Odd Dishwasher issue

[FlynnN]

Let me try and cut a long story short; the TL;DR here is that I don't believe I have a problem with my dishwasher, something else is wrong. But what?

History
- My 15 year old Bosch dishwasher stopped working. It would get 3 mins into the usual cycle then beep and stop. It's old so I figure it's reached end of life. Happens on the day before I'd had a plumber in to replace the ball valve on my cold water tank in the loft though. Thinking it could possibly be related I got him back and he couldn't see how that work could be related to the issue with the dishwasher; inlet and outlet appeared fine to him. Still the old dishwasher doesn't work
- I got that dishwasher replaced with a Bosch SMV50C10GB/69. Initially, first few times it worked fine. Then, same error: 3 mins (drain, fills a bit, beeps and stops. The "water supply display" light has come on and it's solid (not flashing). 1 in 5 times it'll work, but once it's stopped working only waiting until the next day possibly gives different results. Turning the unit off and on on the control panel resets the issue and you can try again. (This is different from other errors which require the reset button to be held down to try again - start button for 3 secs. e.g. if I run the unit with the water supply disabled, that will produce regular beeping and a persistent error code that requires a reset)
- I contact the company who supplied and fitted it and they replace this unit with an identical one. Same issue.

This leads me to believe that there wasn't anything wrong with my old 15 year dishwasher, nor either of the two new one's. This is problem elsewhere.

What I'm asking here is what tests can I do to try and track the issue down. This isn't a problem with the dishwasher, it's something else in the system. But what?

Really appreciate any ideas that spring to mind. Thanks.

 

[Doghouse Riley]

Hi and welcome.

It may just be low water pressure to the machine. Pull the machine out and turn off the supply, then disconnect the hose from the machine. Put the end of the hose in a large bucket or bend it round to put the end in the sink if it will reach and turn on the tap and see what sort of flow you get. Run it for a few minutes, even if it means changing buckets. It may be that there's sufficient "head" in the supply to start the machine but not to sustain the rate required. Seems strange as dishwashers don't use a lot of water.

 

[FlynnN]

Thanks for that. That's definitely something I'll try. I can actually get to the isolator valve and the hose without pulling out the machine so it may be quite easy to test when the machine goes wrong.

I've already tried running the waste into a bucket in case there is a blockage in there (because apparently the warning symbol could possibly be that also) but that didn't help.

I definitely think this is supply related, and pretty convinced it has something to do with the work the plumber did but before I get him out again the test you describe sounds like an excellent thing to do.

Thanks again.

 

[FlynnN]

Turns out I have a garden hose fitting that will connect to the water supply under the sink so with a length of garden hose I can do this test whenever I wish, without pulling the unit out.

I've done the first test and the flow rate wasn't exactly spectacular and filled my washing up bowl in 3 mins. I shall repeat this test both when the machine works and isn't working. I suspect the flow rates will be broadly similar but slightly lower when it's not working.

 

[FlynnN]

Thanks @Doghouse Riley, your idea about monitoring the flow paid off.

Cutting a long investigation short, it turned out that my water softener had stopped working. It was only flowing at a very slow rate. That meant that overnight it would build up pressure in the system enough to run the dishwasher but during the day with other uses in the house of that pressure it wasn't enough.

Final diagnosis was confirmed by disconnecting the water softener from the cold water loop and suddenly full mains pressure came back. Dishwasher working perfectly.

What a shame I hadn't figured that out initially because it's cost me the price of a new dishwasher, a couple of plumber call-outs and now the cost of a new water softener (which it turns out is all I ever needed to do)

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Doghouse Riley]

Thanks @Doghouse Riley, your idea about monitoring the flow paid off.

Cutting a long investigation short, it turned out that my water softener had stopped working. It was only flowing at a very slow rate. That meant that overnight it would build up pressure in the system enough to run the dishwasher but during the day with other uses in the house of that pressure it wasn't enough.

Final diagnosis was confirmed by disconnecting the water softener from the cold water loop and suddenly full mains pressure came back. Dishwasher working perfectly.

What a shame I hadn't figured that out initially because it's cost me the price of a new dishwasher, a couple of plumber call-outs and now the cost of a new water softener (which it turns out is all I ever needed to do)

Thanks again for your help.

That's a shame, still, you might be able to sell the old one. The history is a good selling point.

 

[FlynnN]

The people who replaced the dishwasher took away the old one thinking it was busted and it got recycled. Poor little thing had nothing wrong with it.

Anyway. At least now I don't have to wash everything up by hand for a family of 5, which was getting really tiresome.

 

[Doghouse Riley]

The people who replaced the dishwasher took away the old one thinking it was busted and it got recycled. Poor little thing had nothing wrong with it.

Anyway. At least now I don't have to wash everything up by hand for a family of 5, which was getting really tiresome.

We have three now long grown up kids and they couldn't remember a time when we didn't have a dishwasher. When over time all three left and individually set up homes, it was the first domestic appliance they each bought. The logic being they'd rather have no washing machine and go down the launderette, than wash up.

Even now there's only two of us, ours in on at least three times over two days. (We've a lot of crockery).

 

[bruceb3]

Let me try and cut a long story short; the TL;DR here is that I don't believe I have a problem with my dishwasher, something else is wrong. But what?

History
- My 15 year old Bosch dishwasher stopped working. It would get 3 mins into the usual cycle then beep and stop. It's old so I figure it's reached end of life. Happens on the day before I'd had a plumber in to replace the ball valve on my cold water tank in the loft though. Thinking it could possibly be related I got him back and he couldn't see how that work could be related to the issue with the dishwasher; inlet and outlet appeared fine to him. Still the old dishwasher doesn't work
- I got that dishwasher replaced with a Bosch SMV50C10GB/69. Initially, first few times it worked fine. Then, same error: 3 mins (drain, fills a bit, beeps and stops. The "water supply display" light has come on and it's solid (not flashing). 1 in 5 times it'll work, but once it's stopped working only waiting until the next day possibly gives different results. Turning the unit off and on on the control panel resets the issue and you can try again. (This is different from other errors which require the reset button to be held down to try again - start button for 3 secs. e.g. if I run the unit with the water supply disabled, that will produce regular beeping and a persistent error code that requires a reset)
- I contact the company who supplied and fitted it and they replace this unit with an identical one. Same issue.

This leads me to believe that there wasn't anything wrong with my old 15 year dishwasher, nor either of the two new one's. This is problem elsewhere.

What I'm asking here is what tests can I do to try and track the issue down. This isn't a problem with the dishwasher, it's something else in the system. But what?

Really appreciate any ideas that spring to mind. Thanks.

ccccc

 

[bruceb3]

Check the drain that the dishwasher is connected to. It may be clogged. If its connected to your disposal, disconnect the drain hose and stick your pinky into the nipple on the disposal to make sure its clear. You mentioned a drain code. That could be your solution.