How to Troubleshoot a Whirlpool Dishwasher DU1145XTPB7

Open the Whirlpool dishwasher door and look in the bottom for hard pieces that are being ground up and creating noise if there is a grinding or crunching sound during use. Clean away hard items and lift out the filter. Rinse the filter in water and look in the filter housing for other hard objects that might cause noise. Clean the filter housing and replace the filter.

Place a glass container with 2 cups white vinegar in the lower rack if dishes have a filmy appearance or spots after cleaning. Set a normal wash cycle without detergent and use an “Air Dry” option. Increase the hot water temperature at the hot water heater if the household water is less than 120 degrees Fahrenheit for better rinsing, and fill the rinse aid detergent dispenser. Add a booster pump to the household water supply if the water pressure is below 20 psi, which can be determined by using a water pressure gauge on a household water faucet.

Wash items again with 3 teaspoons of citric acid crystals instead of detergent if the dishes are stained brown or there are brown spots inside the dishwasher tub. Repeat every other month as needed and consider an iron removal unit for the home water system for hard water or high mineral content.

Add more detergent if dishes aren’t clean after washing and choose a heated wash cycle. Clean out the detergent dispenser if the soap is caking or sticking to the dispenser, and do not overload the dishwasher.

Push down on the overfill protection float -- a small plastic cone -- in the dishwasher bottom if water does not enter the tub. Turn the water faucet on and straighten out the water hose once the hose has been cleared of any debris or other obstructions.

Avoid stopping the dishwasher mid-cycle unless necessary if the water remains in the tub. Pause the cycle by opening the door and then pressing “Start/Resume” one time after closing the door. Check and clean problem drain areas like the air gap and garbage disposer if the cycle completes but water remains inside the dishwasher.

Open the dishwasher door if “Start/Resume” is flashing three times in a row, which means the last cycle completed but the door was not opened before a new wash selection was chosen. Close the door if “- -“ displays, which means the door is not closed firmly.

Contact Whirlpool for service if the “Clean” indicator light is flashing and the dishwasher does not operate normally, as an error has occurred.