I admit, I only use my Whirlpool dishwasher about once every 12 days
because I live alone and large things, like pots, are too frequently
needed, so I do those by hand. (Besides, the washer doesn't clean deep
objects well.) I also never put dishes in that are visibly dirty from,
say, 15 feet away. Yesterday, I heard a steady noise (the washer is
almost full, so I was going to run it today) and I saw dirty water
spreading over the bottom. It was there this morning as well. Last I
checked, the garbage disposal was draining properly. I'm tempted
simply to run the dishwasher and see what happens. (Oddly, all my
manual says about this is "is the cycle done?")

Would this be a foolish risk?

Lenona.

wrote:
I admit, I only use my Whirlpool dishwasher about once every 12 days
because I live alone and large things, like pots, are too frequently
needed, so I do those by hand. (Besides, the washer doesn't clean deep
objects well.) I also never put dishes in that are visibly dirty from,
say, 15 feet away. Yesterday, I heard a steady noise (the washer is
almost full, so I was going to run it today) and I saw dirty water
spreading over the bottom. It was there this morning as well. Last I
checked, the garbage disposal was draining properly. I'm tempted
simply to run the dishwasher and see what happens. (Oddly, all my
manual says about this is "is the cycle done?")

Would this be a foolish risk?

Lenona.

Yes. Most likely there is a blockage in the drain line between the
dishwasher and the connection to the sink.

On Fri, 04 May 2007 09:26:08 -0700, lenona321 wrote:

I admit, I only use my Whirlpool dishwasher about once every 12 days
because I live alone and large things, like pots, are too frequently
needed, so I do those by hand. (Besides, the washer doesn't clean deep
objects well.) I also never put dishes in that are visibly dirty from,
say, 15 feet away. Yesterday, I heard a steady noise (the washer is
almost full, so I was going to run it today) and I saw dirty water
spreading over the bottom. It was there this morning as well. Last I
checked, the garbage disposal was draining properly. I'm tempted
simply to run the dishwasher and see what happens. (Oddly, all my
manual says about this is "is the cycle done?")

Would this be a foolish risk?

Lenona.

Its foolish but not too risky. You will just waste water and dishes will
be dirty. Look at the bottom near the drain. Probably a screen filter of
some sort that needs cleaning. I used to have to do this twice a week
until I finally got my wife to start rinsing the dishes before putting
them in the washer..

OK, I'll look for blockage - though why the water should start backing
up more than 10 days after I last used it, I can't guess.

Also, is it OK to use Drano - or something less toxic?

Lenona.

wrote:
OK, I'll look for blockage - though why the water should start backing
up more than 10 days after I last used it, I can't guess.

Also, is it OK to use Drano - or something less toxic?

Lenona.

NOT if it might sit in the pipes/washer base for more than a few minutes!
And rouch on a septic sytem if there is one, too; especially ANY metal
parts.

On 4 May 2007 09:26:08 -0700, wrote:

I admit, I only use my Whirlpool dishwasher about once every 12 days
because I live alone and large things, like pots, are too frequently
needed, so I do those by hand. (Besides, the washer doesn't clean deep
objects well.) I also never put dishes in that are visibly dirty from,
say, 15 feet away. Yesterday, I heard a steady noise (the washer is
almost full, so I was going to run it today) and I saw dirty water
spreading over the bottom. It was there this morning as well. Last I
checked, the garbage disposal was draining properly. I'm tempted
simply to run the dishwasher and see what happens. (Oddly, all my
manual says about this is "is the cycle done?")

Would this be a foolish risk?

Lenona.


I've heard of this happening if the drain line doesn't have an 'air
break' or the line isn't routed high then low. Might want to check
there.

tom @ www.Consolidated-Loans.info

On May 5, 6:52 pm, Just Joshin wrote:
On 4 May 2007 09:26:08 -0700, wrote:

I admit, I only use my Whirlpool dishwasher about once every 12 days
because I live alone and large things, like pots, are too frequently
needed, so I do those by hand. (Besides, the washer doesn't clean deep
objects well.) I also never put dishes in that are visibly dirty from,
say, 15 feet away. Yesterday, I heard a steady noise (the washer is
almost full, so I was going to run it today) and I saw dirty water
spreading over the bottom. It was there this morning as well. Last I
checked, the garbage disposal was draining properly. I'm tempted
simply to run the dishwasher and see what happens. (Oddly, all my
manual says about this is "is the cycle done?")

Would this be a foolish risk?

Lenona.

I've heard of this happening if the drain line doesn't have an 'air
break' or the line isn't routed high then low. Might want to check
there.

tom @ www.Consolidated-Loans.info


Exactly. If there is an air break, the water will back up and come
out of the air break, instead of going into the dishwasher. And if
it has a high loop that goes up as high as the underside of the
countertop, the water would have to back up in the sink higher than
that for it to get into the dishwasher.

For this to have happened, water is backing up in the sink drain,
which is the other major problem that needs to be addressed.

On 5 May 2007 07:29:26 -0700, wrote:

OK, I'll look for blockage - though why the water should start backing
up more than 10 days after I last used it, I can't guess.

Also, is it OK to use Drano - or something less toxic?

I wouldn't use Drano. Someone who lived one floor up from my mother
used Drano or something like it, and it backed up into my mother's
sink and ate away a large part of the bottom of her Dutch oven, a cast
iron pot with a lid that she had used for 60 years with no problems.

Ruined it.



Lenona.

On 5 May 2007 07:29:26 -0700, wrote:

OK, I'll look for blockage - though why the water should start backing
up more than 10 days after I last used it, I can't guess.

I don't think the washer drain hose is clogged. Because something
else is backing up. Like you say the washer hasn't been used. The
problem is in the main drain after the garbage disposal or the garbage
disposal is cloogged.

Try running the garbage disposal to remove the clog or at least to see
if the clog is there or elsewhere. It may back up a little more in
the dishwasher, but you have to check and that's not so bad.

Also, is it OK to use Drano - or something less toxic?

No. See prior post.

Lenona.