The soap holder is opening during the wash cycle but the soap tablet is not dissolving. Any ideas?

There are two reasons why it can happen:

1. Too much dishwashing detergent (There may be build up from before causing caking and so it's not dispensing the soap tablet)

2. You will notice a tiny spring inside your dishwasher detergent dispenser. This spring is triggered during the washing cycle and causes the dispenser door to pop open. A broken spring can prevent this from happening. If the spring is clean with no food, suds, or obvious buildup preventing it from working, it likely needs replacing.

I had a similar issue and found this website really helpful. Hope this helps.

https://www.expressrepair.ca/why-doesnt-dishwasher-dispense-soap/

Find out whether your quick cycle is a wash cycle or a rinse only. If it is a wash it's obviously too short, and the tablet is not dissolving. You do not want undissolved tablets because they will contaminate your rinse water and u end up with soap on the dishes. You can switch to powder if a tablet isn't going to dissolve quick enough on your quick cycle.

Hi

Dishwashers use Bi-Metal strip to allow the dispenser to open/close. This strip when heat up causes the soap door spring to open up the dispenser. If this strip is not heated doesn't allow the door to open. The strip may not be getting 120V or maybe disconnected. Newer (plastic liner) dishwashers use a wax motor to open the soap dispenser. The plunger inside the wax motor slowly moves and pushes the plunger and door open. And, if this wax motor doesn't receive 120 volts, then it'll not work. Please check the voltage to the wax motor/Bi-metal strip; also inspect the connections to these. Hope this helps...

Daniel

Either:

1. the water does not get into the dishwasher open the dishwasher 3-4 times during cycle, you should see some water at least once, if not - check water valve, water level float and water pressure.
2. the pump is clogged - there is water, the motor will run but no water is circulated. Check pump filters, check chopper and impeller.
3. motor in main pump is not working - could be caused by something stuck on the impeller or chopper or could be a problem with the motor itself or control board. Check if line voltage is coming to the motor during wash/rinse cycle.

Good luck,
Vlad
First Choice Appliance

Yes that's normal for that machine. The soap has to be washed out of the soap drawer by the top spray arm turning, and that's usually the problem - the arm isn't turning. Check both spray arms for blocked jets at the very end - remove blockages with a pin and water flow from tap. In the worst case, you may need a new spray arm - but they are usually cheap.
More points to remember - on a rapid 30 minute wash program only, if you are using wash tablets, don't put them in the soap drawer as there wont be enough time for them to dissolve. put the tabs in the cutlery basket. Also - a dishwasher is not a garbage disposal unit, and uneaten food must be scraped of plates before putting them in the dishwasher. Run a dishwasher cleaner through now and then, or do a full program wash with nothing in the machine to clean it out and to keep spray arms clear.

I don't have a solution, but the exact same problem is happening with my dishwasher. Nothing is getting cleaned properly.

Did you manage to get the problem fixed?

My recommendation is to switch over to a tablet and merely put the tablet on the floor of the dishwasher bypassing the soap holder all together. It should work just fine that way. good luck.

2 things will lead to soap not dissolving, first is cold water, so make sure you have hot enough water. second and more likely is the dispenser is not opening at the proper time , instead fully opens at end of cycle during the dry cycle never even getting wet, and washing dishes with no soap, id replace the dispenser or make sure your not stacking items in front of dispenser hindering the opening. also powder is best, tabs and gelpack put undo stress on the dispenser door not always allowing full operation...

Something simple you can check is to make sure the spring that flips open the door is not broken or caked up with detergent.

As for the soap not dissolving, I've had similar problems and the only solution I've found is to make sure you are not blocking  the spray jet on the bottom from hitting the soap drawer.

It sound like a detergent cup issue (the door doesn't open at time) A very simple test for it is to place a tablet on the bottom of the dishwasher for a full cycle and to see what happen to the tablet. In case the tablet will be dissolved : - The detergent cup can become clogged with old dried detergent that prevents it from opening at time. Sometimes just cleaning the cup takes care of the problem. - The detergent cup opened by a bi-metal switch or a wax motor located inside your dishwasher door(behind the detergent cup). If cup's cleaning will not solve the problem, you should replace the bi-metal switch or the wax motor (depend which of them is used in your machine). Good luck !