The short answer
A countertop Acekool that leaves food behind is almost always loaded past what one spray arm can reach, or short of water. Check that the arm turns freely with the rack in, then check the fill. The filter and the jets come next and are owner cleans. Only a weak wash pump or a failed heater — a machine that never gets warm — is a service call.
What you observe
- One section clean, another untouched — A spray shadow. Something is blocking the single arm.
- The arm will not spin freely with the rack loaded — It is fouling on an item. That is the whole fault.
- Gritty deposits redeposited over everything — The filter is loaded and dirty water recirculates.
- White film on glass, worse in a hard-water area — Scale and no rinse aid, not a mechanical fault.
- NEAR MISS — water standing in the tub at the end — That is a drainage fault, and a different page.
Causes, most likely first on this class
- Overloading or an item fouling the single spray arm — First on a countertop machine because there is only one arm and very little clearance above the rack. A tall mug or a board stops the arm, and a stopped arm sprays one spot for the whole cycle.
- Tank under-filled, or the supply short — Second, and specific to this class: a machine that measures its own water cannot make up a shortfall, so an under-filled tank simply gives a weaker wash.
- Filter loaded with food debris — Third: a small tub recirculates the same water many times, so a dirty filter does more damage here than in a full-size machine.
- Blocked jets or scale on the heater — Last, and it builds slowly. Scale narrows the jets and insulates the heater, so the wash cools and covers less of the rack.
Check in this order, and why
- Spin the spray arm by hand with the rack loaded — If it catches, you have found the fault before opening anything.
- Check the tank fill or the supply connection — A short fill gives a weak wash with nothing broken.
- Pull the filter and look at what is in it — Decides between a loading fault and a recirculation fault.
- Hold the arm to the light and check the jets — Left until here, but blocked bores are visible and clearable.
What an owner can safely check
- Load the rack, then spin the arm a full circle by hand — It must turn without touching anything at any point.
About 5 min
- Fill the tank to its mark, or check the supply is open — Under-filling is a real and invisible cause of poor washing.
About 10 min
- Twist out the filter, rinse it, refit and lock it — Clear the mesh and the coarse screen under a hot tap.
About 15 min
- Unclip the spray arm and clear each jet — A cocktail stick and a rinse. Check both ends.
Tools: cocktail stickAbout 20 min
- STOP HERE if the next step means opening the machine — Pump and heater work sits beside live mains connections.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the machine or switch off its breaker before reaching into the sump or removing any panel; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Broken glass ends up in dishwasher filters, so wear gloves and look before you reach. Do not run the machine with the filter removed. Never mix dishwasher detergent with bleach products in the tub, and never place a countertop machine where water can run onto a socket.
When to call a technician
Call when the arm spins freely, the fill is correct, the filter and jets are clean and dishes still come out dirty — the wash pump or the heater is then the answer and both need a meter. Call also if the tub is cold at the end of a hot programme. Call immediately if the machine trips the breaker or you smell hot insulation during a cycle.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page is written for the brand and the appliance class, not for one family or model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists for your unit, that page is the more specific answer and you should start there. Deliberately absent: tank capacities, wash temperatures, pump and heater part identifiers and fault-code meanings, all of which differ between the tank-fill, plumbed and slimline families.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
