Dishwasher maintenance: schedule, lifespan and costs
Updated
Overview
The dishwasher is a pump, a heater and a pair of spray arms in a sealed box, and the whole thing depends on a filter the size of a coffee cup in the floor of the tub. Keep that filter clean and the machine recirculates clear water, dries the dishes and smells of nothing. Let it fill and the dishes come out gritty, the tub smells, and the pump strains. There's one routine job for a dishwasher, and it's that filter, with a wipe of the door seal and a vinegar cycle to go with it.
Lifespan
A dishwasher lasts 9 to 12 years. What shortens that is the drain pump working against a clogged filter, and the heating element and control board going through years of hard water scale and heat. A machine that runs every day with a full filter is asking its pump to move water through sludge, and pumps that strain fail early. Hard water scale builds on the heating element and the spray arm holes and makes everything work harder.
What extends the life is a clean filter, a monthly vinegar cycle to clear scale, and loading that leaves the spray arms free to turn. The signs a dishwasher is near the end: a pump that's noisy or won't drain after the filter and hose are clear, a control board that resets itself or throws error codes, a heating element that no longer dries the dishes, and a tub that's rusting through at the rack guides.
Maintenance schedule
The one routine job, which does the work of several.
| Task | How often |
|---|---|
| Clean the dishwasher and its filter | the filter every month, a full clean every 1 to 3 months |
Alongside it, a couple of habits that aren't on a schedule: scrape plates before loading, since the filter catches what you don't, and leave the door ajar after a cycle so the tub dries.
Replacement cost
A new dishwasher costs $500 to $1,500 installed. The low end is a basic model that cleans well and makes noise doing it, and the high end buys a quieter machine with a third rack, a stainless tub and better drying. Installation is often included or a small added charge, and a new machine usually fits the old opening.
The repair-or-replace rule: if the repair would cost more than half of a new machine and the dishwasher is past the middle of its lifespan, replace it. A failed pump or control board on a dishwasher older than 9 years is a replacement. A door latch, a gasket, a spray arm, an inlet valve or a float switch is a repair, and several of those are parts an owner can change.
Common problems
- Dishes come out gritty, with bits of food on them: the filter is full. Clean the dishwasher and its filter.
- A bad smell when the door opens: the filter, the door seal or the bottom edge of the door. The full clean handles all of them.
- Standing water in the bottom after a cycle: a clogged filter first, then a kinked or clogged drain hose, then the drain pump. Clear the filter and check the hose before calling for service.
- Cloudy glasses: dirty water from a full filter, or hard water scale. Clean the filter and run a vinegar cycle, and use a rinse aid in a hard water home.
- Dishes still wet at the end: the heating element or the rinse aid dispenser. Fill the rinse aid first, since it's the usual cause.
- The dishwasher won't start or stops mid-cycle: a door latch that isn't engaging, a tripped float switch from too much water, or a control fault. Check the latch and the float before calling.
FAQ
How long does a dishwasher last?
About 9 to 12 years. A clean filter and a monthly vinegar cycle get it to the long end.
How much does a new dishwasher cost?
$500 to $1,500 installed, from a basic model to a quiet one with a stainless tub and a third rack.
Is it worth repairing a dishwasher?
If the repair is less than half the price of a new machine and the dishwasher is less than 9 years old, usually yes. A pump or a control board on an old machine is not.
Why does my dishwasher smell?
Food trapped in the filter and the door seal. Clean the filter every month, wipe the seal, and run a cycle with a cup of vinegar.
Should I rinse dishes before loading the dishwasher?
Scrape, don't rinse. Modern detergents need some food to work on, and scraping keeps the big pieces out of the filter.