Do you own an old GE dishwasher? If ‘yes’, one of the regular maintenance practices you may need to commit to is cleaning the dishwasher filter.
Cleaning the filter in your old GE dishwasher regularly ensures that it doesn’t get clogged up with fine food particles.
Regular cleaning also ensures that the filter doesn’t get clogged up with other debris.
And this is important because the filter can’t function properly if its pores are clogged up.
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How To Clean Old GE Dishwasher Filter With Ease
If you don’t clean the filter in your old GE dishwasher regularly, the appliance will ultimately lose its efficiency. It will lose its ability to clean dishes properly.
The dishes you run through the machine will be coming out with food particles splattered all over. The dishes may eventually start coming out with soil particles as well.
And if you persist in not cleaning the filter, the dishes may actually start coming out with a funky smell…
Thankfully, the procedure for cleaning your old GE dishwasher filter is not too complex. Here is what you need to do:
Step1: Get the filter out of the GE dishwasher
In most old GE dishwashers, the filter is right at the bottom, next to the spray arm. It is held in place by a retaining nut, with the spray arm on the other side.
Therefore to get the filter off the dishwasher, you first need to detach the spray arm from the shaft. Thereafter, you need to undo the filter’s retaining arm.
This will expose and loosen the filter assembly fully. To actually get the filter out, you simply need to pull on the cup handle gently. This will get the cup, the fine filter, and the main filter out.
Remember, ‘filter cleaning’ means getting the main filter, the cup, and the fine filter clean. You can’t afford to overlook any of these components because they work together to make filtration possible.
Take note of where you removed each of these components.
That way, you won’t have a difficult time when the time for you to put them back in place comes.
Also, ensure that you don’t misplace the retaining nut after removing it. If you misplace it, you won’t have anything with which to secure the filters back in the machine.
Read: Ge dishwasher filter cleaning
Step 2: Put the filter in a sink
Once you manage to get the filter off the dishwasher, the next step is to put it in a sink.
The sink in question here should be one with a faucet that supplies a steady water jet. Be gentle in placing the filter in the sink.
In this context, the ‘filter’ refers to the entire assembly: fine filter, main filter, and cup. So you put all these things in the sink.
Step 3: Turn the sink’s tap on
The goal here is to get the water coming out of the tap to hit the GE dishwasher filter.
So you place it somewhere within the sink where it can directly receive the water coming off the tap. That would be directly below the faucet.
As the water runs through the filter, it will remove any soil that may have somehow gotten entrapped therein.
The water will also remove other loose particles. Just ensure that you get the water to run over each and every part of the filter assembly.
Another important point is to ensure that the flow of water is not too strong. Just get a low-pressure (but steady stream) of water from the sink’s tap to run through your filter.
Step 4: Gently scour the filter
Some food particles (and other debris) may be so tough that the sink tap water by itself doesn’t remove them.
In order to get such particles off your GE dishwasher filter, you would need to scour it.
The right tool to use for this is a soft brush. Remembering that the filter is somewhat delicate, scour it as gently as possible.
But try to be thorough. Pay special attention to areas that show obvious signs of accumulated debris.
Keep in mind that what you are mainly trying to remove from the filter are fine food particles.
So pay close attention to those. By all means, don’t return the filter back to the GE dishwasher with fine food particle traces still on it. If you do, your cleaning won’t have been successful by any measure.
Step 5: Rinse the filter
Rinsing the filter will entail returning it back to the sink and opening the tap.
The water coming from the tap should be able to dislodge all the remaining food particles (and other debris) now.
This would be on account of the scouring you did in the previous step. So the gentle scouring loosens the food particles and other types of debris on the GE dishwasher filter.
Then having tap water directly run over the filter removes the (now loosened) food particles and debris.
Step 6: Return the filter to the GE dishwasher
In returning the filter to the GE dishwasher, you will need to start by reattaching the fine filter.
So you just get it back to the spot you took it from, within the machine.
Then reattach the cup and, finally, the main filter. Remember to re-secure the retaining nut properly. Finally, reattach the spray arm to the shaft.
This is the spray arm you would have removed from the shaft in order to access the filter. So now that you are through with the cleaning, you reattach that spray arm to the shaft.
Read: How To Clean Dishwasher Drain Hose Without Removing It
Frequently asked questions
Where is the filter in old GE dishwashers?
In old GE dishwashers, the filter is to be found at the bottom. You will always find it somewhere near the spray arm.
Does the old GE dishwasher filter require cleaning?
Some old GE dishwashers have filters that are capable of cleaning themselves. Others have filters whose owners have to clean manually.
You have to check the manual that came with your old GE dishwasher. Only then can you establish with certainty whether or not its filter needs manual washing.
How often should the old GE dishwasher filter be cleaned?
Most experts seem to be of the view that old GE dishwashers require at least monthly cleaning.
Conclusion
To ensure that your old GE dishwasher retains its ability to wash dishes satisfactorily, clean its filter regularly.
By following the instructions above, you can clean the old GE dishwasher filter within as few as 10 minutes.