GE Dishwasher with black scum on bottom - ApplianceBlog.com

***Stacy C*** · #1 November 3rd, 2008, 06:42 PM

I discovered this site when our dryer went out on Saturday, and I'm already back again with a dishwasher problem. When it rains, it really pours.

We have a GE GSD3800G00CC that was brand new when we bought our house five years ago. It ran fine for four years, but last year it started collecting water in the bottom, which resulted in the formation of a blackish green scum. After several months of periodically scrubbing the bottom of the dishwasher, I finally gave in and spent $110 for a technician to repair it. That was two months ago.

In September, a local appliance technician installed a loop in the drain hose and cleaned out the sump. This seemed to have taken care of the problem. However, I noticed yesterday that the black scum is back. Tonight I unscrewed the drain catcher thing on the bottom of the dishwasher and scrubbed everything down again. Unfortunately, it seems the same problem has returned.

I called the technician for help, only to (sadly) learn from his wife that he had a heart attack and a bypass within the last couple of months and is out of commission for a while. (Fortunately, he seems to be recovering ok.)

The technician's wife recommended another guy, but I was hoping the repair would be covered under a warranty. However, she informed me that the work was only guaranteed for 30 days. As it figures, it's been exactly 2 months and 2 days since the service. I'm now concerned this could be a more complex repair that will require us to shell out even more money that we don't have. I really can't even afford to pay another $100 to have it looked at again.

I'm hoping someone can advise me on the following:

1) What could be causing this problem? Is it something we could possibly fix ourselves?

2) If we are planning to try and sell the house in the next year, is it worth paying to have the dishwasher fixed, or should we look at buying a new one? We were thinking of checking out a Sears Appliance Outlet (a.k.a. "Scratch & Dent")

Thank you for your help,
Stacy

***Jake*** · #2 November 3rd, 2008, 09:02 PM

Hi Stacy,

A common issue on these when they don't drain or don't drain well is a worn out Piston & Nut Assembly. Check that first.

The Piston & Nut Assembly is #564 here(its located inside your dishwasher in the very back):

Here's the Piston & Nut Assembly for your model:
Manufacturer's Number: WD24X10018

WD24X10018

Jake

***Stacy C*** · #3 November 4th, 2008, 03:11 PM

Jake,

I removed the screen and located the piston. I'm assuming that I won't be able to tell if it is worn out without just replacing it, so I went ahead and ordered the part. Hopefully that will take care of it. I will let you know.

Thank you so much! You are a godsend!

Stacy

***Jake*** · #4 November 4th, 2008, 03:29 PM

Sounds good Stacy, Yes, let us know it that resolves the problem.

Jake

***Stacy C*** · #5 November 6th, 2008, 09:35 PM

Jake,

We've installed the new Piston & Nut assembly and run the dishwasher. Out of curiosity, since we've had this problem for so long, is it normal to have a little bit of water left in the bottom of the dishwasher after it has run a cycle?

We do still have a little water in the bottom, but it is clean (right now). We are currently running some dishwasher cleaner through it too see if that helps clean out the interior a little more.

I'm not sure that we'll know if it's fixed until we see if scum appears again in a few more days.

Stacy

***Jake*** · #6 November 6th, 2008, 10:37 PM

Yes Stacy, a very small amount of water is normal after a cycle, it keeps the rubber pump/motor seal from becoming dried out and cracking.

Keep us posted.

Jake

***ADS*** · #7 November 19th, 2009, 06:18 PM

I have a GE dishwasher, Model No. GSD2200G02BB. I'm having the same problem with the black scum on the bottom. As far as I can tell from the parts diagram (and searching the GE website) there is no piston & nut assembly for my dishwasher (or, at least, that's not what they call it). What is the name and where can I find the parts I need to replace to resolve this problem with my GE model? Please advise.

Thanks,
ADS

***Jake*** · #8 November 19th, 2009, 07:06 PM

Hi ADS,

Your model doesn't have the piston nut assembly.

What I would do first is remove #506 then #508 here and check to make sure your filter screen isn't clogged.

These 2 dishwasher cleaners are the best:
A great Dishwasher cleaner to get rid of hard water and mineral deposits in the dishwasher:
Citric acid- mineral deposit remover

Removes built-up soap scum and discoloration due to iron and other water impurities. Also works great in washing machines, porcelain sinks and porcelain tubs.

Glisten Dishwasher Cleaner and Deodorizer

Jake

***ADS*** · #9 November 20th, 2009, 03:24 AM

Jake,

Thanks for the quick response. I removed #506 and #508 and siphoned out a lot of the water before my original post. I found a lot of black scum, but nothing appeared to be clogged. I'll try one of the dishwasher cleaners you recommend and let you know how it works out.

Regards,
ADS

***Jake*** · #10 November 20th, 2009, 08:03 AM

Ok ADS, sounds good.

Jake

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