When a KitchenAid dishwasher is operating normally it will complete an entire wash cycle from start to finish. But, a few issues can occur where a KitchenAid dishwasher will shut off part way through a cycle, or at random times when it’s not in use. In this article, I will cover why a KitchenAid dishwasher does this, and how to get it to work as it should.
As a general rule, water can’t get into your dishwasher, water can’t drain from your dishwasher, or a component has failed and needs to be repaired or replaced. First inspect the spray arms, and the float at the bottom of your KitchenAid dishwasher, then do the following steps.
Another common issue is the door latch is faulty. When the computer on your KitchenAid dishwasher will register that the door is open, and shut off. But, there are few simple fixes which can be done that don’t require any
Reasons Why KitchenAid Dishwasher Keeps Shutting Off/Stopping
During a wash cycle a KitchenAid dishwasher will have a few pauses while it’s checking certain things but won’t shut off automatically. If you notice the control panel goes off, or you return to your dishwasher and nothing has happened after an hour or two, then it indicates an issue. Here are the reasons why this happens.
There is an issue with water supply entering your KitchenAid dishwasher, your dishwasher can’t drain due to a blockage, or the waste water drain hose, or an internal component has failed and needs to be repaired or replaced. Begin, with the steps below.
Each of the steps are equally likely to be the issue. So, I’ve ordered them from easiest to check to hardest. That way you can fix this issue with your KitchenAid dishwasher as soon as possible.
If you try each of the steps and it still happens, then there is an issue with one of the components like the door latch that requires a repair technician to fix. Therefore, you should contact KitchenAid support to see if the repair is covered under warranty, and to schedule a repair technician to fix it for you. Here are the 5 reasons why this happens, and instructions on how to fix each issue yourself if possible.
1. A blockage in the spray arms, or spray arms can’t rotate
The spray arms are responsible for spraying water over your dishes. They have a row of small holes. It’s common for these to be blocked with particles of food, or hard water deposits.
When this happens water can’t spray out correctly, which can trigger your KitchenAid dishwasher to stop. It’s also common for the spray arm to be blocked due to the way the dishwasher was stacked. Or, because something like a wood spoon has fallen, and is blocking the spray arm from rotating.
If this happens, your KitchenAid dishwasher can stop. An easy check to do is to open the door to your dishwasher, and turn the spray arms on the top and bottom of your dishwasher yourself, to make sure they can move freely and do a full rotation. If they can, then ensure they don’t need to be cleaned.
Spray arms are very easy to inspect and clean. In fact, the entire spray arm can be removed very easily from your dishwasher. Typically, it’s easiest to pull out the trays, and then remove them.
After that you can clean them in the sink using an old toothbrush. The inside of the spray arms are hollow.
By taking them off you can be sure there is no blockage in the spray arms at all. Refer to this YouTube video that shows how to clean the spray arms.
2. Can’t drain because of drain hose
Dishwashers are a bit different to other appliances because the drain hose needs to be installed in a special way. Otherwise, it won’t allow the water to drain from your dishwasher properly. A bend in the drain hose needs to be present, and needs to be 20 inches (half a meter) off the floor.
Refer to this article on the official KitchenAid website that shows a video of how the drain hose should look. The drain hose can also have a kink in it, that happened when/if your dishwasher was moved.
In other cases, there can be a grime build up, that is clogging the drain hose. If this happens the onboard computer on your KitchenAid dishwasher will detect your dishwasher can’t drain, and it will stop mid cycle.
3. Blockage in the drain pump that needs to be cleared
There is a drain pump at the base of KitchenAid dishwashers. It’s common for there to be a small piece of food, or a broken off piece of a cup, or a dish that is lodged in the part of it that rotates. On top of that many KitchenAid dishwashers have a screen that sits above the hole where the water gets sucked out by the drain pump.
Clearing a blockage in the drain pump, and the area around it is very straightforward. The one thing is, you will need to disconnect your KitchenAid dishwasher from the wall outlet.
If your KitchenAid dishwasher stops, and there is water pooling at the bottom of your dishwasher it almost always indicates an issue with water draining from your dishwasher.
4. No water supply to your dishwasher from the water supply line
Water flows into your dishwasher and is sprayed onto the dishes by the spray arms. The water is supplied by a hose that connects to the wall on your home, which connects to the plumbing. Similar to the faucets in your kitchen, and bathroom.
If there is an issue with the water supply hose, water won’t enter your KitchenAid dishwasher, and it will stop. On top of that, there are screens that filter the water before it enters your dishwasher.
These need to be cleaned, if they have a building up of sediment and hard water deposits. Therefore, you should inspect the:
- Water supply hose to your dishwasher
- The filter screens where the water supply hoses connect to your dishwasher
Almost all dishwashers have the same filter screens.
For the water supply hose at the rear of your dishwasher, inspect it to see if it’s leaking, or if there are any kinks in it. Also, turn the water supply off using the valve where the water supply line connects to the wall. And turn it on again.
When it is supplying water you should see the hose move as water starts flowing through it. If in doubt about either of these steps, or if you don’t want to do it yourself contact KitchenAid support to have a repair technician repair your dishwasher for you.
5. The door latch is faulty
The door latch on a KitchenAid has a sensor that detects when the door is open and closed. If the door latch is faulty the computer on your dishwasher will shut off randomly because the door opens and closes. Visually inspect the door latch and see if you can see any signs that it’s damaged or broken.
The door latch is fairly easy to replace yourself. But, it’s important to identify if this is the issue that is causing it to happen. Due to this fact, it’s typically best to have a repair technician take a look at your KitchenAid dishwasher.
6. Float is out of position and needs to be put back manually
The float in a dishwasher is a plastic component about 2 inches (5 cm) across, that is located on the bottom of your dishwasher below the bottom rack. The float can get stuck when it’s in the open position. When this happens your dishwasher will malfunction because it tries to drain water from the bottom of your dishwasher, but the float won’t return to the closed position.
Which tells your dishwasher there is no water in the bottom of your dishwasher. If you can’t find the circular float refer to this page on the official KitchenAid website.
It will allow you to download the owner’s manual. Or, refer to your paper owners manual for the diagram that shows where it’s located and how it should be positioned.
KitchenAid Dishwasher Stops During Wash Cycle
The wash cycle that a KitchenAid dishwasher does, involves spraying water over the dishes a few times. This part of the cycle, and when your dishwasher is draining are when your dishwasher is at its loudest. There are a few issues that will cause a KitchenAid dishwasher to stop during the wash cycle, here is what they are, and how to stop it from happening.
In general, water can’t enter your dishwasher because of an issue with the water supply line, or the spray arms. Both need to be inspected and adjusted. It can also be caused by a blockage where the water drains from the bottom of your KitchenAid dishwasher, begin by doing the following steps.
I have put together numbered steps a bit further up in this article. Refer to those, and start with step 1, which is to check your dishwasher can drain. Then do each of the steps one by one. If your dishwasher still stops during the wash cycle, do each additional step until you’ve identified and fixed what the issue is.
KitchenAid Dishwasher Stops During Drying Cycle
The drying part of a dishwasher cycle is not compulsory because you can let them drip dry, and/or dry them with a tea towel. However, when it does work it dries the dishes almost instantly, and is one of the main functions of a dishwasher. If your KitchenAid dishwasher stops during the drying cycle, here is why it happens, and how to troubleshoot this issue.
In general, there is a fault with the heating element, or the fan. Both of which are difficult to repair yourself, and require a repair technician. First, restart your KitchenAid dishwasher, and if it’s still not working contact KitchenAid support.
The fan sucks the hot steamy air out of your dishwasher. If it’s not working then your KitchenAid dishwasher can overheat, which will cause it to turn off. The heating element can also have failed and needs to be repaired or replaced.
Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on December 12, 2022.
Typically, it’s best to have a repair technician inspect this type of issue. But, if you have significant experience repairing appliances then you can identify which component is having a problem using a voltmeter. If so, refer to videos on Youtube for how to inspect and replace the heating elements, and extruder fan on your KitchenAid dishwasher.
KitchenAid Dishwasher Stops During Fill Cycle
The fill cycle is the second thing a KitchenAid dishwasher does at the start of a cycle, after it has checked if there is any water in the bottom of your dishwasher. Therefore, you can tell there’s an issue very soon after starting your dishwasher. When you notice your KitchenAid dishwasher stops during the fill cycle, here is why it happens.
As a general rule, the water supply line is kinked, or damaged, the float is out of position, the drain hose has come out of place, or an internal component has failed. If an internal component has failed it requires a repair technician. But, all the other reasons can be fixed yourself.
I have provided step by step instructions for each of these 6 steps near the top of this article. You should do each one, one by one, and if it still happens after that you should organize a repair technician to fix it for you.
Typically, it’s best to contact KitchenAid support because it’s possible the repair is covered under warranty. They can also advise of the best way to have a repair technician fix it for you.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on December 12, 2022.
How to Fix KitchenAid Dishwasher Stops Mid-Cycle
When a KitchenAid dishwasher stops mid cycle it can be due to a number of reasons. However, there are a range of easy troubleshooting steps you should do first. After that, depending on your experience you can get a repair technician to take a look at it, or repair or replace a component yourself, here is a full rundown of how to fix your KitchenAid dishwasher when it stops mid-cycle.
In general, inspect the float to see that it doesn’t need to be cleaned. The float tells the computer on your KitchenAid dishwasher what the water level is, but it can have grime or food blocking it. After that, ensure the spray arms can rotate freely, and then do the steps below.
It’s common for the spray arms to be blocked by a utensil, plate, bowl, or cup. As a result, they can rotate, and your dishwasher will stop. But, there are in total 6 reasons why it happens.
I have covered step by step instructions for each of them near the start of this article. Scroll to the top and start with step 1, which explains in detail how to inspect the spray arms, and clean them if necessary. After that do each additional step, until you’ve identified the source of the issue.
Overall, the float has grime and can’t function correctly, or there is a food particle stuck underneath it, the drain hose has moved out of position, and your KitchenAid dishwasher fills and drains at the same time, or the water supply lines are leaking or kinked.
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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on December 12, 2022.