Cleaning Inlet Valve Screen on Bosch Dishwasher

[@daveleverich6801]

Bosch SilencePlus 46 dBA washer: My front set up was slightly different but had the same issue where there wasn't enough water. At first we noticed when the dishwasher pods weren't getting dissolved and things didn't seem like they were getting cleaned. Checked and cleared obstructed wands, still had the problem. Drain filter in the bottom, same. Found this video, turned off the water inlet and opened the kick-plate, disconnected and checked the water inlet line (clear), checked the filter at the front (as above), pretty full of particles. Cleaned it out, re-assembled, flushed and... WORKING again! Thanks for the great video!

[@arikahn7807]

This worked great and solved my problem. My inlet on 2017-era Bosch was a little different, but the video still helped. And, despite the amount of buildup not looking that significant, it was enough to stop the inlet from working.

[@AgglomeratedIdeas]

Glad it helped you out! Thanks for commenting.

[@chrissica1503]

Thank you for this. Was able to get my dishwasher running again.

[@f1620mm]

Great Video, I like your wood trim piece you added to the bottom plate. Bosch, speaking of this model that I have are long lasting, over 13 years old with only the impeller and now the fill valve.

[@dhanpal1096]

I've a Bosch ecosense, took the valve out, however never knew about filter, I'll give it a try cleaning. Thanks for the video!

[@abnergallo6960]

Thank you for doing this video

[@topperdude2007]

@AgglomeratedIdeas - Thank you for this video. I would also like to thank you for the other video where you show how to repair the Bosch dishwasher heater relay - I have the same dishwasher as in that video. Our dishwasher was exhibiting the same behavior as in that video and I was able to follow that video few years back to replace the control board and get the dishwasher up and running again. I came across this video when I noticed that the same dishwasher was not working properly. The symptoms this time are there I can hear the dishwasher filling up with water but the spray arms do not seem to be spinning and there seems to be no rinsing / cleaning cycle. I was able to cancel the cycle by pressing the two buttons labelled Cancel + Drain for 3 seconds or so - which drained all the water off. And then searching on Google for a cause and fix, brought me to this video. Some other suggestions I have seen are to remove the racks etc. and check for anything that might be blocking the arms from spinning. I will dig out the manual to figure out how to do this the right way but would appreciate any suggestions you may have as well as you seem quite knowledgeable regarding the dishwashers

[@AgglomeratedIdeas]

Check for debris in the filter basket and also under the basket. Also, check for debris in the jet holes of the spray arms as they can become clogged. Do you hear the circulation pump run? If so, take note of the positions of the spray arms and run the dishwasher to see if they remain in the same position. If you hear the circulation pump running, but there is no evidence of water being pumped into the arms, then the pump impeller may need to be replaced. If so, there should be YT videos showing the impeller replacement procedure. Hope that helps.

[@topperdude2007]

Hello @@AgglomeratedIdeas , Thank you so much for the quick response. Today I had some time in the morning to do some further testing and cleaning between driving my kids to their activities / classes. I consulted the user manual and per the instructions, removed the upper and lower trays as well as both spray arms and cleaned them out. Other than some minor mineral deposits from hard water, I did not notice anything else clogging both these arms. Before re-installing both spray arms, I tested further by running water through both the spray arms and confirming that the water was flowing out of the spray arm nozzles as expected. I also cleaned out the Large Object Trap / Cylinder Filter as well as the Fine Filter. Both these filters also did not have much debris either. Once I finished cleaning and putting everything back in the dishwasher, I ran the quick (9 minutes?) "Rinse and Hold" cycle. Here are my observations so far after running this cycle: 1. After pressing the "On / Off" button to start the Rinse and Hold cycle, I could hear water running for a couple minutes like it normally does. Couple minutes later, the running water stopped. This is when I would expect to hear the rinse action start but again there was near silence - except for a hum, as if a motor was trying to run but could not. 2. I pressed the Off button (did not cancel the cycle yet) and opened the dishwasher door. I noticed there was water at the bottom of the dishwasher indicating that water WAS filing the dishwasher (from somewhere). 3. I closed the dishwasher door and resumed the cycle and same thing - silence (except for the hum). I waited for another couple minutes and peeked inside again. To answer your question, the spray arms had not moved from their starting position. Could the humming sound be the circulation pump you mentioned trying to run (and maybe move the spray arms) but - for some reason - is unable to do so? 4. Also, in the initial couple minutes after starting the cycles and while I heard the water filing, I could also hear couple clicks (similar to relays clicking). Not sure what these clicks might indicate (e.g. are these clicks supposed to indicate when the spray arms are supposed to start spinning while water is filling up in the dishwasher?) but just thought I'd mention it here in case helps diagnose things further. 5. After waiting another minute or so, I did the "Cancel and Drain" which drained out all the water from the dishwasher. I would appreciate any guidance with further diagnosing the problem. Thanks much again.

[@AgglomeratedIdeas]

@@topperdude2007 Based upon your information, it seems that either the circulation motor is not running...just stuck and humming, or is running and not pumping water. The impeller on the pump may be broken and the pump is running, or the pump is jammed by the broken impeller and just humming. The clicking may be the broken impeller just occasionally hitting the spinning pump shaft. The impellers can get broken if a piece of debris such as broken glass gets down there. Also, just being plastic, they can break on their own. I would suggest that you search YT for videos on replacing the impeller. I hope it works out for you.

[@topperdude2007]

@@AgglomeratedIdeas Thank you so much for the continued responses - it is really helping us better understand what might be going on and narrow the root cause. Based on your suggestion(s), I searched on youtube and came across this video which talks about identical symptoms to ours and he shows how to check and remove any objects (broken glass etc.) that may be stuck in the impeller and preventing it from running and just humming: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5DPZJd6rLpljpY I followed those steps and felt inside that drain area but could not feel any objects like glass etc. We also do not recall taking any items loaded into the dishwasher come out broken in the last few minutes (but we understand there could be other things than broken items that could be causing the jam). I also took a picture down that drain and can see the (green) impeller but am not sure what the round thing above the green impeller might be and if it might be normal for that white (round-ish) thing above the impeller to be there or could it be what might be causing the "jam"? Here is the image: imgur.com/a/SRf7bXp Any idea what that thing above the impeller could be? And if it is normal for it to be in that drain (not sure if it might be in your dishwasher as well assuming you might still have that same dishwasher)? We are wondering if that white thing above the impeller might be some sort thing to prevent debris from getting into the pipes and spray arms and somehow that might be stuck in that position and if so whether there might be a way to "reset" it? Thank you again

[@AgglomeratedIdeas]

@@topperdude2007 I watched the video you linked above. That is exactly what I meant by a jam in the impeller. As for your photo, that white part is just part of the impeller where the motor shaft attaches. You can see an impeller being installed in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5WZimiQhbV5nqc If you can get your fingers in there far enough, you may be able to see if the impeller moves or is jammed.

[@larsboc1]

Thanks - that was a great help!

[@SnoozerIIVMMXIV]

thanks for the video sir

[@chaos.corner]

Having an issue which might be related. This happened after I recently replaced the tee and olive on the pipe to the dishwasher. The soap was not being washed from the dispenser and dishes were not being cleaned. Further inspection revealed that the arms were not spinning and the water in the tub appeared low. Adding a pan of water appeared to make the arms spin again and sound a lot healthier. I removed the pipe and blew it through and it seemed unobstructed. Inspecting the fill thing on the side showed that water seemed to be flowing OK (though I'm not familiar with whether it was fast enough) so it looks like the water inlet valve is working at least somewhat. I disassembled and cleaned the filter. There was a little build-up but not much. The problem persists. This is an LED-only washer so no fault codes and the washer doesn't seem to be behaving as if it thinks there is any issue. I'm a bit stumped at this point. I'm probably going to try replacing the pipe but I don't think that's the issue. After that, I guess it's the inlet valve but it doesn't appear to be obviously malfunctioning. Anything else I should look at?

[@AgglomeratedIdeas]

You can check the flow of the water supply line to the inlet valve by disconnecting it from the inlet valve and use a bucket to catch the water when you turn on the water supply. You should get a good strong flow of water. A float is used to measure the amount of water in the dishwasher. Sometimes those get debris in the float and it will throw off the water level. The float mechanism operates a microswitch to tell the control board that there is enough water in the machine. If the water supply flow to the dishwasher is good, and the float is properly operating, then it could be an obstruction inside the inlet valve (past the filter screen). Sometimes the valves can be cleaned, and sometimes it is best to get a new valve. Hope that helps.

[@chaos.corner]

@@AgglomeratedIdeas Thanks. I did check past the valve and all seems clear. The level switch is not getting actuated and is actually sitting at its lowest level, the water only coming about as high as the metal filter. It moves freely but I haven't checked it's signalling correctly though I would think it it was signalling full, the water wouldn't fill at all. I'm trying to work out bypassing the door sensor at the moment so I can actually see what's going on inside the machine. I think it must be magnetic or something.

[@AgglomeratedIdeas]

@@chaos.corner Seems as if you have eliminated everything except the fill valve. The DW should drain first and then fill when a cycle is started. If you open the door after you hear the water stop entering, the water level should be much higher than you are describing. I have read that some people have bypassed the door switch and covered the front with clear plastic to see the operation. I haven't done that, but I guess it worked for them.

[@chaos.corner]

@@AgglomeratedIdeas I worked out the switch bypass. It's magnets. I used an old hard-drive magnet. Even with the extra pan of water, although the arm was moving, it's very slow. I saw it suggested that it could be the impeller so I'll be looking into that. Not sure what the low water level is about (water conserving?) but at least I can look inside the machine now.

[@AgglomeratedIdeas]

@@chaos.corner Yes, if the arms are not moving correctly even though it has enough water in the machine, then there might be a blockage at the pump inlet or the impeller itself is broken.

[@dhanpal1096]

I cleaned filter overnight with vinegar and put everything back. But no luck, I restarted for 20 minutes not a single drop of water came inside dishwasher, it's a newer unit. I'm going to replace inlet solenoid valve and see what happens. On another note the filter was pretty clean even before cleaning. But I give it a try for any unknown dirt inside...your expertise pls?

[@AgglomeratedIdeas]

I would assume that you flushed the water supply line already (water IS being supplied to the valve), so it is likely that the valve has failed. If you have a voltmeter, you could check to see if the valve is getting power. Be careful doing that though. If the valve is not getting power, then something else in the DW has failed.

[@dhanpal1096]

@@AgglomeratedIdeas many thanks for your quick reply! Much appreciated. Apparently its fail safe valve, I tried flushing where ever possible. I don't have a voltmeter but I'll get the valve checked. I'll let you know how it goes.

[@dhanpal1096]

@@AgglomeratedIdeas changed the valve, but no luck. It's not filling up any water. I filled up manually and ran. It's worked. However, after 10 minutes its kind of giving a plastic smell and no sign of water coming in. Your expertise pls. What's your email address? So that I can send some pictures. Thanks

[@AgglomeratedIdeas]

@@dhanpal1096 It could be that the float is stuck and the DW thinks it already has water in it. Or, it might be a control board issue. Send or post your model number and I'll see what I can dig up. Does your machine have a wiring diagram with it? Most do. My email is MyBrokenDW @gmail.com

[@dhanpal1096]

@@AgglomeratedIdeas model number is SHE43P05UC/64

[@keithscholey651]

Thanks

[@AgglomeratedIdeas]

You are welcome, and thanks for commenting.

[@shobhitagrawal7566]

Dont try this at home without a skilled plumber..as even if it is done carefully , when u hook everything up there are chances of water leak..

[@AgglomeratedIdeas]

Thanks for the comment. If you are unsure about your own skills (some people are all thumbs), then definitely don't try to fix anything. But, DIY is the activity of making or repairing things yourself, which especially applies to homeowners. Many thousands of people successfully accomplish DIY projects every year. However, some do find that they are in over their head and end up needing a professional to bail them out...it happens. I look at projects as nothing ventured, nothing gained. You can't expect to achieve anything if you never take any risks. I personally have learned so much from taking on DIY projects that it makes the next project just that much easier as my skills and confidence grows. Cheers.

[@khalilmakhloufi2090]

It’s not rocket science

[@windowandcarpetcleaningbos4770]

Lol turn It on if it leaks turn machine or warer off not to difficult ..