Dishwasher repair in Fort Myers and Bonita Springs
Call before 11 AM and we aim to be there the same day.
The service call fee is waived when you go ahead with the repair.
Fort Myers area
Punta Gorda, Pine Island, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach
Bonita Springs and Naples area
Estero, Bonita Springs, North Naples, Naples, Marco Island
Dishwasher faults we repair
Built-in, panel-ready and freestanding models. Each row: the parts behind the symptom, and what we test in your kitchen before anything is replaced.
- Common causes
- A cup of clean water around the filter is normal on many models. A pool across the floor of the tub is not. The usual chain runs from a packed filter and sump, to a drain hose crushed under the sink, to a garbage disposal whose knock-out plug was never removed after it was installed, to a drain pump jammed by a glass chip or a cherry pit. Some models also have a small check valve that sticks shut.
- Our repair
- We clear the sump and the filter, follow the hose to the sink and check the high loop or air gap, test the pump and replace it if it hums without moving water.
- Common causes
- Food lands back on the dishes when the filter is full, when the holes in the spray arms are blocked by seeds, glass or scale, or when the wash pump turns slowly. A tall pan or a cutting board that stops a spray arm ruins the whole load. Hard water leaves a white film that looks like dirt, and so does too much detergent.
- Our repair
- We clean the filter, the sump and the arms, make sure every arm spins, check the wash pump, and tell you whether a film on the glasses is scale, detergent or a washing fault.
- Common causes
- The wash motor turns the circulation pump that sends water up to the arms. A hum with no spray means the pump impeller is jammed, the motor or its start capacitor on older models has failed, or the control is not powering it properly. Total silence points elsewhere: the door latch or the control board.
- Our repair
- We check what the control sends to the motor, free a jammed impeller and replace the motor and pump assembly when it has failed.
- Common causes
- Nothing runs until the door latch tells the control the door is shut. A worn latch, a bent strike, a failed switch or a rack that keeps the door from closing all stop it. A dark panel can also be a tripped breaker, the wall switch next to the sink turned off, or a control board damaged when the power dropped and came back in a storm.
- Our repair
- We check power at the junction box behind the kick plate, test the latch switches and the door alignment, then the control board and the touchpad.
- Common causes
- Water comes in through an electric valve behind the kick plate. A burned-out coil, a screen clogged with sand or scale, or the hot water valve under the sink left closed means no water. A float switch stuck in the up position stops the fill as well. A valve that will not close keeps filling until the overflow protection steps in and drains it.
- Our repair
- We check the supply valve and the water pressure, clean or replace the inlet valve, and free or replace the float switch.
- Common causes
- Many American models heat the water with an element on the floor of the tub. When it or the temperature sensor fails, the dishwasher waits for heat that never comes, so the cycle stretches out and the dishes come out cool. Bosch, Miele and other European designs heat the water inside the pump and dry by condensation, so plastic stays a little damp on them; that alone is not a fault.
- Our repair
- We test the element or the pump heater, the temperature sensor and the relay that switches them, and check the rinse aid, which does more for drying than most people expect.
- Common causes
- The door gasket is worn or out of line, a spray arm hub cracked, a hose clamp worked loose at the pump or the valve, or someone used hand dish soap, whose foam pushes out under the door. Water that shows up only when the sink drains points to the drain connection under the sink.
- Our repair
- We take off the kick plate and run a cycle to find the source, replace the gasket, the clamp or the part that leaks, and check that the base pan is dry.
- Common causes
- Most dishwashers store a code for whatever stopped them. On a Bosch, E15 means water in the base pan and E24 or E25 a drain problem. Many Whirlpool and KitchenAid models blink a light in a pattern instead. A code narrows the search to one system; the failed part still has to be found by testing.
- Our repair
- Note the code or the blink count. We read the stored codes, run the built-in service test and check the part the code points to.
Dishwashers in Southwest Florida kitchens
Hard water, custom cabinetry and condo plumbing shape what goes wrong with a dishwasher here.
Hard water and white film
Water in many Southwest Florida homes is hard, well water most of all. Calcium leaves a chalky film on glasses, builds scale on the heater and narrows the holes in the spray arms. Rinse aid and a monthly cleaning cycle help. Many Miele dishwashers have a built-in softener that has to be set for your water and topped up with dishwasher salt.
Panel-ready kitchens in Naples
Custom kitchens around Naples and Marco Island often hide the dishwasher behind a cabinet panel, with the controls on the top edge of the door. The panel makes the door heavier, so the door springs and cables wear sooner, and the panel has to come off cleanly before some repairs.
Condo kitchens on a shared drain
In condo buildings the dishwasher drains into a line shared with the units above and below. When that line backs up, water comes back into the sink and the dishwasher. If the sink is slow too, the building line needs a plumber first.
A kitchen left for the summer
May to November
Water left in the sump goes sour over months and the door gasket dries out. Before you leave, run a rinse, close the hot water valve under the sink and leave the door slightly open. When you are back, run one empty hot cycle before the first load.
Dishwasher brands we repair
Built-in, panel-ready, 18-inch and 24-inch, from builder-grade models to European dishwashers in custom kitchens.
High-end brands
High-end appliances: parts are covered by a 1-year warranty.
Everyday brands
3-month warranty on labor for all appliances except high-end.
- Café
Brand names and logos belong to their owners. SUNTECH is an independent repair service.
Five-minute checks at the sink
The first two fix many cases of dirty dishes. The rest rule out the water supply, the drain and the detergent.
Rinse the filter
Twist the round filter out of the floor of the tub, rinse it and brush the fine mesh. Most dishwashers made in the last ten years or so do not grind food away, so this filter is where it ends up.
Spin the arms
Each spray arm should turn freely by hand. Look into the holes and clear seeds or glass with a toothpick.
Run the hot tap first
Before a cycle, run the kitchen tap until the water is hot. The first fill takes whatever is sitting in the pipe, and a cold start hurts cleaning.
Under the sink
The hot water valve should be fully open, and the drain hose should not be pinched by bottles, a trash can or a water filter canister.
The garbage disposal
If the dishwasher drains into the disposal, run the disposal for a few seconds. A disposal full of food blocks the dishwasher drain.
Detergent and rinse aid
Only dishwasher detergent, never hand dish soap, and a full rinse aid dispenser. With hard water, the rinse aid makes a visible difference.
Call us instead
Water reaching the floor or the cabinet: close the hot water valve under the sink, switch off the breaker and wait for the repair. A built-in unit hides a slow leak for weeks.
Pulling the dishwasher out of its opening: it is plumbed, wired and screwed to the counter or the cabinets, and prying it out can chip a stone countertop or tear the floor.
The wiring box behind the kick plate carries household voltage. Leave its cover on.
A burning smell, smoke or a breaker that trips again: switch the breaker off and leave it off.
Dishwasher repair questions
Is a little water in the bottom normal?
On many models, yes: a small amount of clean water around the filter keeps the pump seal from drying out. Dirty water above the filter, or water covering the floor of the tub, means a drain problem.
Why are my glasses cloudy?
Rub one with white vinegar. If the haze comes off, it is hard water scale: use rinse aid, a little more detergent or a softener setting. If it stays, the glass is etched, which comes from soft water and too much detergent and cannot be undone.
How long should a normal cycle take?
Longer than most people expect. Two to three hours on the normal cycle is common on newer dishwashers, because they use little water and soak longer to meet energy rules. A cycle that runs well past the time shown when it started is the one to have checked.
Can I keep using it while it leaks a little?
Better not. A slow leak under a built-in dishwasher soaks the subfloor and the cabinet base long before it shows. Close the hot water valve under the sink and wash by hand until it is fixed.
What should I do before the technician arrives?
Empty the dishwasher, clear the cabinet under the sink and write down any code or blink pattern. The model label is on the edge of the door or on the side of the tub opening. If the panel went dark after a storm, switch the breaker off for a minute and back on first; that alone brings some dishwashers back.
What does the service call cost?
We tell you the fee when you call. If you go ahead with the repair, the service call fee is waived.
What warranty do I get?
3 months on labor for all appliances except high-end. On high-end appliances, parts are covered for 1 year.
How can I pay?
Card, check or cash.
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If it cannot wait
Call before 11 AM and we aim to be there the same day.
Fort Myers area
Bonita Springs and Naples area