What this means on these models
On the Criterion CDW dishwasher family poor cleaning is a water, heat and spray-coverage problem before it is ever a pump problem, and on this platform a built-under tub plumbed to the hot supply with a drain hose looped up to the disposer or standpipe. Three of the four ranked causes below are owner work, and two of them are free. This profile generalises over the five codes below.
What this looks like on this platform
- Detergent left undissolved in the dispenser — The dispenser opened and the detergent was never carried away, which means low water, cold water or a blocked spray path at that point in the cycle.
- The machine sounds like it is running dry at times — A pump surging without load points at a fill problem or at a float sitting high, and it explains poor cleaning without anything being broken.
- Everything is clean except what was in one corner — A localised failure is loading, not machinery: a plate leaning over the arm path or a pot blocking the feed to the upper arm.
- NEAR MISS: the dishes are clean but soaking wet — That is a drying fault, not a cleaning one, and it has a different cause list. Rinse aid and final-rinse temperature drive drying.
What it usually turns out to be here
- The filter and sump are loaded with soil — First on this platform: the filter is the one service part the owner is expected to clean, and a loaded filter recirculates the soil it caught. It is free to check and it explains the gritty-film symptom completely.
- A spray arm is blocked, jammed or not turning — Second: the arms are fed from the pump and both must turn freely. The upper arm on a full-size tub is the one that gets blocked by a tall item in the lower rack.
- Not enough water, or water that is not hot enough — Third: detergent needs heat and volume to work. A partly closed supply valve, a restricted inlet screen or a long cold run to the machine all produce a full cycle that cleans badly.
- The way the machine is loaded is blocking the spray — Ranked above the mechanical causes because it is the most common real answer: nesting bowls, a tray across the front and pot handles through the rack all shadow whole areas of the load.
What to check first, and why in this order
- Pull the filter and look at what is in the sump — Take the filter out, rinse it and look into the sump underneath. This is the check that answers most cleaning complaints on this platform, and it needs no tools. Confirm your own model against the table first.
- Spin both spray arms by hand — They should turn freely through a full revolution without touching anything in either rack. Hold each jet up to the light and look for a blocked hole.
- Run the hot tap at the sink before starting a cycle — The machine fills once at the start. If the run from the heater is long and cold, the first fill is cold and the detergent never gets going.
Safety first
Safety
Switch the machine off at its breaker and close the supply tap before removing any panel; a capacitor in the control can hold a charge after the power is off. Do not mix dishwasher detergent with bleach or any other cleaner, and never open the door mid-cycle on a machine that has just heated: the steam release is what scalds people. The lower access panel and the toe kick come off for the pump, the inlet valve and the float; the upper spray arm and filter come out from inside.
Models in the CDW family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| CDW2FCM* | criterion:dishwasher:cdw |
| CDW4FCM* | criterion:dishwasher:cdw |
| CDW5TCM* | criterion:dishwasher:cdw |
| CDW7TCM* | criterion:dishwasher:cdw |
| CDW7TCT1S | criterion:dishwasher:cdw |
Where the owner line falls here
Where the line falls here is worth stating plainly. Cleaning the filter, freeing the arms, reloading properly and changing detergent are all owner work and cover most cases on this platform. Call when the machine still cleans badly with a clean filter, free arms and hot water, because what is left is the pump, the valve or the heater. On this platform the machine has to be unplumbed and drawn out from under the counter before most work can start, which is where a straightforward job becomes a longer one.
Other problems covered for 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.
