Amana Dishwasher: dishes moving during wash cycle

Professional Repair Guide

What is this symptom?

If your Amana dishwasher is causing dishes to move during the wash cycle, you're likely experiencing improper loading or high water pressure. This can lead to dishes bumping against each other, making noise and disrupting the cleaning process. Understanding how to properly load your dishwasher can help maintain dish placement and ensure a quiet wash.

Urgency: Low

Important Tips for Amana Models

  • Amana’s official troubleshooting and user guides focus on general use and cleaning issues; while they don’t explicitly address dishes shifting, proper loading and spray arm clearance are implied in usage recommendations.

Possible Causes

Improper loading / overcrowded rack

How to Identify: Dishes are packed tightly together, nested, leaning against spray arms, or lacking spacing; cups and plates contact adjacent items or obstruct moving spray arms.

Part: Dishrack and rack tines

High water pressure / strong spray arm force

How to Identify: Water jets are particularly forceful or hitting dishes directly due to dish orientation or lack of obstruction, leading to tipping or shifting of lightweight items.

Part: Spray arm

DIY Solutions

Re‑load Dishwasher with Proper Spacing

Easy 5–10 minutes
  1. Open the dishwasher and remove all dishes from the affected rack.
  2. Place larger items such as plates between the tines so they stand upright and evenly spaced.
  3. Ensure bowls and cups are angled correctly and not touching neighboring items.
  4. Avoid overloading or nesting smaller dishes inside larger ones, leaving space for water spray and dish stability.

Check and Adjust Spray Arm Movement

Moderate 10–15 minutes
Tools Needed: flashlight
  1. Turn off the dishwasher and open the door.
  2. Manually spin the spray arms to ensure they rotate freely and are not hitting any dish or rack component.
  3. Adjust dish placement so spray arms can spin unobstructed without contacting dishes.
  4. Close the rack and run a short rinse cycle to test whether dishes remain stable.
⚠️ Safety First: Ensure dishwasher is off before touching internal components.

When to Call a Professional

If dishes continue to move despite proper loading and spray arms appear damaged or bent, indicating internal component issues.
If the rack or tines themselves are loose, broken, or have come off their rollers.

Preventive Maintenance

  • Regular rack and tine inspection: Ensures tines are straight and properly spaced so dishes remain secure during cycles.
    Frequency: monthly

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Amana Dishwasher dishes moving during wash cycle?
Common causes include improper loading and sometimes high water pressure.
How do I fix Amana Dishwasher dishes moving during wash cycle myself?
Re-load the dishwasher ensuring proper spacing and check spray arm movement for obstructions.
How much does it cost to fix dishes moving during wash cycle?
No professional repairs are listed; DIY solutions are typically sufficient.
When should I call a technician for dishes moving during wash cycle?
Urgency is low; try DIY solutions first before considering a technician.

References & Sources

Community Analytical Insights

Analysis based on real user discussions from appliance repair communities

Can I Fix This Myself?

80%
DIY Success Rate Difficulty: DIY

Common Issues Reported by Users

  • Improper loading of dishes causing instability during wash cycle
  • Worn or damaged spray arm preventing proper water distribution
  • Faulty or misaligned dishwasher racks leading to movement of dishes

User Suggested Solutions

  1. Rearrange dishes to ensure heavier items are on the bottom and lighter items on top. Avoid overcrowding and ensure that nothing obstructs the spray arms.

  2. Inspect the spray arm for any blockages or damage. Clean out any debris and ensure it spins freely. Replace if necessary.

  3. Check the alignment and condition of the dishwasher racks. Adjust or replace any damaged components to ensure proper fit.

Analysis based on 1 community discussions
View Sources

Data compiled from real discussions on r/appliancerepair and r/Appliances:

  1. Dishwasher Too Powerful?

Community Discussions

knocking dishes around, items flipped upside down

Place heavier items on top of lighter dishes to stabilize them during the wash cycle.

DIY View on Reddit →

Source: Reddit r/appliancerepair

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