KitchenAid Dishwasher: Replace Filter Assembly

KitchenAid's Clean Water Wash filtration uses two pieces working together: an upper cylindrical filter and a lower flat mesh that trap food so it is not sprayed back onto your dishes. Over time the mesh clogs or the plastic frame cracks, and once debris slips past, every cycle redeposits it. A film that soap and rinse aid will not fix, or visible grit after a full wash, is your cue to pull and inspect the filter.

A quick way to confirm the filter is the culprit rather than your detergent or water is to run one cycle right after cleaning the old filter by hand. If gritty dishes clear up with a freshly rinsed filter and then creep back as it re-clogs, the mesh has lost its ability to hold debris and a new assembly is the durable fix. If a spotless filter changes nothing, the problem lies elsewhere — rinse aid, water hardness, or the spray arms — and you have saved yourself a needless part.

Tools and parts#

You need no tools — the filter twists out by hand. Keep a soft brush handy for cleaning the housing. For the part, order the filter assembly W10872845 or an equivalent for your model.

Safety#

No power disconnection required for filter replacement. The filters are inside the wash tub and accessible with the door open. However, if you plan to also clean the sump area beneath the filter, disconnect power at the breaker first as a precaution.

The swap#

1. Empty the dishwasher. Pull both racks out or remove the lower rack so you have clear, dry access to the filter in the tub floor.
2. Remove the upper cylindrical filter. Grip the cylinder and turn it a quarter-turn counterclockwise until it unlocks, then lift it straight out.
3. Remove the lower flat mesh filter. With the cylinder out, lift the flat mesh panel free of the sump opening.
4. Inspect both filters for damage. Hold them to the light and look for tears in the mesh, cracks in the frame, or hard mineral scale the tap will not rinse — any of these means replace rather than reuse.
5. Clean the filter housing. Wipe the recess and the sump lip with the soft brush and a rinse so the new filter seats on a clean surface and nothing blocks the drain path.
6. Install the new lower mesh filter. Set the flat mesh back into the sump opening first, making sure it lies flat and fully seated with no gap at the edge.
7. Install the new upper cylinder filter. Drop the cylinder into the center and turn it clockwise a quarter-turn until it locks; a filter left unlocked can lift during a cycle and let debris through.
8. Test with a rinse cycle. Run a short rinse and confirm the water drains cleanly and the cylinder stays seated, then load normally and check that the grit or film is gone.

When to call a pro#

If clean filters do not stop gritty dishes, the fault has moved to the wash pump, the spray arms, or a clog deeper in the sump, and an F8E1 or similar fill or drain fault points that way. A KitchenAid that still films after a filter and a cleaning cycle may need the chopper or drain assembly serviced.

Need professional help?#

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