# plastic melted to dishwasher heating element



## autx790 (Aug 30, 2009)

We have a baby spoon that fell to the bottom of the dishwasher and melted around the heating element. Does anyone know of any sort of trick that would allow me to get the spoon off and element cleaned without replacing it?

This dishwasher is only 6months old so I hate to replace the part. If replacement is my only option, is it possible to replace it without pulling the dishwasher out of the cabinet?


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## pwgsx (Jul 30, 2011)

maybe a heat gun to soften the plastic and u can use a metal scraper to get most of it off.


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## autx790 (Aug 30, 2009)

Thanks for the suggestion. I was originally thinking hair dryer, but a heat gun would probably be more effective. However, I worried it would also cause damage to the inside of the dishwasher. I ended up buying a new one since as I looked closer, the plastic was melted all around the standoff too, so it was probably not worth the amount of time/energy it would take to completely clean it.


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## CitadelBlue (May 23, 2013)

I noticed a similar thing happened at my daughter's home last week. But ... it was more of a soften silicone vs. plastic that was on the bottom of the dishwasher .. also noticed it in the bottom drain as well as in the "finer" mesh stainer/filter in the back of the dishwasher ...... she is telling me that the dishes aren't getting clean ........should I tell her the obvious ...... again?

I think this one is beyond repair ..... I'm in the middle of a kitchen redo and am replacing my dishwasher ..... already offered her my old one that was working pretty good when I demo-ed a few weeks ago ....... 

She and my S-I-L are "thinking" about it ...... The last time I offered them something was a $100 wheel barrow (almost new) I got from the divorced lady neighbor who was moving. My daughter and S-I-L said they didn't need that either,. A week after I sold it on craigslist .. they called and asked if they could have it ....


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Just order a new heating element, replace it and be done with it. You will have to pull the unit, if it is an under cabinet unit, to get to the wires and nuts that hold the element onto the base inside.


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## autx790 (Aug 30, 2009)

@citadel...haha, isn't that the way it always goes. I wish your neighbor had given me that wheel barrow. Though i'll settle for the delicious soul food my neighbor cooks me from time to time.

So turns out I got the new heating element in and went to replace it, but thought i'd be able to do so without removing the dishwasher from the cabinet. I could get one connector but not the other. So I figured, I have the replacement so if I break the current one no loss right...lets try breaking the plastic off again. I clamped down hard with vice grips and sure enough, it came off in two pieces. I originally thought the plastic would be "welded" to the element, but it was a pain to get off. I guess I just needed more elbow grease. I ran it once with nothing in it, just to get any remaining plastic off. Seems good now. Now i'm hoping sears will take back the part I bought.


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