Why the filter needs your hand
Many dishwashers built in roughly the last fifteen years, from Whirlpool and KitchenAid to Bosch and GE, traded the old grinding chopper assembly for a quieter manual filter. That filter catches food so it is not sprayed back onto the dishes, which means someone has to empty it. Lacey’s housing skews new, with over 40 percent of homes built since 2000 and Hawks Prairie subdivisions centered around 2009, so this design fills most kitchens here. Olympia’s soft water lets surplus detergent leave a gummy film on the mesh. Where one of Lacey’s few iron-bearing wells or a rural private well supplies the house, the filter can also pick up a rusty tint along with the grease.
A packed filter starves the wash pump of water from the sump, so the spray arms turn weakly and dishes come out with grit or a dull coating. Water drains slowly and leaves a puddle that starts to smell by the second day. Bits that slip past a cracked or loose filter reach the drain pump, and a single cherry pit or shard of glass can jam its impeller. One of the repairs we see most after a skipped filter is a drain pump that hums without moving water. Next come spray arms with blocked jets, a wash motor laboring against choked flow, and door gaskets gummed with residue.
Cleaning the filter and spray arms
- 01Cut the power at the source
Switch off the dishwasher’s breaker, or unplug its cord in the cabinet under the sink if yours plugs in rather than being wired directly. Let the tub cool if a cycle just ran. Then roll the lower rack all the way out and set it on a towel on the counter.
- 02Twist out the cylinder filter
Find the round filter in the floor of the tub, usually at the back or center. Give it a quarter turn to the left and it releases; the flat mesh screen underneath comes up next. If you see only a fixed grate, check the manual; older models with a chopper have nothing to remove.
- 03Rinse and brush gently
Rinse both pieces under warm running water. Work a soft brush and a drop of dish soap over the mesh, pushing from inside the cylinder toward the outside. Skip wire brushes and scouring pads, which tear the fine mesh. Hold it up to the light and check that you can see evenly through every section.
- 04Clear the sump with care
With the filter out, look into the opening with a flashlight. Wear gloves and pick out any glass, bones, fruit pits or labels by hand. Wipe the grime ring around the opening with a damp cloth. Do not poke tools down toward the pump or pour chemical drain cleaners into the tub.
- 05Open up the spray arm jets
Most lower spray arms pull straight up or unscrew from a hub, and upper arms unclip or unscrew beneath the upper rack. Rinse each one, then clear blocked jets with a toothpick and flush the bits out the center. Spin each arm by hand after reinstalling; it should turn without rubbing.
- 06Lock it back and test
Set the flat screen back in its seat, drop in the cylinder and turn it clockwise until it clicks or its arrows line up. If it sits loose, scraps slip around it and head for the pump. Restore power, run a short rinse, and look afterward to confirm the tub floor drained completely.
Tools for a filter cleaning
- A soft brush or old toothbrush
- Dish soap and warm water
- Rubber gloves for the sump
- A toothpick or wooden skewer
- A flashlight
- A towel for drips and the lower rack
When a clean filter does not fix it
If water still stands in the tub after you have cleaned the filter and made sure the sink drain and air gap are clear, the drain pump, a check valve or the drain hose needs attention, and those sit behind the kick plate near wiring. Call our team as well for a dishwasher that hums without spraying, leaves dishes cold and wet, leaks from the door or underneath, or will not start at all. Our technicians check the pump, heating element, inlet valve and door switch where they sit, then write out one figure for you to look over while every part is still in place.
Filters in Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater kitchens
Soft Olympia water is gentle on heating elements but lets detergent overdosing coat the filter and tub in a slick film. Lacey and Tumwater water runs soft to moderate, so a light white crust can form on the mesh. Homes on private wells at the county’s rural edges sometimes add iron sediment, and that grit can wear pump seals and clog the inlet screen on the water valve. When a clean filter falls short, our technician tests the rest of the machine. The diagnostic visit costs $99, and approving the written repair price makes that $99 part of it; decline it, and the bill never grows past that visit.
Ten minutes at the sink each month keeps the pump, spray arms and your glassware in good shape. When water sits in the tub anyway, our technicians will track down why.
Request serviceQuestions on this care note
How often should I clean my dishwasher filter?
Once a month suits most households, and every two weeks if you run a load daily, skip pre-rinsing or cook for a large family. Check sooner if plates come out gritty or you smell something sour when you open the door. The filter lifts out in seconds, so a quick look whenever you empty the lower rack keeps it from getting bad.
Does my dishwasher even have a removable filter?
Most models from roughly the last fifteen years do, usually a cylinder you twist out of the tub floor. Older machines often rely on a hard food chopper and a self-cleaning screen instead, leaving nothing for you to remove. If you are unsure, pull the lower rack and look for a round handle marked with arrows, or look up the model number in the manual.
Can I run the filter through the dishwasher to clean it?
It is not a good idea. The trapped food simply gets sprayed around the tub, and with the filter out of its seat, debris can head straight for the pump. A few minutes at the sink, with warm water and a soft-bristled brush, cleans it better. Avoid bleach soaks and scouring pads, which weaken the plastic frame and tear the mesh screen.
Why is there standing water in my dishwasher after I cleaned the filter?
If the filter is clean and locked in place, the water is being held back further down the line. The drain hose may be kinked, the air gap on the sink deck may be packed with gunk, the check valve may be stuck, or the pump itself may have jammed or burned out. Our technician runs a drain test, finds the blockage or failed part and prices the repair in writing before starting.
