of this deformation can be engineered to concise standards.

The timer energizes the bi-metal switch inside your dishwasher door--directly behind the detergent cup--when the detergent cup should open. When energized, the bi-metal switch deforms away from the detergent cup latch, which opens the detergent cup. If the bi-metal switch is defective, it may not deform enough to open the cup. If that happens, you need to replace it.

On some dishwashers, the bimetal switch is wired through the heating element or motor circuit. If the element is broken (or open), or if the motor is drawing low current because of a low-fill situation, the bi-metal switch doesn't open properly.

Newer dishwasher models use a wax motor instead of a bi-metal switch. It's a sealed unit with wax that heats up and pushes a piston through to open the door. The wax motor, controlled by the timer, mechanically opens the door.

Detergent cup, itself The detergent cup itself can become clogged with old dried detergent that prevents it from opening. Sometimes just cleaning the cup takes care of the problem. If not, you probably need to replace the entire cup assembly

The cycles times are too long If your dishwasher's cycle times are too long, check these:

Water pre-heating
Cycle not completing
Water pre-heating Your dishwasher may pre-heat the water. If so, and if the water entering the dishwasher is cool, the heater may take up to half an hour to heat the water.

To avoid the wait, increase the incoming water temperature before turning on the dishwasher. Do that by running the kitchen sink faucet until the water runs hot. Or increase the temperature of the hot water to the entire house at the hot water heater.

Warning! To lessen the risk of scalding, don't set the hot water heater temperature higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cycle not completing See "The cycle doesn't complete" section.

the problem has not been resolved. does not drain.

have experienced this problem on some zanussi machines. what is happening is that the machine continues thro cycle thinking there is water in machine when there is not. can be caused by:
slow pump rate caused by blockage especially near the drain pump inlet
faulty pressure stat

One of these was in my house when I moved in, still have the manual. Very efficient dishwasher.
A is a prewash (machine will stop after it). Manual says it's meant to rinse stuff while you wait until you've filled the machine to run a full wash.
D is economy wash. Water is heated according to the switch you select on the front.
C is a prewash that will continue on to D (normal cycle). Water is at incoming temp.
B is another prewash that will continue on the C etc (heavy cycle). Like C, water is at incoming temp.
E is dry cycle. Heating element is on/off depending on switch on the front (dunno why you'd turn it off..)
While turning the dial, push it in and it will stop exactly at the start of theach cycle.
Mine has stopped emptying, think the pump has died, looking for a replacement..

Main pump not running?...then it will either be the program controller or the main pump itself.....I would guess the pump first.