Fishy / Rotten smell coming from new dishwasher

[asquirrel]

Hi Folks,

At the end of May this year I bought a brand new Whirlpool, 24 in. Front Control Built-in Tall Tub Dishwasher, Model # WDF520PADB7 from the Home Depot. I paid to have the dishwasher professionally installed and also bought an installation kit for it. A few months after the new smell in the dishwasher went away, me and my family members could smell a rotten, fish like smell coming out of the inside of the dishwasher when we opened it. Didn't seem to matter if there was dishes in there or not. I checked the removable food filters inside to see if there was any food in there that would cause the smell, but they were clean.

I was reading at this link:

https://structuretech1.com/wp-conte...retech1.com/dishwasher-drain/_index.html_gzip

thinking that maybe the cause was due to no high loop put in. I went under under my sink to check the drain tube from the dishwasher. I'm not an expert, but it doesn't look like the drain tube was set in a "high loop" configuration. I took pictures of where the tube comes out of the cabinet wall that separates the dishwasher from the kitchen sink. You can see the white tube come from the bottom right of the cabinet wall. It then goes up a bit and then is fastened to the back wall of the cabinet with a screw mount. Then the tube goes laterally into my garbage disposal. The height in which the installer put in the tubing is not high enough and the angle seems to be way too shallow.

Before I start calling Home Depot or Whirlpool for assistance, I was hoping if you folks might be able to direct me as to why this brand new unit is smelling like rotting garbage, and whether the installation seems be a bit off in terms of how that drain hose is connected to my garbage disposal (no high loop). Any other suggestions would be appreciated. This unit replaced an old GE dishwasher that lasted almost 15 years, and I never had a stinky smell like this coming out of my old GE dishwasher. Thank you for your help.

 

[frodo]

it needs a high loop.
looks like the hose was not long enough so instead of adding a section of hose he sad f it
go to automotive store buy 4' of 3/4 radiator hose
ask for a couple of 1'' gear clamps
you need a 4'' long piece of coppr tubing

disconnect your hose from disposal. loop that hose up as high as it will go
use the old disposal hook up fitting to hook up the new hose to the disposal
then hook the new hose to the old hose, you might have to cut the new hose to length
slide the 1/2'' copper into the hose and clamp the hose to the od hos using the gear clamps

 

[asquirrel]

Hi Frodo,

Thanks very much for your fast response! I was reading at the link I had posted above that the wastewater that's supposed to be discharged from the dishwasher can backflow into the dishwasher if the high loop is not installed. So is the smell I'm experiencing probably backflowed wastewater in the dishwasher sump?

 

[frodo]

Hi Frodo,

Thanks very much for your fast response! I was reading at the link I had posted above that the wastewater that's supposed to be discharged from the dishwasher can backflow into the dishwasher if the high loop is not installed. So is the smell I'm experiencing probably backflowed wastewater in the dishwasher sump?

the loop acts as a water seal stop unpleasant odoriferous bacterial gas

 

[Diehard]

Sorry frodo, but if you look up the primary purpose of the high loop, it's to prevent the potential of "backflow" to the dish washer. (It's a cross connection between waste water in the disposal and potable water within the dish washer.)

Here's one of many references on the subject.
http://www.jwkhomeinspections.com/dishwasher-high-loop-drain-line.html

EDIT: I think some jurisdictions still require an air gap device.

 

[qchero]

Yes if the loop is not high enough, whatever goes into the sink might go to the dishwasher hose.
You can test it by dumping some colored water like washing paintbrush in the sink, or maybe not because I already did it...

 

[breplum]

In most states, the UPC standard is only achieved with a dishwasher air gap device. Truly safe and sensible.

 

[asquirrel]

Thank you everyone for helping me with my question. I contacted Home Depot and am waiting to see if they will send someone out to put in the high loop and check if anything else might be causing this stinking smell from my dishwasher.

 

[PlumbGate]

I just discovered what the smell is in my almost new dishwasher. I took the bottom plate out (under the food trap) and it was FULL of all sorts of food crap/garbage that was rotting away. The food filter is near useless and allows a lot of food to pass through where it sits because the drain line isn't strong enough to flush it out. Bottom line dishwashers are poorly designed. We rinse the dishes much better now before loading and I will still clean this out once in awhile.