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We also fix gas appliances

Certified Gas Appliance Repair & Installation

2607, 2019
What Does It Mean When Dishwasher Detergent Won’t Dissolve?

What Does It Mean When Dishwasher Detergent Won’t Dissolve?

Has this ever happened to you? You’ve loaded your dishwasher with a large number of plates, cutlery, glasses, and other things, placed the dishwasher detergent into the detergent compartment, closed the door, and hit the start button. But when you came back to your dishwasher after it completed a cycle, you discovered that your dishes were still dirty.

You inspect your dishwasher to try to find the problem and eventually realize that the dishwasher detergent did not dissolve or only partially dissolved. This means that your dishes only had hot water thrown at them, and thus, were not properly cleaned.

This can be extremely frustrating because dishwashers are supposed to be convenient appliances that save us time. When dishwashers aren’t performing their function, then we end up losing time. We will also need to call a dishwasher repair company.

That being said, it isn’t too difficult to understand the issue of dishwasher detergent not dissolving, and it should be fairly easy to figure out what is going on inside your dishwasher. No matter what dishwasher brand you have, including LG washing machines, this article can help you identify the problem. In this article, we’re going to take a look at some of the things that could impact the process that leads to detergent being dissolved.

A Dirty Dishwasher

The filters and arms in your dishwasher need to clean when you are running a cycle. When these components are dirty, the water pressure can be reduced. When this happens, the detergent isn’t fully submerged in water and does not dissolve properly. This can also lead to drainage issues with your dishwasher.

This also means that your dishes won’t get an adequate amount of water. Be sure to check your dishwasher’s filters and arms and if necessary, clean them.

The Detergent Compartment

When it comes to your dishes getting properly cleaned in your dishwasher, it is imperative that the detergent compartment opens at the right time (or opens at all). Actually, you can usually hear when it is opening because you’ll hear a faint click followed by the sound of the tablet tumbling out of the compartment.

If it doesn’t open, then it is possible that the compartment is blocked by dishes. The spring open action of the compartment may be faulty as well, which could be impacted by the size of the tablet. Try different sized tablets and see what happens. If the problem persists, you will need the help of a dishwasher repair expert.

The Water’s Not Hot Enough?

We all know that hot water is better than cold water when it comes to cleaning things. It’s the hot water combined with a detergent that gets dishes to look so immaculately clean.

When your dishwasher completes a cycle and you don’t notice any steam after opening the dishwasher door, then that means that water did not get hot enough. When this happens, you need the help of an appliance repair company.

Tablet vs. Powder

As many homeowners are aware of, detergent can come in either powder form or tablet. Obviously, tablets will take longer to dissolve than powder. It is a good idea to select a detergent that is compatible with your dishwasher’s average cycle time.

If the cycle lasts a long time, then get a tablet detergent. If it runs for a short period of time, then go with powder. (If you need help finding the right detergent, we have this article about choosing the right detergent for your washer)

These are the primary reasons why detergent doesn’t dissolve during a cycle in a dishwasher. If you are experiencing problems that you aren’t able to fix, you can contact Express Repair today. Whether you are having problems with detergent or your dishwasher display, our team can help. We can perform same-day dishwasher repairs so that you can get back to enjoying the convenience of your dishwasher. Review our service areas to see if we operate near your home.