Repair or replace 7 year old dishwasher?

[blabalalalablabla]

I have a 7 year old zanussi dishwasher - never broken down but over the few months it hasn't been getting dishes as clean as it should.

I regularly descale/clean out as we are in a hard water area, check the arms for blockages etc.

The dishwasher pod bit where you put the cleaner in rarely opens so we have resorted to listening out for the click and then bunging a tablet it.

Have to wash on the intensive wash mostly, but now that isn't getting rid of tea stains.

Could it be the heating element that's going? Would it be worth getting it serviced? (do people do that any more?) Or would it be better just to get a new one (ie more energy efficient?)

If you are sure all the filters and the arms are clean (check the instructions), and you have been using salt in the softener, and you are using a good tablet like Aldi Magnum or Fairy Platinum, then check the temp. If you open the door mid-wash, hot steam should billow out, and the water and dishes should be too hot to comfortably hold.

You can put the tab in the cutlery basket, they hardly dissolve in cold water so the pre-rinse will have little effect.

If you are using salt there should be no limescale. It is particularly noticable on the heating element which is usually visible in the bottom on a Bosch, don't know about Zanussi.

p.s.

I mention Fairy Platinum for comic effect. Like Aldi Magnum, it is a "Which" best buy and they scored almost exactly the same. It is however three times the price. Finish Powerball Classic also scored almost exactly the same, and is not so expensive.

You get better results using separate salt, tab and rinse aid.

hmm - I haven't been adding salt as use one of the 5-in-one tabs. Have been using finish powerball classic - tried aldi magnum and it didn't work particularly well in my machine.

Will get some salt and see if that makes a difference.

Steam does billow out mid wash so that's why I'm not convinced it's the heating element. Good tip about putting the tab in the cutlery rack.

Thank you!

DH didnt have salt in the dishwasher when I first met him and the dishes were not coming out clean either.

Right - have added salt and it still doesn't seem to be getting rid of the tea stains - glasses look shiner though...

that's odd

Give it a few washes for the softener to take effect. IIRC they usually run a softening cycle at the end of each wash, but I have been told that if the softener is completely full of lime, it takes a while to get it all out. There will also old limescale inside the machine that will dissolve in the newly-softened water thus making it go hard until it is all washed away.

Powerball Classic is a good tab.

You can just chuck the tab in the bottom of the dishwasher, works just the same (our tab drawer thingy used to stick).

I've run the normal wash cycle every day and still not getting rid of the tea stains. I have my fingers hovering over a new dishwasher ready to click 'buy'!