Why is water not heating in cycle?

QUESTION: I just moved into a new apartment. The dishwasher is running normal but when it completes the wash cycle, my dishes are not clean and the detergent tablet is still there. The dishwasher is not dissolving the tablet. Maybe a little bit but about 80% of it is still there. I believe it gets hot water and runs normally. The apartment management said to use dishwasher cleaning tablets and not the powder soap. What can I do to try and get the tablet to dissolve? Any help you can provide would be great!

ANSWER: If your dishwasher hot water temperature is below 110F/115F, then it may not be hot enough to dissolve certain brands of detergent tablets. Be sure the water is HOT before you run the dishwasher. Run the hot water in the sink until it is very hot, then immediately run the dishwasher. Run the dishwasher on the longest, hottest cycle it has.
Also check that the spring opening action of the detergent dispenser door is working properly. If the detergent dispenser is too small a big detergent tablet may not be letting it open correctly. It may be jamming up the door. Try using a liquid or gel dish washing detergent if this is the case. There are many high quality liquid and gel dishwasher detergents on the market today. Liquid Cascade seems to be the best so give that a try. A powdered detergent will work too. Use a rinsing aid also as this will help remove spots even when the tablet may not be dissolving properly.
KEEP THE DISHWASHER DETERGENT DISPENSER CLEAN

If you are in an apartment, then most likely you do not have a high quality dishwasher. Knowing this, the dishwasher needs all the assistance it can get with the hottest water possible. You also need to be sure your dishwasher is clean at the bottom (removable strainer filter) where the pump and bottom washer arm is located. Be sure that it is clean and has hot water and this will be the best method to dissolve tablets. If you must use tablets, you can break them in half in the sink first. Place them in the dispenser and the hot water should make it easier to dissolve since the tablet is not as large.
You also need to be sure there is enough water for the pump to actually pump the water. To check this, start the dishwasher. Once you hear it running, open the dishwasher and be sure there is hot water and enough of it. If there is not much water in the dishwasher it may not be getting much water to the pump. When you open the door while it is running, check the water level at the bottom of the washer. If there is not much water at the bottom, then it may not be getting enough water to clean dishes and dissolve the tablet. Clean the filter at the bottom of the dishwasher to help the pump get the water more efficiently.
DISHWASHER PARTS IDENTIFICATION
If all else fails, you may have an old worn out dishwasher. The pump may be bad. Possibly your water heater is set to low. Your water heater should be set right around 120F. This will ensure that your dishwasher is getting the correct water temperature to effectively clean dishes and dissolve the tablet. If in an apartment, let the management know you are having this issue and they SHOULD resolve it.
Do you know of another way to assist a dishwasher to dissolve a detergent tablet? Please leave a comment below.

those dissolving detergent packs are the cause of 80% of warranty pump failures. i have even seen them wedge under the heating element and catch fire during the drying cycle. it could be from the detergent. but most likely it is from iron deposits in the water that you cant normally see that oxidize during the drying cycle. install a simple filter on the water suppy, change to a liquid detergent, and run the diswasher with some vinegar inside a few times after installing the filter.

Hi, dishwasher detergent stays in the compartment because Bosch has designed a gap at the top of the compartment that feeds water onto the detergent before the cover opens. This has possibly been done to soften up deteregent tablets and help them dissolve.

The result is a solidified mass of wet detergent that doesn't come out of the compartment when it opens, and slowly dissolves onto the dishes leaving them coated with alkaline detergent at the end of the cycle. The residual lump of detergent is in the compartment or on the bottom of the dishwasher (refer photo).

The solution is to remove the compartment cover and look for the small gap at the top of the compartment as in the photos. Clean the surface and fill the gap with epoxy glue. This will keep the detergent dry until the cover opens, allowing the detergent to fall freely out of the compartment.

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

Either:

1. not enough water gets into the dishwasher. open the dishwasher 3-4 times during cycle, you should see some water on the bottom 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

sometimes the dispenser doors are not designed for tablets, and they don't let enough water in to dissolve them....next time you wash; put the tablet in one of the silverware compartments....should do the trick. and leave the dispenser door for liquid detergents only.

if this is helpful please click the correct button. thanks

I believe that the instructions for using these 3-in-1 tablets is to place it in the open dish detergent cup, rather than in the closable compartment, since the tablet needs to get doused by a lot of water in oder to fully dissolve and be effective in getting the dishes clean.

Since the tablets are designed to dissolve more slowly, they are able to be used for the entire range of washing cycles. If it's a constant problem and you don's have an open detergent cup below or next to your closed detergent dispenser, just toss it into the bottom of the dishwasher instead.

The reason that the tablet isn't getting dissolved fully is because the door is preventing the tablet from dropping all the way out and the door is shielding the tablet from quite a bit of water spray.

Another option is to take a look at your owners manual for the dishwasher and see if they recommend these all-in-one tablets versus regular powered detergent and liquid rinse aid.

Hope that helps and best regards!

I know it sounds strange, but many times when detergent dissolve, a failed heating element is to blame. The detergent needs that water to be hot to dissolve and activate the detergent.

Recommend you check the heating element for obvious damage/failure. When you run the full cycle, does the heating element get hot? If not, replacing it is not as hard as it appears. Post back here with further questions, OK?

If the heating element _is_ working, the other possibility is a failing wash pump motor, but depending on the age of your dishwasher, replacing

Hi and wlecome...
You should not use anything other than powered dishwasher detergent in these products. They are not designed for tablet-style detergents. The reason is because the dispenser does not "open" during the wash cycle like you would see on a conventional dishwaser. The incoming water pours over the detergent and releases the mixture out the bottom of the dispenser. If you need a user guide, you can get one here: http://fisherpaykelparts.net/index.php?blockitemid=29

either there is not enough water (check water valve) or the pump filters are clogged (check and clean as necessary)