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Is your Amana dishwasher failing to clean your kitchenware? If that’s the case, you’ve come to the right place. This problem can be frustrating, but it’s easy to fix if you know how.
Your Amana dishwasher is not cleaning because you’ve likely chosen an incorrect wash cycle that doesn’t match your dishes’ soil level. Besides, there could be a lack of water and insufficient detergent used for the washing process. Lastly, consider that the filter inside might be dirty or damaged, causing your dishwasher to spray dirty water onto your kitchenware.
Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about why this problem happens and what you can do to fix it.
Why Is My Amana Dishwasher Not Cleaning?
When your Amana dishwasher is in excellent working condition, you can expect clean dishes to come out of it each time.
But if it’s not cleaning, here are the reasons you’ll need to troubleshoot and rule out:
Incorrect Wash Cycle
About this: Just because your Amana dishwasher leaves your kitchenware dirty doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with it. Instead, your first troubleshooting step must be checking what wash cycles you use.
Each Amana dishwasher model comes with several wash cycles for you to choose from. Every cycle is different, as each is tailored for different situations.
For example, a Normal cycle is suitable for standard amounts of soiling on most types of kitchenware. However, dirtier dishes will likely require a more intensive one like the Heavy cycle.
The cycle you choose must match your dishes’ soil levels to ensure you get the clean dishes you expect.
What’s wrong: The first reason your Amana dishwasher is not cleaning is that you’ve chosen an incorrect wash cycle. More specifically, your dishes are dirtier than your selected wash cycle can clean.
For example, your dishes might have heavy levels of soiling, yet you’ve chosen the Normal cycle instead.
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As a result, the dishes won’t be as clean as you’d expect by the end of the cycle.
How to correct it: When a wrong cycle choice causes your Amana dishwasher not to clean correctly, the fix is easy. You only have to ensure that the cycle you choose next time matches the soil levels on your kitchenware.
Suppose you’re not sure how to choose the correct cycle. In that case, check to see if your Amana model has a Sensor wash cycle.
That’s an automatic cycle that uses a sensor to check how dirty your dishes are. When using this cycle, the dishwasher will decide how long and intense the cycle should be to give you spotless dishes.
Read: Why Is My Dishwasher Making Loud Noises?
Not Enough Water
About this: There are several ingredients that your Amana dishwasher must have to do its job correctly. One of them is a reliable and constant flow of water that it can use for washing.
The water supply is crucial for two reasons. Firstly, the dishwasher uses water to spray grease and food bits off each plate. Besides that, water is also necessary to dilute the dishwashing detergent, so it’s effective at cleaning your dishes more thoroughly.
When troubleshooting your Amana dishwasher’s water supply, pay attention to the incoming water supply and the machine’s water inlet valve.
What’s wrong: Another reason your Amana dishwasher isn’t cleaning is that there isn’t enough water inside. As you read above, water is necessary to wash away stains and bits off each dish and to ensure the dishwashing detergent works as it should.
A lack of water is caused by a problem with your household water supply that sends water to the dishwasher.
Alternatively, the problem could be a faulty water inlet valve not opening correctly to let water in.
How to correct it: Firstly, check the water hose connected to your dishwasher. It’s common for the hose to be pinched, kinked, or bent. When that’s the case, the water flow into your dishwasher isn’t smooth.
Once you’re confident that the water supply is not an issue, you’ll have to test the water inlet valve. That valve opens and closes to ensure your dishwasher can fill with enough water.
Unfortunately, if you find the valve faulty, you must replace it with another one that works. A defective valve is not serviceable or repairable.
Read: Why LG Dishwasher Starts And Stops?
Not Enough Detergent
About this: Besides water, dishwasher detergent is another crucial ingredient for your Amana dishwasher to clean correctly.
The detergent helps to remove grease and odors, while also breaking down any stains stuck to your dishes.
Of course, it must be at the correct dilution to work correctly. That means there must not be too little or too much detergent in your machine, only the right amount.
What’s wrong: An Amana dishwasher that’s not cleaning could also result from using too little detergent. When that happens, the dishwasher can only wash away loose stains but doesn’t have the detergent’s support for more stubborn ones.
How to correct it: You must always ensure that you’re using the correct amount of detergent for every load you put in your Amana dishwasher.
The best thing you can do is refer to the user manual and the detergent packaging to know how much detergent will get you the desired results.
That’s true regardless of if you’re using powder, liquid, or detergent pods.
Read: Why LG Dishwasher Keeps Turning Off?
Dirty Or Damaged Filter
About this: The water inside your Amana dishwasher will flow through a filter on its way to the circulation pump or when it’s going to be drained. That filter ensures that all solids are removed from the water, preventing clogs in those pumps and the dishwasher’s hoses.
You’ll find the filter at the sump, located at the bottom of the dishwasher compartment.
What’s wrong: By right, you should be cleaning your Amana dishwasher filter regularly. That’s because the filter gets saturated with waste pretty quickly and can also suffer from damage.
When either of those happens, the filter won’t prevent waste from recirculating in the dishwasher. As a result, your dishes are washed with dirty water, so it seems like your Amana dishwasher is not cleaning, to begin with.
How to correct it: The filter is removable, so you can take it out and wash it in your kitchen sink. However, a damaged filter must be replaced immediately so your dishwasher can clean normally.
Read: Why LG Dishwasher Smells Bad And How To Fix It?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Need some more clarification? Here are a few more questions and answers that you’ll find helpful when troubleshooting your Amana dishwasher not cleaning:
Should You Rinse Dishes Before Loading Them Into A Dishwasher?
No, you don’t have to rinse your dishes before loading them into your Amana dishwasher. However, you can expect your dishes to come out clean if you select the correct wash cycle.
How Long Does An Amana Dishwasher Take On Normal?
The Normal cycle on your Amana dishwasher can take anywhere from 1.5 to 4 hours. Depending on your water supply temperature, the cycle might repeatedly stop to heat the water before it continues washing.
Read: What Causes LG Dishwashers To Make Grinding Or Groaning Noises?
Where Do I Put Rinse Aid In My Amana Dishwasher?
You must pour the rinse aid into the appropriate dispenser in your Amana dishwasher. You’ll find the dispenser on the inside of the machine’s door.
How Many Filters Does An Amana Dishwasher Have?
An Amana dishwasher has one filter in its sump. That’s the part at the bottom of the compartment where all water flows to either recirculate or drain out of the machine.
Why Does My Amana Dishwasher Smell?
Your Amana dishwasher smells for the same reason it can’t clean properly: the filter is dirty, and there are plenty of food stains stuck there. Remove the filter and clean it thoroughly, and the smell will go away during your next wash cycle.
