HOW DOES A DISHWASHER WORK?

The heating element is located at the base of your dishwasher tub. It heats the water used during a wash cycle and raises air temperature during a dry cycle.

The dispenser is a small, rectangular-shaped container with a latch usually located inside the dishwasher door. It automatically releases detergent and rinse aid at the proper time during a dishwasher cycle.

You choose your dishwasher cycles and settings from the control pad. It’s a touchpad with buttons on the top or front of your dishwasher door that offers varying wash and dry functions to get the right clean for your dishes.

When loading a dishwasher, dishes and utensils are placed on a dishwasher rack. Dishwashers generally have two or three racks. Third rack dishwashers, like KitchenAid^® dishwashers with 360º Max Jets^™ Third Rack, have an additional level of storage.

Dishwashers typically come with a moveable silverware basket on the lower rack that holds cutlery. You can sometimes shift it around to a more convenient place if you are washing larger items like pots, pans and casserole dishes.

A dishwasher has two or three rotating wash arms that circulate water throughout the interior during the wash and rinse cycle. They are usually located underneath the upper rack and beneath the lower rack in the base of a dishwasher tub. Select models have a third spray arm on the ceiling, above the top rack.

The door latch ensures that the dishwasher door remains closed. Once you select a cycle and start your dishwasher, it activates a safety switch that secures the door while it’s running.

The water inlet valve controls the flow of water into the dishwasher tub by opening and closing the valve during a cycle.

The circulation pump and motor control the powerful streams of water delivered through the spray arms. The pump pushes the water into the spray arms, while the motor increases water pressure to activate the rotation.

During a dishwasher cycle, the filtration system filters out food particles as well as clears dirty dishwater. A clean dishwasher filter can help ensure that your dishes come out ready for your next meal.

When a dishwasher cycle begins, the inlet valve releases water into the dishwasher tub to a certain water level, just underneath the bottom rack. An overfill protection float on the bottom of the tub can detect the water level and signal it to stop filling the tub. Learn ways to troubleshoot your dishwasher if it’s not filling with water.

The heating element in the base of the dishwasher tub typically heats the water to 130–140°F for a normal cycle. The hot water dissolves and activates dishwasher detergent, breaks down grease on your dishes and helps glasses dry spot-free.

Once the water is the proper temperature, your dishwasher dispenses the detergent into the water in the tub.

The circulation pump and motor push water through the spray arms as they spin water in a steady stream throughout your dishwasher tub. Food particles and other debris are cleared from your dishware and trapped by the filter at the base of the tub.

Dirty water and other debris collected by the filter are drained through a hose and into a garbage disposal and/or your home’s waste system.

A rinse cycle does not use detergent, it simply spritzes dishware with heated, clean water to rinse detergent residue. After the rinse cycle is complete, the water is once again drained out of the dishwasher through a hose.

During a normal dry setting, the heating element generates hot air and circulates it around to evaporate residual water and dry dishware. Drying cycles can vary depending on the features and settings of your dishwasher.