Please help our VZUG Andora N, turns on, we hear the water and then it kind of stops working and an hour later it is flashing we open the door and nothing is clean at all, it also smells

Have you cleaned the machine, filters etc to make sure nothing is blocked?
Have you checked the tube?
Any error messages?
Is the machine still under guarantee?

you hear water during the cycle?
water drains completely from the machine?

likely two issues:
(long way first) are you blocking where the tab comes out so it cannot add detergent?
do you have salt in the machine?

You can test by dumping the tab into the bottom of the machine straight away.

Have you put salt in the machine?

Are the spinning things (not sure what they are called) able to spin freely? (Ours would do the same as yours when they were not.)

Have you used a dishwasher cleaner lately?

If you've cleaned it and it still smells then I would check for a blocked drain outlet.

If you haven't cleaned it thoroughly, then do that - any other checks are pointless before that step.

How old is it? Most newer machines show some sort of error code indicating the problem, either on the display or by flashing some combination of the lights, which you can then look up in the manual.

it's able to move freely but when i check (by opening the door in the middle) it isnt spinning although after 5 minutes theres water on the floor, which completely drains if I turn off the cycle.

the arms arent spinning although they spin when manually pushed easily, could it be the water block in the inlet?

what is the tube?

But have you cleaned the filter? Do you know where it is?

If you don't answer the easy questions, it's difficult to help you.

Yes cleaned the filter, but did not remove the filter plate since it is screwed in , its an older model

Our recent issues were a blockage where the filter is located (but in this case the water was not draining out) and second time one of those spinning things was broken (not obvious to us) - the water wasn't coming in...how old is your dishwasher?


As others suggested check the tube that drains from the dishwasher and goes under the sink (probably) is not blocked (from the outside due to what is stored under the sink). Otherwise call the technician or landlord!

To me it sounds like the main pump is broken or blocked somewhere you can't get at, if it's filling and draining and everything is loose.

So you'd need an engineer, or a new machine if it's really old and not worth fixing.

Without knowing the specific model (it's an older model), and the lamp flashing sequence, it could be lots of things including:

The drain impellor could be blocked with a bit of bone or something.
The outlet drain pipe could be blocked.

it's possible this spinning thing has a crack or is broken and needs to be replaced, especially if your dishwasher is old.

Quick summary:

The machine starts, we can hear water come in, but after 5 minutes, there is no noise.
Cleaned the filter but not remove the filter plate since its screwed in
When i open the machine after 20 mins of no noise, there is water on the floor but after i shut it and press the stop button it drains it all in 1 minute, no issue
the most remarkable thing is that after 5 minutes it makes a loud clicking noise and then a long noise for 5 secs and then no activity

So most likely the main pump isn't running, as suspected.

The noise after 5 mins will be the soap door opening.

what would the solution be in this case? if the main pump isnt working where is the water coming in from? Should i open the inlet and check for blockage?

would your water drain out when you turned the cycle off ? or the water just wouldnt drain at all?

This depends on your model number... But I had the same sounding problem on mine. Older type, with physical/mechanical buttons (not the newer touch screen).


The clicking sound that stops clicking is the mechanical timer. Which is f@cked, so no longer switches over to the next part of the program after the fill cycle. If it is not that, it is the main pump that produces the spray pressure, which no longer works at that point of the timer.


When the VZUG engineer came, he announced that this model was last made 17 years ago; the timer failing and/or main pump giving up are common issues; and they cannot get parts for them any more.


Therfore, if yours is a mechnical timer model (which it sounds like from your description) it's unlikely to be fixable.


Best call the VZUG customer helpline and see what they say.


I now have a nice shiny new one, with touchscreen... and that most-Swiss of dishwasher settings - a special program to clean your fondue pot!



Kind regards




Ian

You probably should try to reset the circuit breaker if possible. Maybe a relay is getting stuck and making the click sound and shutting off. Sometimes a hard restart could help.

While empty... If it really smells and has calcium buildup, pour in 1/2 or more of a standard 750ml bottle of some "Tafel Essig" normal cheap vinegar (1CHF) after the initial wash, at the point where the water exchanges and hot water comes recirculates for most of the cycle. That will get it cleaned up real nice.