Dishwasher filters and spray arms are the screens in the sump that catch food before the water is pumped round again and the rotating bars that throw that water at the racks.
as used by Viking Appliance Repair Edmonds, (206) 210-3547
20 Care Handbook
Dishwasher Filter and Spray Arms
When an Edmonds owner reports a top rack that comes out gritty every load, these two parts explain it far more often than the pump does, and both are cleaned by hand.
| What you are looking at | Normal | Watch | Call |
|---|---|---|---|
| The filter assembly | Rinsed weekly, clicked fully home | Greasy or holding food scraps | Cracked, or will not lock in place |
| Spray arm holes | Every hole open | A few holes furred or blocked | Holes clear but the jets stay weak |
| Spray arm rotation | Turns freely by hand | Catches on a tall item or a loose rack | Stiff or wobbling with nothing in the way |
| Top rack after a cycle | Clean | Grit on one side only | Grit on every load after both are cleaned |
The filter
On the Viking 7 Series dishwasher whose guide we read, three filters sit together in the sump: a micro filter and a coarse filter that twist out as one assembly, turned anticlockwise, and a flat filter that lifts from its seat. Brush all three under the tap. Refit the coarse filter into the micro filter and turn it clockwise until it clicks. Viking says not to run the machine without the filters, and that a badly placed filter reduces washing performance, which is where a lot of grit comes from.
The spray arms
Look along each arm for blocked holes. On that model the lower arm pulls straight up to come out; the upper arm is released by turning its nut to the left, and the nut must be tightened again on refitting. Clear the holes with a wooden toothpick, never a drill bit or wire that would widen them, then spin each arm by hand.
When cleaning is not the answer
White film on glassware is a different complaint, handled by the rinse aid setting. Grit that survives a clean filter and free arms points at wash pressure, and the dishwasher repair visit measures it. Pump and control work are priced from the bands on the non-oven work page.
Dishwasher filters and spray arms: questions owners ask
- How often should a Viking dishwasher filter be cleaned?
- Viking's use and care for its 7 Series dishwasher asks for the filters and the wash arms to be cleaned at least once a week so the machine washes efficiently. Households that load unscraped plates should keep to it strictly. Viking Appliance Repair Edmonds can show you the routine at a visit, (206) 210-3547.
- Why is the top rack gritty when the bottom rack is clean?
- Grit on the upper rack usually means water is being recirculated past a dirty or badly seated filter, or the upper arm has blocked holes or cannot turn. Viking's troubleshooting lists stuck arms, clogged holes and filters fitted wrongly as causes. Clean all three before suspecting the pump; Viking Appliance Repair Edmonds tests that on (206) 210-3547.
- Is standing water in the bottom a filter problem?
- Sometimes a choked filter holds water back, so clean it first. If water still stands after a finished cycle, it is a drain question: the air gap or high loop, the hose route, then the pump. Viking Appliance Repair Edmonds traces it in that order before any part is ordered, (206) 210-3547.
- Signed
- Arthur Benedetti
- Specialism
- Service technician — dishwashers and drainage
- Years in practice
- 12
- Holds
- EPA Section 608 certified
