Dishwasher not cleaning dishes
Grit left on plates, a film on the glassware, or dishes that come out barely warmer than they went in. Three different faults with one symptom, so the first job is working out which one you have.
- Two hour arrival window, Monday to Friday — pick yours when you book
- 12-month parts warranty, 3-month workmanship
- Original parts only, fitted on a return visit with no second call-out fee
Same complaint, three different machines
A dishwasher cleans by spraying hot water through rotating arms and filtering the debris out. If the water is not hot, the arms are not spraying, or the filter is not filtering, you get the same result on the plate — but the repair is completely different in each case.
That is why we diagnose before quoting. Replacing a heating element on a machine with blocked spray arms is an expensive way to not fix the problem.
What to look for
- 01
Blocked spray arm jets
Take an arm off and hold it to the light. Blocked jets are visible, and they are a very common cause of one section of the load coming out dirty while the rest is fine.
- 02
Packed filter recirculating debris
Once the filter cannot trap food, it goes back onto the dishes. Usually accompanied by slow draining.
- 03
Water not heating
A failed heating element or thermostat. Detergent needs heat to work — a cold wash leaves a film on everything, glassware first.
- 04
Wrong detergent or no rinse aid
Worth ruling out before any parts are discussed. Melbourne water plus no rinse aid produces exactly the cloudy-glass complaint people book a technician for.
- 05
Overloading
Plates shadowing each other from the spray. Not a fault, but it is the cause often enough to check first.
Got a code on the display? Tell us when you book.
It is the single most useful thing you can give us — half the time it tells us which part to put in the van, which is the difference between finishing on the first visit and booking a return.
Bosch
- E15
- E24
- E25
- E09
- E22
- E14
LG
- AE
- FE
- LE
- HE
- tE
- OE
Samsung
- LC
- LE
- 4C
- 5C
- 3C
- 7E
- 9E
Fisher & Paykel
- F1
- F2
- F3
- F4
- F9
- U1
Not listed, or no code showing? Describe what the machine is doing instead — water left in the base, grit on the plates, a cycle that stops part-way. Each points at a different part.
Cleaning faults we have fixed
Photographs from real jobs, taken by the technician who did the work. No stock photography anywhere on this site.
Food debris left around the spray arm and sump of a dishwasher.
The base of a dishwasher tub before cleaning, with debris around the filter.
Grime built up along the door edge and seal channel of a dishwasher.
The lower spray arm and its mounting point inside a dishwasher.
The flat mesh filter plate lifted out with debris still on it.
The base of a dishwasher tub after a service clean.
Four steps, no surprises
- 01
Tell us what's wrong
Appliance, suburb, and what it's actually doing. Model number and error code too, if you can reach them.
- 02
Get a window and a call-out fee
We quote the call-out fee for your suburb and confirm a two hour arrival window that fits the day's route, rather than an all-day wait. Ring before 10:30am and same-day may be possible.
- 03
We attend and attempt the repair
The technician works the fault on site within the booked time. Most jobs are finished on that visit.
- 04
Repair or replace — your call
If a part is needed we talk you through it and give you a quote, and you decide whether to repair it or put the money toward a new one. If you go ahead we order an original part and come back to fit it — labour and part only, no second call-out fee. Covered for three months either way.
Questions we get asked
What happens if you can't work out what's wrong?
We look at the call-out fee case by case and it may be reduced or waived — the Terms set out how that works. If we do find the fault and the machine turns out to be beyond economical repair, the diagnostic fee still applies: the diagnosis was the job, and knowing not to spend money on a repair is worth having.
Do I get charged twice if a part has to be ordered?
No. If a part needs ordering we book a return visit to fit it, and there is no second call-out fee. You pay for the part and the labour to finish the job, nothing else.
How long is the warranty?
12 months on parts we supply and fit, and 3 months on workmanship. If the same fault comes back within 7 days of the repair, we return with no call-out fee.
Can you give me an exact arrival time?
We book a two hour arrival window rather than a fixed time, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, so the day's route holds together and everyone gets seen when they were told. A 9–11am window means the technician arrives somewhere in that window. If you ring before 10:30am, same-day may be possible.
Book a repair
Tell us the appliance and the suburb. We'll come back with the next available window, usually within one business day.