A Loud and Whining Noise in My Kenmore Dishwasher

Kenmore Structure

• Kenmore dishwashers have the typical American dishwasher structure, with a spraying arm on the bottom that is tasked with releasing enough water to reach the top shelf. After the dishes are washed, the water is released through a pump at the bottom of the machine and sent to either a built-in disposer or your kitchen sink’s disposer. That pump and the tubing leading from the dishwasher is the most common place for clogs to occur.

Precautions

• Before you start to repair your dishwasher, turn off the water line leading to the dishwasher. This is usually located under the sink. Unplug the dishwasher from the electrical outlet. Remove the kick panel on the bottom of the dishwasher and unplug the water, drainage and electrical lines. Unscrew the dishwasher from the above countertop and slide it out.

Doing a Little Digging

• In order to reach the clog, you need to gain access to the pump and its tubing. Gently turn the dishwasher on its side so you can see the bottom. Follow the drainage tube from outside the dishwasher up into the pump. The clog is somewhere along this tube, usually just before or after the pump. If you don’t see anything stuck in the pump, you need to remove the bottom panel of the dishwasher and follow the pump's tubing up into the dishwasher unit. After your finished, leave the bottom panel off for some basic maintenance.

Maintenance

• Since you’ve already opened up the dishwasher, take time to give the machine a tune-up. Clean away any food debris inside the door panel or in the drainage tubes. Check the tubes for signs of cracking and replace any that look worn. Once the dishwasher is put back together and ready to run, run a cycle with no dishes and 1 cup of distilled white vinegar. This helps remove any remaining food and mineral residue from the tubes.