In article ,
"Nick" writes:
Just inherited a Hoover Optima D830 dishwasher. About 8-10 years old, hasn't
been used for last 4 years and little used before that. Still in situ, cold
fill only.
As a trial run I checked the filter on the inlet hose, set the most
intensive programme and pressed the start button. Sounds of water entering
and then the washing process started. Looking good thinks I.
Some while later the waste is pumped out successfully but it does not
refill. The program continues without water and the internal heater is still
live and working! I checked this during the 'Daily' segment of the program.
There was a lot of froth in the machine but I had not put any detergent in.

The rinse aid can froth a bit.

Started from the beginning again but no water fill.
Turned it off at the mains and tilted it sideways to look for bad
connections, broken wires or anything else obviously amiss. Didn't find
anything. Went through the trial run process again, filled again but not
filling after initial fill/drain.
The water inlet valve appears to be ok. It seems as if something is telling
the machine that it has sufficient water when in fact it has not.
I've googled for some hours without much success but have come across
reference to sticking float switches. Have checked inside the machine but
can see nothing that looks like it might be a float switch.
Tilted the machine again to look for anything that might be a float switch,
no joy.
Tried the trial run again, exactly the same. Filled again but not filling
after initial fill/drain.

After several attempts I have found that if I tilt the machine for a couple
of minutes it will fill at the beginning of a cycle but not again. Always
plenty of white froth.
Unfortunately I don't have any manuals, diagrams or any other paperwork.
Gut feeling is that this is a simple problem but I don't know how to go on.
Any ideas please?

There will be a water level switch somewhere. These are usually
a pressure switch (~3" diameter disc with thin tube emerging
from one side and connections on the other side). The thin tube
can get muck in it and fool the pressure switch into a wrong
reading.

Dishwashers (and washing machines) can misbehave in quite
unexpected ways when an unexpected set of sensor combinations
signal together. I found on mine that if the pressure switch
gets stuck on, the thing never switches off but just keeps
repeating its full wet, wash, rinse, dry cycle continuously.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]