The short answer
On the ASDW line, dishes that come out gritty, filmed or still wet are almost always a water-delivery problem rather than a failed machine: something is stopping hot water reaching every surface at pressure. On this page the spray arms lead, because an arm that cannot turn leaves a pattern you can read off the load. Work from the water path inwards — filter, arms, fill, temperature — before anything is suspected of being broken.
What you are seeing on the ASDW line
- Everything is clean but soaking wet — A drying problem, which is a different half of the machine from the washing one.
- A stale smell between cycles — Standing water and trapped food in the sump. It rides alongside poor cleaning rather than causing it.
- NEAR MISS — dirty dishes plus standing water in the bottom — That is a drainage fault, and it belongs on the drainage page: dirty water left in the tub gets pumped back over the load.
Causes, most likely first on the ASDW line
- A spray arm is blocked, or is not free to turn — Ranked first on the ASDW line because it explains the pattern owners actually report — one rack clean, the other not — and because spinning each arm by hand answers it immediately.
- Loading, detergent or rinse aid — Tall items block the upper arm and the detergent door; old detergent has lost its enzymes; an empty rinse-aid reservoir shows up as wet plastics. All three are free to correct.
- The filter and sump are loaded with debris — A silted filter passes debris back into the spray water. It ranks here because the checks above it are quicker, not because it is uncommon.
- The drying side — element, rinse aid or a cool-dry cycle — Last, and worth knowing: an eco or cool-dry cycle is meant to leave the load damp, so check the cycle before condemning the element.
Check in this order, and why that order
- First — spin each spray arm by hand and look at the jets — They should turn freely with no drag. Clear blocked jets with a cocktail stick and check nothing on the racks catches the sweep.
- Then — reload the racks and check the detergent — Nothing tall in front of the detergent door, nothing nested, and detergent from an opened packet that is still fresh. Top up the rinse aid while you are there.
- Only then — lift the filter out and rinse it — Twist the cylinder free, take the coarse screen with it and rinse both under a hot tap. Look in the sump for glass, labels and seeds while it is open.
- STOP here if the next check needs a panel off or a meter on live terminals — Everything above can be done with nothing dismantled; past it the checks need test equipment.
Models in the ASDW family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| ASDW12F**A5A | almison:dishwasher:asdw |
| ASDW12T**A5A | almison:dishwasher:asdw |
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing the kick plate or the inner door panel — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off, and the control and heater terminals sit within reach of standing water. Close the supply shut-off under the sink before disturbing any fitting, and never reach into the sump while the machine is powered: the chopper and the drain impeller start without warning.
Where the owner job ends
Call when the arms turn freely, the filter is clean and the fill is full and the load still comes out dirty — at that point the circulation pump or the diverter is the candidate and both are behind the tub. On the ASDW line, call rather than continue if the sump has to come out. Call sooner if the machine trips the breaker, if there is water under the kick plate, or if you can smell burning during the dry phase.
Other faults covered for the ASDW line
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
