Smeg DWD64SS sticks in cycle

[admin]

Much of the time the dishwasher operates normally. But from time to time it seems to stick when it is supposed to drain. I can hear it pumping, but in repeated short bursts rather than one long pump. The ticking from the timer stops and eventually the dishwasher halts operation.

I have checked and cleaned the filter at the bottom of the dishwasher (though I hadn’t done this in a long time and the mesh was pretty clogged).

I have also had a slow kitchen sink drain for some time, which finally reached crisis point last week and blocked completely. I bought a snake and succeeded in clearing the drain so that it now works well. I had hoped that the dishwasher problems were caused by the poor performance of the kitchen drain it was pumping into, but the dishwasher has malfunctioned twice since then out of about 6 operations.

On this model there are no lights on the front other than the on/off light, the salt and rinse aid indicators, and the delayed start light.

I always use the economy cycle at 55 degrees.

Any help hugely appreciated. Smeg technical gave me the name of Academy Engineering, but before I call them I want to make sure that it’s not something relatively simple that I can deal with myself. I’m pretty handy (have recently plumbed two bathrooms from the ground up) but I’m also pretty cautious about electricity and water.

[Del]

Re: Smeg DWD64SS sticks in cycle

Hi Tim,

Fisrt of all check that the plug is out ! ( I know this is obvious but we have to keep stating it)

Check the point where your dishwasher joins the trap from your sink as the spout that it is connected to could be partially blocked.

If that seems ok then there could be a blockage in the empty pump.

HTH

Del

[admin]

Re: Smeg DWD64SS sticks in cycle

Thanks Del.

The plug is out. I’ve been running the dishwasher into this sink set-up for 6-8 months but I dismantled things to be perfectly sure. There’s no blockage at that point either, indeed there’s hardly room for one. (For your information, it’s a Franke double sink and the dishwasher joins the drain from the smaller sink where it turns from horizontal to vertical; the two sink drains then join into one before the trap).

How would I check for a blockage in the pump?

As it happens, the dishwasher failed to cycle twice today but on the third try (just turning it off and then turning the dial to the beginning of the cycle again) it ran perfectly normally.

[admin]

Re: Smeg DWD64SS sticks in cycle

After running two days ago it failed three times in a row this morning, all because it filled and drained several times just before the wash cycle, then stopped itself.

I read some other postings, was led to the E2 article, and tried cleaning out what I think was the transfer tube. It doesn’t have a black flap, but has an open end pointing to the front of the machine. I used a plastic tie strap about 8 inches (200mm) long and got quite a lot of crud out. I also got some crud by probing under a hinged piece opposite the tube.

I bailed out the sump, removed all the bits of crud, and then refilled it with clean water. Tried the dishwasher and it is running properly as I write.

One question/concern. Have I probed far enough? How far back up the tube is a blockage likely to extend? I’m worried that my fix may be only temporary if the tube is still partly blocked higher up.

Thanks for all the help. Couldn’t have got this far without you.

[Del]

Re: Smeg DWD64SS sticks in cycle

I’m pretty sure you’ve sorted it Tim ! 😀

Del

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