The answer first
The first thing to rule out on a Fisher & Paykel dishwasher is the top cause below — a blocked or unseated filter — and the second is loading that blocks water and shadows other items. Poor dishwasher results are usually about water reaching the dishes — spray, temperature and loading — rather than about a failed pump, and the filter is where the investigation starts.
What you observe
- A white chalky film that stays after drying — Hard water and rinse aid rather than a mechanical fault.
- One drawer works and the other does not, or a code appears on the drawer panel — A double-drawer machine is effectively two machines, and that comparison is the best diagnostic tool on the appliance.
- NEAR MISS — clean dishes but a bad smell — That is the odour page, and it usually shares a cause with the filter.
Ranked causes on this platform
- A blocked or unseated filter — Ranked first on a Fisher & Paykel dishwasher because the filter stack is designed to be owner-serviced and is the first mechanical thing to look at. The filter holds back debris so the pump can recirculate clean water.
- Loading that blocks water and shadows other items — Second here: the load-sensing on this platform is real, so an unbalanced or overloaded drum produces machine behaviour rather than just a bad wash.
- Spray arms blocked or unable to rotate — A tall item catching an arm stops it turning, and blocked jets leave a whole zone unwashed.
What to check first, second and third
- First: Twist the filter out, rinse it under a tap, and look at what comes off. — It sits first because the filter stack is designed to be owner-serviced and is the first mechanical thing to look at.
- Second: Look at where the dirty items were sitting — a shadow pattern is unmistakable once you look for it. — Next, and it needs no tool.
- Third: Spin each arm by hand: it should turn freely. — Only once the checks above are clean.
What to do, in order
- Compare the two drawers, and read the code the machine is showing — On a double DishDrawer the working drawer is a control experiment: it shares the supply and the drain but not the pump pod or the lid seal, so the difference between them localises the fault immediately.
About 15 min
- Run the kitchen hot tap before starting, and check rinse aid and detergent — Fresh detergent, a full rinse aid reservoir and a hot start make a measurable difference.
About 15 min
- STOP before removing the sump or the wash pump — That means dismantling a wet component inside a live machine.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the machine or switch off its breaker before removing any panel — a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Never mix a chlorine product with an acidic descaler in the machine, and take care with the chopper area under the filter: there are sharp edges and often broken glass in there, so use gloves rather than bare fingers.
Where the owner work ends
Call a technician when the filter is clean, the arms turn freely, the load is well arranged and the machine still washes poorly everywhere — that points at the wash pump, the heater or a circulation blockage. Call sooner if water is standing over the filter at the end of every cycle, because then the drain fault is causing the wash fault.
Other pages in this set
What is deliberately not here
This page is generalized across the Fisher & Paykel dishwasher range — written for the appliance class, not for one family or model line, and no family- or model-specific page has been published beneath it yet. When one is, it will be the more specific answer and it will be linked here; until then the closest pages are listed below.
Links: - [Common F & P Dishwasher Problems](/blog/f-p-dishwasher-problems) - [F & P Dishwasher: Odor or Mold](/blog/f-p-dishwasher-smell-mold) - [F & P Dishwasher: Water Leak](/blog/f-p-dishwasher-water-leak)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
