Topic 'Dish washer arms not spinning' in forum 'Home Improvement' - dslreports.com

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 04:36:16 EDT

robbin posted :

However for the same of debate, I don't think there is a concentration level. It seems to be a very generic product.

Citric acid (sour salt) appears to have a specific molecular formula so unless you are buying a diluted product it should all have the same concentration.

»www.sciencecompany.com/Citric-Ac···405.aspx

»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citric_acid

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 02:04:34 EDT

nocannothave posted : My dishwasher arms also get clogged with little chunks. I can see them trying to get out, but they're just too big. We use 1/2 cup of vinegar every load and glass seems to not be affected by our hard water.

Also considering a whole house water softener, but I don't want to lose our spectacular flow rate. Just under 5 gallons per minute in the master shower... shhhh

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 21:33:27 EDT

PSWired posted : On a semi-related note, my old dishwasher had its fill valve jammed up with calcium deposits from unsoftened well water. Enough so that the volume through it was too low for the timed fill cycle to put enough water in the tub. The pump would then ventilate during the cycle and the arms would barely spin. You can hear this if you listen to the pump during a wash cycle.

Tried cleaning the solenoid with CLR but ended up having to replace it instead.

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 11:22:21 EDT

alkizmo posted : It's okay guys. I think I can find it locally for much cheaper per pound, the food grade kind that can be used for cleaning.

However for the same of debate, I don't think there is a concentration level. It seems to be a very generic product.

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 09:32:40 EDT

CylonRed posted : I do understand that but personally - if the product does not mention using it for that and it etches things - I am wary of using it in the application. To know for sure they would have to check the strength of the 2 products to see how different they are.

The muriatic acid would very likely be far more diluted than the citric acid in a dishwasher which has a lot less water.

If he wants to get the 'same thing' as the product robbin linked to - then he needs to find the same type of product for the use it is intended - imho.
--
Brian

"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 08:54:44 EDT

Hall posted :

said by CylonRed:

No - it is not the same: "Prepares concrete for painting and staining. Citric acid powder is safer than muriatic acid"

Chemicals can have many different and perfectly acceptable uses. I have muriatic acid that I bought at Lowes that's labeled for etching concrete -- that I use in our swimming pool to lower the pH level. I have phosphoric acid here at work that's for cleaning concrete, stone, etc that we use for cleaning stainless steel (per our chemist's recommendation).

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 08:15:34 EDT

CylonRed posted : No - it is not the same: "Prepares concrete for painting and staining. Citric acid powder is safer than muriatic acid"

There are a ton of cleaners - just because he had a link to one does not mean the same thing is not available locally. Just look in the grocery store where the cleaners are sold...
--
Brian

"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:12:10 EDT

alkizmo posted :

said by robbin:

Already posted it twice. It cleans the dishwasher.

I was just hoping for something purchasable locally :p

I wonder, are all citric acid powders made the same?
»www.homedepot.ca/product/epoxy-s···h/968976

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 17:13:01 EDT

robbin posted :

said by alkizmo:

said by Bruschi:

To clean the dishes!

Nothing I can toss in there to clean the dishwasher itself? :p

Already posted it twice. It cleans the dishwasher.

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 17:11:02 EDT

CylonRed posted : Vinegar. CLR or read the manual and see what it suggests.... I have not seen a manual for a dishwasher that did not have a suggestion for cleaning the inside of the dishwasher.

There is also the other citric cleaner mentioned on page 2 as well.
--
Brian

"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 17:09:08 EDT

alkizmo posted :

said by Bruschi:

To clean the dishes!

Nothing I can toss in there to clean the dishwasher itself? :p

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 14:52:19 EDT

Bruschi posted : To clean the dishes!

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 07:15:49 EDT

CylonRed posted :

said by cdru:

That may not be your problem, but doesn't take much to remove the few additional screws when you remove the lower arm to check.

Already had it all apart yesterday to clean it all up - the screen is fine... :)
--
Brian

"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 05:26:26 EDT

alkizmo posted :

said by Bruschi:

Negative. Add a teaspoon of this in your wash cycle. »www.lowes.com/pd_124762-68-63004_0__

To clean the dishes, or to clean the dishwasher itself?

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 23:32:11 EDT

cdru posted : I have a Maytag that has a different front, but a nearly identical interior, as do my parents. In both our cases, both the lower and upper arms frequently plugged. At first we thought it was the white flaky stuff that we'd also find in the arms. However what it ended up being was the plastic screen on the "garbage disposal" portion of the lower arm that was slowly disintegrating. That may not be your problem, but doesn't take much to remove the few additional screws when you remove the lower arm to check.

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 21:12:35 EDT

Bruschi posted :

said by Bob:

said by CylonRed:

still trying to find a detergent I like.

You want this - Note price is for a case of 6 -
»www.restockit.com/cascade-automa···pg).html

Negative. Add a teaspoon of this in your wash cycle. »www.lowes.com/pd_124762-68-63004_0__
--
Professional student pilot!

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 20:09:06 EDT

CylonRed posted : While I would not mind soaking it a lot longer to see if I can to get the lime out - I am not sure of the long term effect of old style CLR on plastic...
--
Brian

"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 18:05:25 EDT

robbin posted : The citric cleaner I mentioned earlier will remove that type of buildup. Here a link to one but I usually get it off of Amazon.

»www.repairclinic.com/PartDetail/···1/273634

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 17:20:40 EDT

Bob posted :

said by CylonRed:

still trying to find a detergent I like.

You want this - Note price is for a case of 6 -
»www.restockit.com/cascade-automa···pg).html

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 16:40:07 EDT

alkizmo posted : I dont know if those instructions work every time.

My dishwasher sort of cause into a confused seizure when you interrupt it. It doesn't really resume, it seems to flush its water tank and start over with a fresh batch.

You and me, buddy, will be cleaning our dishwashers this week.
May I suggest you take OUT the arms, lay them in a shallow bucket large enough to hold the arms, then soak in CLR to let it sit for 24h or something.

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 16:28:55 EDT

CylonRed posted : Used the instructions on the CLR bottle. Normal wash - when it gets to the actual wash cycle (past the first rinse) then add in a half cup of CLR and let it finish the cycle. Then run another full cycle using cold water.

Our arms were full of lime - I could not get all of it out but had to do a LOT of poking and prodding in the holes.

All I can do now if keep clearing the holes and call the softener repairman tomorrow.
--
Brian

"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 16:26:24 EDT

CylonRed posted : We have very hard water... I have used gels before and have some now but still trying to find a detergent I like.
--
Brian

"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 16:23:42 EDT

Annmarie posted : FYI - the newer CLR bottle that says something to the effect of "better for the environmental" sucks.

Try to find the original formula and stock up :)

I love CLR.
--
Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are good is like expecting the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian.

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 15:48:46 EDT

Bornloser posted : By the looks of your picture, I'd be willing to bet that you are either on very hard water or are using the gel detergent. If your are using the gel, STOP. The stuff is crap and that is the end result from prolonged use. I see it just about every day.

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 15:21:07 EDT

alkizmo posted : How did you cycle some CLR through it?

I have a dishwasher issue as well. I think the water doesn't get jetted up the arms as much as it should (If I interrupt mid-cycle, msot top dishes are only steamed, not soaked). So I want to do an attempt at clearing the residues. I can hear the dishwasher pump still works, or it's the arms, but there's a lot of noise, just not the splashing I'd usually hear against the door.

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 15:18:07 EDT

CylonRed posted : Got it cleaned up as well as I could - we have the older CLR. Had to work hard to clear out the arms - both ends were plugged up, especially on the upper arm.

Running CLR thru a cycle again - sounds like the arms are spinning again... :)
--
Brian

"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 11:33:37 EDT

Hall posted : Head to TSC - they'll have more heavy-duty stuff than the watered-down, consumer grade stuff Lowes and similar will sell.

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 11:05:56 EDT

CylonRed posted : I often forget the gift that the glaciers brought us in Ohio - then I get reminded....

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 10:46:35 EDT

Annmarie posted : The CLR is great! The real one if you can find it. They cahnged the ingredients and made a new bottle but it does not work as well as the real one.
--
Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are good is like expecting the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian.

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 10:44:33 EDT

CylonRed posted : No problem with flushing of the hydrants - they do tell us and when it is done - the water is never discolored even though we have a hydrant in our front yard.

I finally got the parts apart - lots of minerals - I took a picture and will upload it shortly.

Going to use a lot of vinegar though I might have to break out the CLR and gloves...
--
Brian

"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 10:40:18 EDT

Annmarie posted :

said by ArgMeMatey:

I helped a neighbor with a similar problem. Through a very unsophisticated process, I discovered that the water supply screen had gotten clogged with debris. The city had just flushed hydrants days before, so I am guessing that knocked this stuff loose - rust and slivers of wood.

Unfortunately that is quite common by me. The water co is supposed to send a warning in advance but sometimes it "gets lost in the mail" and you are doing a white wash of laundry when brownish red water comes pouring out into the tub.
We have to clean out the faucets with screens for the rust particles.
--
Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are good is like expecting the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian.

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 09:22:28 EDT

ArgMeMatey posted : I helped a neighbor with a similar problem. Through a very unsophisticated process, I discovered that the water supply screen had gotten clogged with debris. The city had just flushed hydrants days before, so I am guessing that knocked this stuff loose - rust and slivers of wood.

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 00:28:00 EDT

DataDoc posted : Look at the Q&A at the lower part of this page:
»www.appliancepartspros.com/whirl···625.html
--
"Executive orders" or rule by fiat. You decide.

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 20:42:51 EDT

CylonRed posted : Hmmm - could be - though after looking at the bottom arm - I can't figure out how it comes off. I don't see any type of screw. I can take part 36 off (3rd diagram) or how part #5 is remotely located.
--
Brian

"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 20:32:27 EDT

robbin posted : I've had problems in recent years due to a combination of low hot water temp and the new detergents. Try running some citric acid dishwasher cleaner through it. Amazon has several brands. It has worked good for me. A few times I have needed multiple treatments to get everything clean.

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 20:15:26 EDT

DataDoc posted : Maybe this will help:
»forum.appliancepartspros.com/dis···pin.html
--
"Executive orders" or rule by fiat. You decide.

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 20:02:25 EDT

CylonRed posted : Thought it would be a more generic answer... Maytag - model MDC5100AWB. Some mineral deposits - been running vinegar thru it pretty regular, though not on a monthly basis.
--
Brian

"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain

Re: Dish washer arms not spinning

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 19:57:06 EDT

robbin posted : It would probably help to post the model number. Is there a lot of mineral buildup in it?

Dish washer arms not spinning

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 19:52:49 EDT

CylonRed posted : but water does come out of the arms but they seemingly do not spin anymore.

How catastrophic is this?
--
Brian

"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain