What this means on these models
On the Criterion DG dishwasher family poor cleaning is a water, heat and spray-coverage problem before it is ever a pump problem, and on this platform a tub plumbed to the supply with a drain hose that must loop above the tub water line. Three of the four ranked causes below are owner work, and two of them are free. The spine carries a single model number here.
What you observe on these models
- Gritty film or sand in the bottom of glasses — Soil that was washed off and then redeposited. That is a filter and drain story rather than a spray story: the machine cleaned the dishes and then put the dirt back.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Causes, most likely first on this platform
- 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. On a compact or tap-connected machine the single arm is doing all the work, so one blocked jet costs proportionally more.
- 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.
Where to start, and why here
- 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 panel for the pump and valve, the filter and spray arm from inside the tub.
Models in the DG family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| DG1-A6301-AM | criterion:dishwasher:dg |
When this stops being owner work
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 supply and drain connections have to be broken before most work can start, and on a tap-connected machine those fittings are the parts that have been handled most.
Other faults on these models
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
