A Hotpoint dishwasher burning smell usually points to an electrical part overheating or shorting out, and the most common place to start is the drain valve solenoid. If your dishwasher smells like burning, inspect the drain valve for scorched terminals or melted wiring, then move on to the heating element, which can blister, split, or short and cause a dishwasher electrical burning smell. Next in line are the timer and control board, both of which can burn or short after a surge or internal failure. If those parts look good, check the pump and motor assembly, since a failing circulation pump motor may overheat, hum, and give off a dishwasher overheating smell. The drain solenoid kit is another likely source if the solenoid shows burn marks or fails a continuity test. A multimeter check can help confirm whether the heating element, drain valve, or solenoid is actually bad before you replace anything. Enter your Hotpoint dishwasher model number on RepairClinic.com to find the exact replacement part that fits your machine, whether you need a drain valve assembly, heating element, timer, control board, pump and motor assembly, or drain solenoid kit.
01 - Hotpoint Dishwasher Drain Valve
The drain valve will often use a solenoid to open the valve to allow the water to exit the dishwasher. Since the solenoid is an electrical component, it can short out and produce a burning smell. You should inspect the solenoid for any burn marks near the terminals. You can also use a multimeter to test the drain valve solenoid for electrical continuity to determine if the component is able to function properly. If the solenoid is faulty, the entire drain valve assembly may need to be replaced.
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The heating element may be shorted, causing a burning smell. In most cases when the element shorts out, it will have blisters or raised sections on it; in other cases a shorted element will break in half. To determine if the heating element has burned out, use a multimeter to test it for continuity. If the heating element does not have continuity, replace it.
On some dishwasher models, the timer determines when power is sent to the various components of the dishwasher. If the timer receives a power surge, or a component fails, the timer can short-out causing a burning smell. Inspect the timer for burn marks. A damaged timer will need to be replaced.
The control board provides power to the various components of the dishwasher. If the control board receives a power surge, or a component fails, the control board can short-out causing a burning smell. Inspect the control board for burn marks. A burnt control board will need to be replaced.
The circulation pump uses a motor and impeller to force water up through the wash arms during the dishwasher's wash and rinse cycles. If the motor has burned out or is in the process of failing, it can produce a burning smell. You can often tell that a circulation pump motor has burned out if the motor isn’t making any noise or is just making a humming sound after the dishwasher has filled.
The drain solenoid opens the drain valve to allow the water to exit the dishwasher. Since the solenoid is an electrical component, it can short out and produce a burning smell. You should inspect the solenoid for any burn marks near the terminals. You can also use a multimeter to test the solenoid for electrical continuity to determine if the component is able to function properly.