The short answer
On the ADB line poor wash results are usually about what the water is carrying and where it lands rather than a failed part: the filter decides what the water is carrying, so it is looked at before anything else on these models. Most of the list below costs nothing but ten minutes. The order below puts a loaded or partly blocked filter first and a worn wash pump or a failed heater last, and that order is the point of the page.
What the owner actually sees
- Gritty debris left on the dishes — Redeposited soil rather than food that was never removed, and it lands on upward-facing surfaces.
- Clean at one end of the rack, dirty at the other — A pattern that follows position in the machine rather than how soiled the item was.
- Greasy film on everything including the interior — Uniform rather than patchy, which points at heat and chemistry rather than at spray.
- NEAR MISS - water still standing at the end of the cycle — That is a drainage fault and it has its own page for this line; cleaning cannot be judged until it is fixed.
What it usually turns out to be, in order
- A loaded or partly blocked filter — Ranked first on this line: the filter assembly in the sump is what keeps washed-off soil from being pumped straight back over the dishes. Once it carries a mat of debris the machine recirculates dirty water, and every load comes out gritty however good the detergent is.
- Spray arms blocked or not turning — Next, and close behind: arms are stopped by a tall item in the rack as often as they are blocked by scale. Either way the water is going round rather than out, and the load reflects the pattern exactly.
- How the machine is loaded — Then: water cannot clean a surface it never reaches. Bowls nested, large flat items across the front and tall items over the arm path all shadow the rest of the load, and the result reads as a machine that has stopped working.
- A worn wash pump or a failed heater — Last, and the reason the order matters: this ranks last because every cause above it produces the same disappointing load for the price of ten minutes, and because replacing either is a real repair.
Working order, and the reason for it
- Lift the filter out and look at it — Unclip the filter assembly from the sump, rinse it under a tap until the mesh is actually open, and check the well beneath it for glass, seeds or a label.
- Spin each arm by hand and check every jet — Reload and check nothing tall fouls the upper arm as it turns; that single interference explains most one-sided results.
- Run a deliberately light load — Load half of what you normally would, with nothing nested and nothing over the arm path, and run the same cycle. A clean result proves loading rather than machinery.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. The heater and the sump stay hot after a cycle, so let the machine cool before reaching into it.
Where owner work ends
Call once the filter is clean, the arms turn freely with every jet open, the load is light, the detergent is fresh and the water arrives hot, and the results are still poor. What remains is the pump, the heater or the fill, and all three are behind panels.
Nearest pages of this class
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
