The dishwasher has an unpleasant or burning smell
A curious phenomenon has arisen: your dishwasher smells bad while you are changing the washing programs ... To avoid plugging your nose every time you open the door of your dishwasher, check these spare parts that may be involved.
THE POTENTIAL CAUSES FOR THIS FAILURE:
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Dishwasher door constantly closed
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Clogged drain pipes
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Saturated filters
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Inside the dirty dishwasher
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Dirty joints
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Defective pest control filter
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The cycling pump is faulty
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Damaged electronic board
WARNING
Before you do anything to your appliance, make sure you disconnect it from the power supply.
There is a risk of electric shock.
The dishwasher door is constantly closed
You might sometimes notice standing water in the bottom of your device's tank. If the door is always closed water can condense inside and fall to the bottom and cause bad odours. Be sure to leave the door ajar between uses.
Drain pipes are clogged
Over the course of a machine’s use, the drains can be saturated with grime and your nose will suffer for it! You can avoid this phenomenon by regularly cleaning the drain pipe of your kitchen sink by pouring a mixture of water + white vinegar into it.
Filters are saturated
Clean the tank filter ideally once a week. Similarly, perform a thorough cleaning of the filter set once a month. Depending on the model, your dishwasher has a single filter or two nested baskets that you just have to unscrew. Once removed, clean the filters with water and a little dishwashing liquid to degrease. Using an old toothbrush will be more effective in removing residue without altering the filter sieve. Do not forget to clean the compartment housing the filter. Rinsing is not necessary: it will be done in the next cycle.
The inside of the dishwasher is dirty
Over time, your dishwashing machine will accumulate grease and bacteria that will generate a foul odour inside your tank. Repeated washing in a fast or low temperature program below 60 °C leads to general clogging of the dishwasher. This causes bad odours. In this case, the water is not hot enough to degrease well and eliminate the germs responsible for odours. To avoid this problem, it is necessary to carry out a thorough cleaning of the dishwasher. We advise you to use a high temperature program at least every 15 days.
After cleaning the dishwasher, place lemon slices with the dirty dishes to eliminate bad odours during the washing program.
The joints are dirty
The gaskets in a dishwasher are present around the door of your appliance. You will find two. The first seal ensures the tightness of the dishwasher door. The second seal is located at the bottom of the door to prevent leakage during the operation of the device. These seals and especially the seal of the door become clogged over many washes. Fatty deposits and bacteria will accumulate under the joint. This phenomenon is conducive to foul odours. To remedy this, you need to wipe the joints with a cloth or sponge soaked in white vinegar.
Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid in a bowl of water. Then scrub the dishwasher joints with a toothbrush soaked in the degreasing solution. Especially under the door’s bottom gasket and in the gaps.
The pest filter is defective
If you smell burning, it may be from an element in which one of the components has melted or burned. Start by checking the pest filter also called the capacitor which is located just after the power cord. It is used to filter incoming and outgoing pests in the dishwasher. It can sometimes swell and smell of burning. You may even sometimes observe sparks with or without smoke. In this case, the capacitor has been the victim of a short circuit and it will be necessary to change it.
The cycling pump is faulty
The cycling pump, also called circulation pump or the heating pump, present on some models of dishwasher is the element that heats the water and sends it into the washing arms. It has a propeller that can be blocked by a broken piece of glass, for example. In this case, the pump motor will excessively heat up and cause that suspicious smell of burning. Visually check the spare part to remove any objects. Be careful wear gloves to avoid any cuts! If that's not enough, test the cycling pump to see if it's defective. Replace it if this is the case.
The electronic card is damaged
The electronic card or electronic module of your dishwasher is the last item to inspect. Sometimes one of its components is damaged by a short circuit resulting in a burning odour. In this case, it will be necessary to replace the element. Unfortunately, its cost can be high and make repair expensive.