How to Replace a Dish Rack Height Adjuster

The dish rack height adjuster on a dishwasher is perhaps the most underutilized part. It allows you to move the dish rack up and down so you can wash items of a wide variety of sizes on both the top and bottom rack. However, there is the chance that an adjuster may fail, leaving your dish rack lop-sided and no longer adjustable. However, if this is the case, it is a pretty easy repair to make.

Start by removing the clips at the end of the dishwasher rack rails so you can pull the whole rack out.  Once done, remove the screws on each adjuster. The back will then pull off and you can pull the adjuster firmly down until it comes off.

The most difficult part of installing the new rack adjuster is making sure it is in the right place, so before you fully remove the old faulty rack adjuster, you may want to mark the exact spot where it was installed. If you place it in a different spot, it may not function or will not be as easy to use.

With new dishwasher rack adjuster in hand, you will want to split it apart and line it up so it is in the appropriate spot. You will then want to place the back on. This is where you may need someone to help you hold it together while you install the screws again.

While you don’t necessarily need to replace the adjuster on each side, if you find that the rack is still uneven, you may need to. Not all adjusters are the same as what was installed previously, which can create some imbalance. It is usually best to just do them both at the same time, however. The adjuster on the other side was probably close to going out as well.