Dishwasher won't stop

[jbrophy]

KitchenAid KuDK01ILBS1. I recently moved into a house that had a dishwasher in it. We ran it before buying during inspection but did not realize that it would never stop. It just keeps on going and going. I let it run 3 hours just to make sure. Suggestions?

Thanks
Jesse

[Dan O.]

Water temp?

It just keeps on going and going.

At what point in the cycle does it 'stick'?

Many electronically controlled models have 'thermal holds' in their wash cycle wherein if the wash water isn't hot enough (or the control can't sense that temperature for some reason) it will delay the cycle while trying to heat the water using its internal heater.

How hot is your hot water set to and do you run the hot tap at a nearby sink before starting the dishwasher?

How hot is the water inside the dishwasher at the point the cycle seems to be sticking?

Can you tell if the dishwasher's heater element is working?

Dan O.
www.Appliance411.com
The Appliance Information Site
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[jbrophy]

Hey Dan thank for the reply and your time

I did some checks based on your questions and you look spot on. The dishwasher
fills
runs
drains
runs a little more
fills again
and then runs and runs with the water heating light on

I opened it multie times and touched the element and it is clearly not turning on. I did a probe thermometer multiple times and averaged 104F.

What do you suggest next? Is replacing the element the way to go and is that something that someone with no such skillset can do?

Thanks again
Jesse

[Dan O.]

Not heating water

I did a probe thermometer multiple times and averaged 104F.

That's too cold.

I opened it multie times and touched the element and it is clearly not turning on.

That is likely the problem.

What do you suggest next? Is replacing the element the way to go

Not without testing it first, no, but it is a good place to start.

You can read about testing an electric element at the following link. While about range elements, it gives you the basic idea of what would need to be done.

LINK > How do I test an electric element?

You can see the replacement heater element for your model dishwasher at this link:

LINK > KitchenAid KUDK01ILBS1 Heater Element Kit

is that something that someone with no such skill set can do?

Most reasonably handy homeowners should be able to replace the heater element if needed. On your model the electronic control (supplied along with the replacement element) also needs to be changed which would likely be less difficult than replacing the element but extra time involved. Whether you can do either I couldn't say.

JMO

Dan O.
www.Appliance411.com
The Appliance Information Site
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