whirlpool only washes bottom tray

[robingkirby]

I apologize for not following the proper etiquette with the forum in my previous posts.

I am having a problem with my dishwasher, it started after about a year of installing. The serial number I have is FP5135634. The top rack doesn't always wash. The bottom rack usually comes out clean. We do have alot of problems with minerals in our water. Bathtub, toilet all turn orange. I don't know if the has anything to do with it. I have used the cleaner that you run through it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[JohnD]

Most likely cause is that the rotor for the upper tray is blocked. This might be bits of food in the jets. You should be able to take the arm out, inspect for blockages and poke them free.

I have heard that Europeans mostly scrape or rinse bits of food off before putting things in the dishwasher, and Americans mostly don't. I have no way of knowing how true this is, but food fragments can cause blockages.

It is just possible that the rotor is stuck and not spinning freely, but you will observe that if you give the rotor a tap.

The way European dishwashers usually work, is that there is a water outlet in the "ceiling" of the chamber. A jet of water squirts down this into a tube coming up from centre of the upper rotor which generally pivots underneath the upper tray. If any object such as a large pan is placed on top of the upper tray it can obstruct this water jet. If any large object is placed in the lower tray it can obstruct the upper arm and prevent it spinning.

You should be able to observe that there are no utensils blocking the water jet and the free movement of the arms after loading the dishwasher and before starting it. If you open the dishwasher mid-cycle you should be able to observe the upper arm spinning, but it will stop shortly after you open the door.

I don't know about orange staining. Assuming it is not from tomato ketchup, it might be iron salts in the water, or some kind of particles which I have only experienced when using water pumped from a private well. We don't generally get them over here, only dissolved limestone which the water softener will absorb provided you keep it topped up with granular salt. If you do have a problem with limescale, you will see it crusted on the heating element.