Is it normal for there to be a small pool of water in the rear, above
the drain pan, with a small amount of fine sized (not sure if from
detergent, rinse aid, something else) suds? Thanks.

"M.H." > wrote:
> Is it normal for there to be a small pool of water in the rear, above
> the drain pan, with a small amount of fine sized (not sure if from
> detergent, rinse aid, something else) suds? Thanks.

Normally the insides of a dishwasher are designed so everything slopes
downward toward the drain pan. That being the case, the only reason I could
see that water would pool outside the drain pan is because the dishwasher
wasn't leveled when it was installed, or moved off level later.

If you've got water left in the drain pan itself, either you've got a pump
failure or the drain hose is partially blocked somehow. Some dishwashers
leave a little bit of water in the bottom to keep the soil sensor (if
present) wet so it functions properly. On mine, all the water drains, then a
small amount is added back in to do that, but it's not really visible.

--
wff_ng_7 (at) verizon (dot) net

"M.H." > wrote in message
link.net...
> Is it normal for there to be a small pool of water in the rear, above
> the drain pan, with a small amount of fine sized (not sure if from
> detergent, rinse aid, something else) suds? Thanks.

This is really two questions; 1 Is the pool of water normal? 2. Are the
suds normal?

Many, but not all, dishwashers leave a little visible water in the bottom.

But you should not see suds after the rinse cycles have completed. Even
before the rinse cycle, there should be very little in the way of suds since
dishwasher detergents are formulated to avoid producing suds and foam.

Assuming that you are using a detergent intended for automatic dishwashers,
confirm that your machine is filling and emptying during each cycle. Also,
be sure that it is loaded so that none of the dishes / pots inside can hold
water during the cycles. In most cases, the "recommended" amount of
detergent is a lot more then needed except with the most dirty greasy loads
and hardest water. Use the minimum detergent needed to get the job done and
you will minimize the quantity of detergent residues getting into your
food. A good starting point is usually about a quarter of what is
recommended. Personally, I don't bother with an additional "rinse aid" or
wetting agents beyond what is already in the detergent. Try it without, and
then if spotting drying spots are an issue for you can always add it back
in, starting with a much smaller amount.

On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 20:27:47 -0400, "anon" > wrote:

>"M.H." > wrote in message
hlink.net...
>> Is it normal for there to be a small pool of water in the rear, above
>> the drain pan, with a small amount of fine sized (not sure if from
>> detergent, rinse aid, something else) suds? Thanks.
snippage.........
>. In most cases, the "recommended" amount of
>detergent is a lot more then needed except with the most dirty greasy loads
>and hardest water. Use the minimum detergent needed to get the job done and
>you will minimize the quantity of detergent residues getting into your
>food. A good starting point is usually about a quarter of what is
>recommended.
>
We just got a new Frigidaire dishwasher after our old (18 years)
dishwasher stopped. I was surprised to read in the new manual that if
you have soft water (we do, we catch our water from our roof) you need
just 2 teaspoons of dishwasher soap. Oh my goodness, in the old one
we were putting in tablespoon fulls.

To be on topic, our old dishwasher always had water sitting in the
bottom, and this new one's manual says there should be none.

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