Top 5 Signs Your Commercial Dishwasher Needs Repair Before It Fails
For any foodservice business, from a fast-paced café to a high-volume restaurant, a working commercial dishwasher is essential. In Chicago’s northern suburbs, including Buffalo Grove, Vernon Hills, and Libertyville, commercial kitchens rely on dish machines to meet health code requirements, keep operations smooth, and satisfy customer demand. But how can you tell when your dishwasher needs professional repair before it completely fails?
Waiting until the unit stops working can cost your business time, money, and reputation. Below, we’ll walk you through the top signs your commercial dishwasher needs service and how to prevent unexpected breakdowns with help from trusted local technicians.
1. Water Isn’t Draining Properly
One of the most common service calls we receive involves a commercial dishwasher not draining after the wash cycle. If you’re regularly seeing standing water inside the machine or finding dishes soaked at the end of a cycle, don’t ignore it.
Common Causes:
- Clogged or dirty filters
- Blocked or kinked drain hoses
- Failing drain pumps or solenoids
Not only does this create sanitation risks and unpleasant odors, but it also increases the likelihood of a more serious motor issue. If this sounds familiar, don’t delay. Book a dishwasher inspection to avoid further damage.
2. Dishes Aren’t Getting Clean
Your dishwasher’s primary job is to sanitize and clean. If dishes are coming out greasy, spotty, or coated with food particles or cloudy film, it’s time to act.
What It Could Mean:
- Spray arms are clogged or damaged
- Water pressure is too low
- Wash and rinse temperatures are inconsistent
- Soap or rinse aid levels are incorrect
- Internal scaling or mineral buildup
This isn’t just an inconvenience; customers notice, and inspectors do too. A dishwasher producing subpar results can lead to poor reviews or even failed health inspections.
3. Water or Chemical Leaks During Operation
Leaks are among the most ignored but costly issues. Whether water is pooling around your unit or chemical supply tubes are failing, it’s important to take this seriously.
Watch for:
- Worn door gaskets and seals
- Loose fittings or cracked tubing
- Overflowing drain lines
- Damaged pump connections
- Broken or clogged chemical supply tubes
One issue that often comes up before or during health inspections is a failure in the chemical feed system. If detergent, sanitizer, or rinse aid isn’t being drawn in because of blocked or broken tubing, you’re at risk of non-compliance.
👉 Our technicians can replace your chemical tubes with a new Tube Kit to restore proper chemical delivery and help you pass inspection with confidence.
4. Unusual Noises, Vibrations, or Smells
When your dishwasher starts sounding different, buzzing, rattling, grinding, or shaking, it’s trying to tell you something’s wrong. Strong burnt smells or chemical odors are also red flags.
Potential Causes:
- Misaligned or loose internal parts
- Worn motor or pump bearings
- Damaged heating elements
- Debris stuck in moving parts
- Electrical short or wiring issues
Don’t assume it’s just wear and tear. What starts as an odd sound can quickly escalate to major equipment failure.
5. The Unit Shuts Down Mid-Cycle or Displays Error Codes
If your dishwasher frequently stops mid-cycle, resets itself, or shows cryptic error codes, you’re likely dealing with an internal system issue. These shutdowns may be inconsistent at first, but will usually worsen without service.
Causes May Include:
- Faulty door switches
- Temperature sensor malfunctions
- Control board failures
- Power supply problems or overheating
Once these electronics fail, repairs may become more expensive or even require a full control board replacement. Diagnosing and resolving early saves time and money.
Why It’s Important to Act Early
Ignoring these signs doesn’t just inconvenience your staff, it can compromise food safety, increase labor costs, and result in inspection violations. Restaurants in the north suburbs of Chicago often call us after an inspector flags an issue that could’ve been addressed earlier.
At Tadam Tech, we help clients avoid emergency downtime with fast, professional service tailored for commercial dish machines.
Common Inspection Fail – No Chemical Feed
Health inspectors regularly check that dish machines are feeding detergent, sanitizer, and rinse aid correctly. If your chemical tubes are clogged, brittle, or disconnected, your dishwasher may still “run,” but it won’t sanitize dishes to the required standards.
We’ve helped numerous local restaurants avoid citations by performing same-day service and replacing chemical tubing systems.
We Fix:
- No chemical suction or delivery
- Tubing kits worn or cracked
- Detergent not dispensing
- Rinse aid feed is inconsistent
- Chemical alarms are not working
📞 If your chemical system is unreliable, contact us today to install a new Tubes Kit and avoid costly violations.
Trusted Commercial Dishwasher Repair – North Chicago Suburbs
At Tadam Tech, we specialize in fast, high-quality repairs for Hobart, CMA, Jackson, Champion, and other top brands.
We serve:
- Northbrook
- Arlington Heights
- Highland Park
- Palatine
- Wheeling
- Lake Zurich
- And surrounding communities → See all service areas
Is Your Dishwasher Showing Any of These Signs?
Don’t wait until your machine shuts down mid-lunch rush. Let our expert technicians inspect your system and take care of issues before they turn into expensive emergencies.
👉 Call (224) 478-9456 or book a service online to schedule your inspection today.
