How to Fix: Bosch Dishwasher not Dissolving Tablet / Soap
| DIY | 39 Comments
Your Bosch dishwasher doesn’t dissolve the tablet or soap fully? Here’s the fix! Finally!
In this post I’ll discuss how I fixed my Bosch dishwasher. This one at the right is actually my second Bosch, the first one was identical and lasted only about three years.
The Symptom: Tablet or Soap Powder does not Dissolve: Dishes Dirty…
Is your dishwasher driving you nuts? I was about to throw it out the window like its predecessor because patience is low these days.
Symptom #1: the tablet gets stuck in the handle area shown as A, see picture at the right.
Obviously you have already:
checked hot water temperature is above 120F (50C)
and that the strainer filter at the bottom is completely clean. This was the cause of death of my previous Bosch dishwasher. The filter needs to be religiously cleaned once a month or the pump will die prematurely.
The Fix: Design Flaw Causes Pipe to Loosen “B”
As you can see in the in the picture above, arrow B points to the gray pipe which runs from the bottom pump along the depth of the dishwasher, and then up.
The reason why the tablet was not dissolving was that the pipe loosened up and very little water made its way up. The tablet was getting stuck at “A” shown above because hardly any water was sprayed around at the top.
You need to push the pipe all the way down until you hear a “click”. Once in the correct position proceed as usual and load the dirtiest dishes you can find. And since you made your hands dirty you might as well use the opportunity and clean the strainer filter once again, just in case. Reduced water flow due to dirty filters may also impact water pressure inside the dishwasher, which could also lead to tablets and powder not dissolving.
Shame on you Bosch, this is clearly a product design flaw that could have been easily avoided…
Fix #2: Update in 2018. A Very Effective “fix”
If fix #1 didn’t solve the problem to 100%, there is another fix: buy liquid dishwasher detergent, i.e. gel.
I tried all brands and they all work well. You may have to use a little more gel but it works way better than powder or tablets. The cleaning power of the gel will depend on quantity and brand used. But as long as we rinse the dishes before placing them into the dishwasher I have to say it works well.
Call me a amateur conspiracy theorist but I think the dishwasher tablets were only invented so we use much more soap than necessary. Let’s remember: the capitalist form of production aims at profit maximization, not quality maximization. If, of course, a great product is occasionally produced, that’s a great outlier, the company and vendors take immediate notice, and the product is quickly removed or superseded with an ‘improved’ version that has the ‘corrected’ lifespan. (^_^)
Thank You for Visiting this Blog…hopefully this Fixed the Problem!
Since you found this page helpful, please share on Facebook or link to it so that other Bosch “victims” like us can find this solution easier. Google prefers pages with many links (not necessarily the ones that are actually helpful), so your link-love is always appreciated!
If you found another cause or solution to the problem, please email me to add it to the article so we can help others, too!
Are You Also Seeing E24 E25 Errors?
If you BOSCH dishwasher spits out E24 or E24 errors, you definitely want to read this how-to fix article.
The magic fix looks like this (click above link to get to the full post) and fixed my washer for years now:
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39 Comments
Genius! Am old lady (74). Have year old Bosch dishwasher with exact problem – soap pods catches in handle of top rack. With this excellent explanation and the picture to help, I was able to make the repair myself – in less than a minute. Had to feel around a bit because the spray arm visually covers the pipe connection. Mine had moved completely away from the incoming water pipe so no water at all was going to the top spray arm. Thank you so much for saving me a service call and repair charge for what amounts to something so simple. I agree about the pods. Think I will go back to the gel.
First time it happened today. Washed same dishes 4 times with same pod not dissolved in exact place from the picture. After 4th time, I knew it’s a water issue, but I know I wouldn’t be able to figure out that “flaw” from the article. First Google search, first link and one minute later I made my wife happy lol Thank you for helping. This is Bosch and maybe a year old…Too early for problems like that.
I cannot figure out what I am supposed to do based on the picture. My Bosch is new. I don’t understand what the pipe is – the flat thing???
An excellent article which has resolved my problem in seconds. Many thanks
Another cause of this annoying problem is cracking of the lower spray arm. Trying to see if the pipe was in place, I noticed that the side of the arm was cracked. Replacing it cost $28 in parts, and it just snaps in. Fixed the problem.
I’m an appliance repair technician and I disagree that you need to pre wash the dishes…soaps nowadays have eliminated the phosphates due to EPA mandates. They use a combination of enzymes to clean. It’s IMPERATIVE the soap has some food protein to work with or you’ll get a scummy build up in the machine that will stink, lower performance, and shorten the life of the machine. And if you use gel, you must shake the container first to recombine the detergent, as it can seperate while sitting on the shelf.
Thank you George for your sharing your insights! I had no idea the gel should be shaken before use. The thing with the build up appears to be an issue indeed, especially inside the pump. I use white vinegar every now and then over night to break it up… The sanitize function helps to keep the interior odor free.
Thanks, Love it when it’s something easy and when someone explains the fix in a helpful way! Keep up the good work.
Had same issue but also noticed that dishes on lower rack could also block the water flow, i.e. a big glass tray covered the area below where water would be forced up to dissolve the pod. Have to turn these on the side or put on the top rack.
Tip: Dishes, especially baking trays or chopping boards may block the rotating spray arms. Before starting your load ALWAYS check that these arms are rotating . RE: soap not dissolving, I have this exact issue and have just applied the suggested fix – I’ll leave another comment with my findings. The machine is six months old. SPS40E32GB/40
I have an 8 year old Bosch DW, model SHV68T53UC, and the soap cup door fails to open. It started out happening only once every 4 washes or so, so I figured it was soap and sediment buildup and not the soap mechanism or the electronics controlling it, but now it seems to not open at all. Anyone have a quick way to get to the culprit here as I don’t want to buy parts I don’t need.
Thank you
I always use liquid detergent. Recently have this problem, I checked the filter and the B point as you said. The pipe is firm and the filter I clean.
Is that possible the water has problem? Mine seems can’t remove the bottom panel and check the pump.
Hmmm, I would check water temperature. It could also be there is something stuck inside the pipe or inside the pump and thereby reducing flow.
In my experience now with liquid detergent, it tends to create a sludge, which is probably worse than the dry soap not dissolving, as it is hard to remove from the filter and pump area.
I use vinegar over night, fill the filter and pump area and let it sit for many hours. On several occasions the issue was caused by a tiny salad leaf in the pump suction area.
Hope this helps!
I think the pump below the filter just drain water, How is this relate the water pressure? Are there another pump for water come in in Bosch Dishwasher? Thanks
Finish tablet frequently didn’t dissolve in my Bosch handle/basket. Simple solution, removed the handle (it unclipped easily) so tablet falls to bottom of machine (didn’t just chuck it in at beginning as pre rinse would just wash it away!) changed to Fairy Platinum powder/gel combination. Result, lovely shiny, clean dishes just like my very first dishwasher produced and much better drying.
Awesome , this worked for us too , Tablet falls into the bottom when soap is needed and we have beautiful clean dishes , Right from the start with this dishwasher every other wash we would have a half dissolved soap pod or tablet , now instead we have cleasn dishes , All it took was remove that silly handle tray and perfection !Thanks again !
Looks like the detergent door doesn’t open after 15 minutes of start. I tried open the door and manually open open the detergent door after 1 minutes of start, still residue in the detergent house. Don’t know what’s the problem.
Bosch Dishwashers recommend using Cascade, bu if you look on the bottom of the back panel of the Cascade box, tiny print says that they have a mutual agreement to promote each other’s products. So there’s no reason not to try gel or liquid detergent. Also recommend using a diswasher cleaner. Some can be used in the bottom of the dishwasher while washing dishes. Others require that the cleaner only be used in an empty dishwasher (big waste of water and electricity, in my opinion). Wiping around the door seal, especially at the bottom, should always be done often. And thank you so much, Savas, for the simple explanation of why the Cascade pod keeps ending up in the handle of the upper shelf.
You are very welcome Marian and thank you for the suggestions!
Just a quick update, it’s now almost 2020 and the dishwasher has been running great. I think only once this year did it show an error but after cleaning the filter and running once again with the strainer always at the top, it’s all good. We use gel now for many years now and the one from Aldi works best. There’s a Palmolive bottle at Walmart that also cleans well and costs far less than Cascade tablets.
Hope this helps people out there get the most out of this crappy dishwasher 😉 But to be fair, I haven’t seen a better one when I was shopping back then, at least one at an affordable price. I wouldn’t want to spend over $1000 on a dishwasher, only to discover the same issues a year later….
Savas
You are a life saver, I had been blaming the tablets being wet and getting stuck all this time. All
It took was a push down and click sound to fix the issue like you suggested. God bless you !
Hi Miyata thank you very much for visiting my blog. I’m glad you fixed the problem and hope you won’t run into the other dozens of issues this dishwasher has every now and then… 😉
Savas
Hi there, I live in South Africa . I am having same problem with tablet or powder not dissolving in Bosch dishwasher . We do not get the brand cascade ,,as recommended by Bosch. But I will try above and hope it works. Can someone please tell me how to check temp of water… very helpful post
Hi Fatima
if your dishwasher uses the hot water connection of your house, it’s definitely connected directly to the pipe coming to your kitchen sink. When you open the faucet for hot water, the water should be hot enough to “burn” after a few seconds. That would be roughly around 60°C or so. Also you may want to run the hot water for a while before turning on the dishwater, if the pipe to the water heater is very long. For now we had the best results in the long-term with gel instead of powders and tablets. I guess if you use a very small amount of powder and check the filter regularly it might work, too.
Happy New Year!
Savas
Can you do a video on this? I think I have the problem described in “design flaw” but I cannot tell from the photo what you mean by pushing on the pipe until it clicks. My son just bought me this very nice Bosch dishwasher, and this is very disappointing there is this flaw.
I have a Bosch dishwasher. The soap, even liquid doesn’t dissolve. I have cleaned the filter, checked the sprayers, and opened midway to find steam. Any other tips on what to check? How do you know if there is enough water?
Thanks for the info…..was having same problem with soap not dissolving…quick fix made me a super hero.
I tried pushing the pipe down and hearing a click, and it worked . . . once. Next time pushed the pipe down it still didn’t work. Any ideas?
I’ve had my Bosch for 16 months and it’s doing the same thing. Pod gets stuck in the handle. But it makes an awful noise too.
Thank you. We thought the machine had gone bad only after a year of service. It turned out to be a dirty strainer, the water tube not pushed in all the way and tall dishes getting in the way of the upper water sprayer. Three issues in all. Design flaws in the machine for sure.
Our pods aren’t getting stuck in a pipe, they never leave the dispenser. We switched to liquid and have the same problem. I contacted Bosch today, waiting for a reply.
The troubleshooting section of the owner’s manual doesn’t cover this at all. The website support addresses it, but the explanation didn’t help.
Hi Joe
I would try removing and checking the dishwasher spray arms and check for clogs, and then perhaps run the dishwasher empty with vinegar and baking soda or citric acid solution to remove any hidden lime buildup, that might help…
Can you hear the water spraying when the dishwasher is on?
Savas
Thanks for the info. In my case the cause of the problem was low water level – which is easy to check. When opening the door during the cycle the water should be near the top of the filter. In my case it was below the mesh screen. Replacing the fill solonoid is the likely solution for this, or a kinked supply line.
Have a new Bosch unit. The drinking glasses or cups are not rinsing enough to get all the soap out. Otherwise seems to work and clean great. Suggestions?
Hi Lisa
I would use gel and the smallest amount that does the job. Also I would let the hot water run for a while before turning on the dishwasher. The dishwasher only uses a few gallons and it might not get enough hot water otherwise
Savas
Wish I’d found this before paying $$$ to repair service that didn’t solve the issue. Pushed down, heard a click. Just have to wait for the end of the cycle to confirm it did the trick. And if not, well, at least it was free to try.
Thank you for the inlet pipe fix – it worked to fix my non dissolving tablet issue I had tried cleaning everything & was about to call out a repairman so have saved £ . Odd Bosch don’t mention this as a fix in their help guide????
I’m happy it worked for you. I don’t think the design flaws discovered in the field are properly documented or passed on to the engineers, so it wouldn’t surprise me if newer Bosch dishwashers have similar issues.
Savas
Hi. Can you advise if there should be water within the clear part of the soap dispenser of a Bosch dishwasher
I don’t think so. This sounds like the line might be clogged. Perhaps you could try to carefully unclog it using a shop vac.
Savas