Dishwasher repair notes

A dishwasher has two pumps, and they do opposite jobs. The circulation pump washes. The drain pump empties. A repair aimed at the wrong one will not change the symptom you actually have.

It fills, hums, and does not spray

The circulation pump pulls water from the sump and pushes it up the spray arms. If the motor hums and the arms sit still, clear the filter and the chopper area under the lower arm before you blame the pump. Seeds, glass, and labels jam that spot. A clear filter and a motor that hums without moving water points at the circulation pump. A motor that stays silent is either not being told to run, or it has failed open.

The tub is still full

That is the drain pump, the drain hose, or the connection under the sink. The hose ties into the sink drain or into an air gap on the counter. A hose pushed too far into a disposal, or a disposal knockout plug that was never knocked out on a new install, blocks the drain completely. The air gap itself clogs with grease and will leave the tub full even when the pump runs.

No water enters

The float in the tub has to be down. A float stuck up tells the control the tub is already full, so the inlet valve never opens. If the float moves freely and you never hear the valve click, the valve or the control is next. On most models the valve sits in the toe kick, under the door.

Dishes come out wet

Rinse aid is the first thing to confirm, because a final rinse with no aid beads water on the ware. Many models also run a heating element on that rinse, then open a vent for the dry portion. An element that no longer heats leaves the water cool. A vent that stays shut leaves the steam in the tub. A plastic tub that is cold at the end of a heated-dry cycle is telling you the element did not run.

Detergent still in the cup

The cup is opened by a latch tied to a timer or a wax motor. A cup that is still latched at the end of the cycle never got that signal. A cup that opened, with the powder sitting there as paste, means the water never got hot enough or the spray never reached the door. Those are the heater and the circulation side, not the cup latch.