The short answer
When a DW machine stops cleaning properly, the question is what is between the water and the dishes. The brand-generic page gives the general diagnostic; on this family the filter and the spray arms account for most of it, because the wash system is compact and a small restriction costs a lot of coverage.
What you observe
- Redeposited grit and food particles — The filter is full and the machine is washing with water it has already dirtied.
- A stale smell alongside poor results — Standing debris in the filter or the sump, which is also the cause of the poor results.
- Dishes are clean but come out wet — A drying rather than a cleaning fault, and often a rinse-aid or a temperature story.
- Only part of the load comes out dirty — A coverage problem. The pattern of what is clean and what is not tells you which spray arm is not reaching.
Causes, most likely first
- A filter or sump full of debris — First on this family. The wash water is recirculated, so a full filter means the machine spends the whole cycle washing with what it took off the last load.
- Spray arm holes blocked, or an arm that cannot turn — Second. Seeds, labels and fragments block the small jets, and a tall item in the rack will stop an arm turning altogether.
- Water arriving too cool — Cycles assume a certain incoming temperature. A long run of cold pipe, or a supply connected cold on a model that expects hot, leaves the machine washing below what will shift grease.
- Loading that blocks the spray — A large tray, a pan laid flat or an overfilled rack shadows everything behind it. On a compact machine there is less room for error than on a full-size one, so this is a leading cause rather than a footnote.
Check in this order
- Reload with fewer, better-spaced items and run again — Separates loading from machine in one cycle without any tool.
- Check the detergent is fresh and the dispenser opens freely — A dispenser blocked by a tall item will hold its dose for the entire cycle.
- Look at what came out dirty and where it sat — A pattern points at an arm; an even result points at water, temperature or detergent.
- Spin each spray arm by hand and hold it up to the light — Blocked jets are visible, and an arm that will not turn freely has either debris in its bearing or something in the rack stopping it.
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. Never mix dishwasher detergent with any other cleaning chemical in the machine, and do not use products that are not intended for a dishwasher.
Models in the DW family — The models this page covers, as the product spine lists them. The family spans a long model list, and the ranking below is what holds across all of it.
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| DW 25502 * | blomberg:dishwasher:dw |
| DW 25502 ** | blomberg:dishwasher:dw |
| DW 51600 **** | blomberg:dishwasher:dw |
| DW 52600 **** | blomberg:dishwasher:dw |
| DW 55502 * | blomberg:dishwasher:dw |
| DW 55502 ** | blomberg:dishwasher:dw |
| DW 55502 *** | blomberg:dishwasher:dw |
| DW25502* | blomberg:dishwasher:dw |
| DW25502** | blomberg:dishwasher:dw |
| DW55502* | blomberg:dishwasher:dw |
| DW55502** | blomberg:dishwasher:dw |
| DW55502*** | blomberg:dishwasher:dw |
When to call
The line on this family is the base panel. The filter, the arms, the racks, the detergent, the rinse aid and the supply temperature are all yours.
Other faults on this family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
