Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
My dishwasher is making a grinding noise. What could be the cause, and more importantly,
what is the solution?
Detergent can cake over the strainer inside of the pump.
I don’t think that is the cause.
Clean out the drain. There could be pieces of broken glass or plastic in there that grind
when the water is flowing down the drain.
What else could cause the noise?
There might be debris inside the chopper. Or the pump could be wearing out.
I’ll put that on the list of parts it is reasonable to replace. Could metal shavings
from a worn out pump make that noise?
Absolutely, especially if shavings rub against other components.
The fan blade might be the problem.
A loose fan blade will make weird noise, but rarely grinding. Though a heater fan, water
inlet valve or other components may wear out and start making noise.
All of those repairs are costly.
Compared to a dishwasher overflowing and flooding the house or wearing out to the point that
it acts like shrapnel in the washer, it isn’t that much money.
How could the grinding cause it to overflow?
When the pump no longer grinds and seizes, it might not be able to pump water out of
the washer. When the valve breaks, it may not be able to stop the flow of water in.
Attack of the dishwasher! The grinding noise in the back room was only a hint of the horrors
that awaited them!
At least you have warning.
But the unit should be turned off while I wait for a repairman to come by. And with
little kids, I go through a load of dishes a day.
I wonder if you have small toys like beads or Hot Wheel wheels in the dishwasher drain.
How could that happens?
How do bow ties, dried pasta, bangles and beads end up in your dryer’s lint catch?
How did your kids get small lego toys stuck in their ears?
OK, OK, with little kids piece parts end up everywhere.
At least you know the weird noise isn’t a bunch of unsecure bottles and sippy cups
rattling around in the dishwasher.
But it could easily be a suction nozzle or plastic piece from one stuck in a drain or
trapped against a motor, dying a very noisy death.