How to Get the Top Spray Bars to Work on a GE Profile Dishwasher

Use the design features of the upper rack to make sure the top spray bar has room to rotate. The arch-shaped "tines," or prongs, that rise up inside the rack are meant to hold dishes in place, not support them. Place your cups and glasses upside down between two tines. Placing a cup over a tine increases the height of the cup in the rack, blocking the rotation of the top spray arm.

Look around the middle spray bars for obstructions, if your model includes this feature. The internal size of Profile dishwasher models might vary in width, from 18 to 24 inches. A mid-level spray bar is necessary in some larger models, so that the water can reach all dishes in the upper and lower racks. You might assume the top spray bar is not working, if dishes are not clean, but the actual culprit is a blocked middle spray bar.

Check the adjustable upper rack for proper positioning, if your Profile dishwasher has this feature. Adjust the upper rack to support a lower, recessed position for taller items. Conventional thinking is that only small and regular-sized cups go in the upper rack in a dishwasher, which helps the top spray bar rotate freely. However, GE includes an adjustable rack which supports taller dishes, such a wine glasses, without blocking the top spray bar.

Inspect the filter and pumping system, which provide a flow of water to all spray arms, top and bottom. To check the filter in some models, you must lift up the bottom spray arm and rotate it in a 90-degree counterclockwise direction. After unscrewing and lifting out the spray arm, inspect the filter for clogs from food particles. If this filter is not clear and clean of debris, then there is a greater problem with the dishwasher. General Electric recommends that you contact a service technician for repair.