How to Clean Food Out of a KitchenAid Dishwasher Grinder

A clogged food grinder can be the culprit for standing water and an unsuccessful clean cycle in a KitchenAid dishwasher. The good news, however, is that all you need is a screwdriver and some courage to solve the problem simply, without the need for a repair person. Even the most tentative do-it-yourselfer can handle this job in a snap. The trick is to keep your workspace organized: clean up the area around the dishwasher and have a plastic bag on hand to store your screws to avoid misplacing them while you work.

Rubber gloves
Screwdriver

Instructions

- 1
  Turn off the power supply to the dishwasher before you begin working.
- 2
  Locate the water supply tube, which runs down the back-center of the dishwasher wall, making an L-shape as it connects to the lower wash arm at the base of the dishwasher. Carefully lift the tab of the water supply tube to unlock it. Secure the tube at the top and gently rotate it clockwise at the bottom to release the lower wash arm.
- 3
  Identify the lower wash arm support and filter assembly -- the large spur-like wheel that sits at the base of the dishwasher -- and remove it by loosening the mounting screws and lifting it from the dishwasher.
- 4
  Remove the screws securing the foreign object protector, located beneath the filter assembly. Lift it out and set it aside.
- 5
  Remove the pump inlet protector by unscrewing its screw and setting it aside. This will expose the grinder mechanism.
- 6
  Carefully, clear away any debris. If necessary, insert a flat-head screwdriver behind the blade of the food chopper assembly and gently tilt it forward to remove it.
- 7
  Clean the area underneath the assembly and reattach it, along with the remaining pieces -- in reverse order of how they were removed.

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Dishwashers