Dishwasher troubles. Not cleaning well, smells, and a bit of water

[alfredo]

left in the drain. I think the standing water is what is causing the smell. Any idea why there is water over the opening of the drain? Could there be a valve there that is malfunctioning, or is there some type of blockage?

Any help would be appreciated.

[Stinky The Clown]

1. I'm not a dishwasher mechanic, but I'd guess your thoughts are

on the money. It has to be one of those two possibilities - a blockage or a faulty valve. I'd bet on a blockage or you'd be getting no drainage at all. Dishwashers drain by a pump, not gravity. So even if it could hold all the water used in one cycle (it can't), by the second cycle opening the door would flood your kitchen.

I'd look for the blockage.

Now .... here's another thought. Does your dishwasher connect to a disposer or does it go through an air gap fitting? An air gap may be below your sink and look sorta like this (best picture I could find):



Or coming through a faucet hole on your sink and look like this:



This is what would be below that chrome thingie:



This is a replaceable device and, as a long shot, could be at fault. If it doesn't allow air in, it could cause incomplete draining.

[alfredo]

2. thanks. It does have the air valve like you show. It was pretty cruddy

on the outside. I guess I could check to see if it is blocked the next time it runs. As I remember you can hear activity at the air gap.

[NMDemDist2]

3. my DW's efficiency improved dramatically when I cleaned all the soap

hard water gunk off the sprayer arm. there was also a large build up on the food screen that stopped it from draining well.

a couple things help with soap residue build up if that's a problem

white vinegar (I toss a couple cupfuls in the bottom and run a rinse cycle) or they say Tang (yes the breakfast drink crystals) will also clean off residue and help the DW smell better. IIRC fill the soap dispenser with Tang and let it run a cycle.