The quick verdict
A Criterion dishwasher that stops mid-cycle is waiting rather than broken: for water to arrive, for water to leave, or for a temperature to be reached. Which of those three decides everything that follows. Nothing below asks you to open anything that should stay closed.
The observables
- The machine stops at the same point every time — A consistent stall names a stage, and the stage names the condition. If the answer is clear, stop here and act on it.
- The programme time keeps increasing — An estimate stretching while the machine waits for a temperature it is reaching slowly. If this is what you have, you are on the right page; if not, follow the near-miss line.
- It stalls only on heated programmes — That points at the heater or its sensing and rules out most of the rest in one observation. A result here decides whether the next two checks are worth doing at all.
- NEAR MISS: it never starts at all — That is a start fault rather than a stall, and the will-not-start page covers it. Ask whoever else uses the machine whether they have noticed the same thing.
Causes, most likely first
- A slow fill or a partly closed supply valve — First because a machine that cannot reach its level waits indefinitely, and a valve or a blocked inlet filter is invisible from the front. Rule it in or out before moving on, because the next check assumes an answer to this one.
- A heater or temperature sensor fault — A machine waiting for a temperature holds rather than continuing cold, which produces the endless cycle owners describe. Treat the ordering as a route through the possibilities rather than as a prediction.
- Leak detection triggered by water in the base — Many machines have a float in the base; once it lifts, the machine drains and refuses to continue. Check whether anything changed in the house around the time it started.
- A control or timer fault — Last, because everything above it is cheaper to eliminate and presents in exactly the same way. The position matters more than the name: work the order rather than the one you have heard of.
The order that saves time
- Clean the filter and confirm the machine drains — If water will not leave, nothing downstream of the drain stage can proceed. It sits above the more dramatic explanations because it is the one you are statistically likelier to have.
- Feel the door for heat during the main wash — A cold door on a hot programme puts the stall at the heating stage rather than the plumbing. It needs nothing you do not already own.
- Look for water in the base tray — Leak detection is a common and often forgotten reason for a machine that drains and refuses to run. The rank is a starting point, not a verdict; what you observe outranks it.
The checks worth doing
- Clean the filter and the sump thoroughly — Rinse both parts of the filter and wipe the sump, checking for debris around the impeller. Do this before the check below it, because the answer changes what that one means.
Tools: brush, clothAbout 20 min
- Power-cycle the machine at the spur — It clears a latched state and gives a clean starting point for the next observation. If it does not change anything, that result is still worth recording.
About 10 min
- Run the shortest programme and record where it stops — A short cycle exercises fill, wash and drain quickly, which makes the observation cheap to repeat. Note the result even if it is negative, because a ruled-out cause is progress.
About 25 min
- Stop here if the next step would put a meter on live terminals — Past this point the checks need test gear and the training to use it safely.
What to turn off before you start
Safety
Isolate the machine at the plug or the breaker before you open it. Stored charge does not drain the instant the supply stops. Bail out a flooded tub with a jug rather than tipping the machine, which puts the load on the door hinge. Leave the door or lid switch wired exactly as you found it; it is a guard and not an inconvenience.
The handover point
Where the owner side ends: you own the plumbing on both sides; a technician owns everything between them. Where the page stops is where the evidence stops being visible from the outside. Do not keep running the machine to see whether it clears; every cycle after a leak starts pushes water further into the floor.
Other pages at this level
What this page does not cover
Scope note: this page addresses the dishwasher as a class of machine under the Criterion badge.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
