Is your Kitchenaid dishwasher not spraying water? Are you concerned that the dishwasher won’t clean the dishes anymore, and you are unsure why that’s the case?
Your Kitchenaid dishwasher won’t spray water because it lacks water, the spray arms are obstructed or damaged, the circulation pump is faulty, or the chopper blade is clogged.
Once you determine which among the five issues is stopping your Kitchenaid dishwasher from spraying water, you’ll be able to fix it, and I’ll help you.
I’ll discuss the five issues, how they will likely prevent your Kitchenaid dishwasher from spraying water, and how to correct them. After that, we’ll discuss other Kitchenaid dishwasher-related issues you can troubleshoot DIY.
The goal is to bypass calling a dishwasher expert and paying a lot for their expertise. Hopefully, this troubleshooting guide will help you achieve that.
Let’s dive in!
In a hurry? Below are the quick fixes for the five issues that could stop your Kitchenaid dishwasher from spraying water.
Kitchenaid Dishwasher Troubleshooting Not Spraying Water – Quick Guide
| – | Likely Cause | What to Check | Quick Fix |
| . | Failed water supply | Water supply valve is off, insufficient water pressure, possible leakage, or faulty water inlet valve or float switch | Ensure the water supply valve is on and the water pressure is at least 20psi. Fix any leakage source and replace a faulty water inlet valve or float switch. |
| 2. | Obstructed spray arms | Dish overload or clog buildup | Properly load the dishes and clear any clogs around the spray arms. |
| 3. | Damaged spray arms | Broken parts | Replace the spray arms if they are damaged |
| 4. | Faulty circulation pump | Clogged or damaged pump | Clean the circulation pump if clogged and replace it if it’s damaged |
| 5. | Clogged chopper blade | Food clogging | Clear any food clogging around the chopper blade |
Why Is My Kitchenaid Dishwasher Not Spraying Water?
A dishwasher has to spray water to clean the dishes. If that doesn’t happen, the dishwasher is as good as dead. And when it comes to a Kitchenaid dishwasher, here are five issues that could stop it from spraying water:
1. Failed Water Supply
Your Kitchenaid dishwasher depends on water to clean the dishes, and you can’t expect it to spray any water if the water doesn’t get in (into the unit) in the first place.
Overall, you can tell if that’s the case with the behavior of the dishwasher. Ideally, a dishwasher shouldn’t be quiet, especially when filling up with water. If that’s the case, the chances are that no water is flowing into it.
Here are some issues to check if your dishwasher is not getting any water:
- The water supply valve could be off – If the water supply valve is off, water won’t flow to the dishwasher, and consequently, the dishwasher won’t have any water to spray.
- Insufficient water pressure – Your dishwasher needs a water supply pressure of at least 20 psi. If your home water pressure is lower than that, it won’t be enough to force water into the dishwasher, and thus your dishwasher won’t spray.
- Possible leakage – The water could be leaking somewhere and thus unable to reach the dishwasher. In that case, you must watch out for any possible leakages and address them.
- Faulty water inlet valve – The water inlet valve’s job is to regulate water flow and prevent an overflow. It, however, fails to do that when it’s faulty, thus stopping the dishwasher from filling up with water or spraying any.
- Faulty float switch – The float switch is another component that prevents an overfill. Its job is to stop excess water from getting into the dishwasher. It’s, however, unable to do that when it’s faulty and may instead prevent the dishwasher from receiving any water.
Fix
First, check the water supply valve to turn it on if it’s off. Then use a home water pressure gauge to measure your home water pressure. It should be 20-120 psi. If that’s not the case, check for possible kinks, straighten them out, and adjust the pressure from the main valve.
If there are any sources of leakages, fix them or call a plumber. Then use a multimeter to determine if the water inlet valve is working. The lack of continuity means it’s not and thus needs a replacement.
As for the float switch, try adjusting it manually, but if that doesn’t work and you suspect it to be faulty, replace it.
2. Obstructed Spray Arms
The spray arms are responsible for turning around and spraying water over the dishes to enable them to clean up. They are, however, unable to move if they are obstructed by anything, and most likely the following:
- Dish overload – If you overload your Kitchenaid dishwasher, some dishes will likely get in the way of the spray arms and stop them from turning. Once that happens, the spray arms won’t spray water over the dirty dishes.
- Clog buildup – Lime and food residues may build up around the spray arm and stop them from turning. That’s why cleaning the dishwasher and spray arms as often as possible is advisable.
Fix
Stop the dishwasher and check the dish load. If the dishes are over-stacked, reduce and rearrange them appropriately. Ensure the spray arms have enough room to move about and spray water.
If the spray arms are clogged, clean off the clogging. Consider investing in a decent water softener if it’s a case of lime buildup (associated with using had water). Besides, doing that will also save you from detergent overuse, as hard water uses more detergent than soft water.
3. Damaged Spray Arms
It could be that the spray arms are not obstructed but damaged. If so, the result is the same – they won’t be able to spin and spray water. So, inspect them.
Fix
Consider replacing the spray arms if they are damaged.
4. Faulty Circulation Pump
The circulation pump, which you find just below the spray arms, forces soapy water out of the tub via the spray arms. It, however, can’t do that if it’s either clogged (by food particles) or damaged. So, you’ve to inspect it for the two issues.
Fix
Consider cleaning the circulation pump, especially the filter, if it’s clogged. Replace it, however, if it’s damaged.
5. Clogged Chopper Blade
Lastly, your Kitchenaid dishwasher might not be spraying water because the chopper blade is clogged by food debris. This blade is responsible for chopping down food particles into pieces as the dishwasher cleans.
So, the food may clog it if you don’t clean it up, and once that happens, it stops the circulation pump from running. And as we saw, the dishwasher won’t spray water if the circulation pump doesn’t run.
Fix
Clean the chopper blade to get rid of any food obstruction around it.
New Kitchenaid Dishwasher Not Spraying Water
It’s uncommon for a newly bought Kitchenaid dishwasher not to spray water. It, however, can happen due to failed water supply or obstructed spray arms.
Concerning the first issue;
It could be that the dishwasher is not getting water because the supply valve is off, the water pressure is not sufficient (below 20 psi), there’s a possible leakage, or the float switch or water inlet valve is malfunctioning.
As for the second issue;
It could be that the spray arms are obstructed by dishes (due to overloading the dishwasher) or food debris (which you can fix by rearranging the dishes properly and not overloading the appliance).
Kitchenaid Dishwasher Filling with Water but Not Spraying
Though you expect your Kitchenaid dishwasher to spray water when it fills up, it’s not always the case. Sometimes the dishwasher won’t do that, possibly due to obstructed or damaged spray arms.
In that case, you should clear any obstruction around the spray arms, including food debris and too many dishes. But if the spray arms are damaged, replace them.
Kitchenaid Dishwasher Arms Not Spraying Water
A Kitchenaid dishwasher spray arms should move freely to spray water. In that case, they won’t do that if they are obstructed or damaged.
Speaking of obstruction;
The dishes could obstruct the spray arms (in case you overload or load them wrongly) or food debris from failing to adequately and routinely clean the dishwasher.
However, if the spray arms are damaged, then you should replace them or have a dishwasher expert do that for you.
People Also Ask
1. Why Won’t My Kitchenaid Dishwasher Fill with Water?
Your KitchenAid dishwasher won’t fill with water because it’s not getting any water. Some explanations include failing to turn on the water supply, a low water pressure (below 20 psi), obstructed overfill protection, or a defective water inlet valve.
It could also be due to an unlatched door (which could point to a defective door switch), a kinked drain hose, or a bad main control board. If any of the mentioned components are faulty, you must replace them.
2. Why Is My Dishwasher Not Spraying Water?
Your dishwasher might not be spraying water for different reasons. It could be that the dishwasher is not getting any water due to not turning on the water supply, an issue like low water pressure, a faulty float switch or water inlet valve, or possible leakage.
But still, it could be due to obstructed spray arms (either by dishes or food debris), a clogged chopper blade, or a defective circulation pump.
3. How Do You Fix a Dishwasher That Won’t Spray Water?
To fix a dishwasher that won’t spray water, you must first identify the underlying cause. But overall, here are tips to help you fix your dishwasher when it struggles to spray water:
- Rearrange the dishes and avoid overloading the dishwasher
- Clean the spray arms if they are obstructed by food debris
- Replace damaged spray arms
- Ensure the dishwasher has ample water supply – check if the water supply is on and the water pressure is at least 20 psi.
- Replace the overfill protection or the water inlet valve if they are faulty.
- Clean the circulation pump if its filthy and replace it if it’s faulty
- Clear any food clogging from the chopper blade
Concluding Thought:
Above is a troubleshooting guide for a Kitchenaid dishwasher not spraying water. As shared, the reason could be failed water supply, obstructed or damaged spray arms, a faulty circulation pump or a clogged chopper blade.
Thus, it’s imperative to ensure that your Kitchenaid dishwasher gets water, the spray arms and circulation pump work just fine, and the chopper blade is clog-free.
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