VERIFIED
Wine glasses on the top shelf
After a weekend of entertaining, the top rack is often a forest of stems. Wine glasses, tall tumblers and pint glasses press against the upper spray arm, and some touch the roof of the tub. The result is a rack that looks full and a wash that does not reach half of it.
What E31 can mean
Bertazzoni has not set out one confirmed meaning for E31 across all dishwasher models. A blocked upper arm is a common-sense first thing to rule out, not a diagnosis, and the page stays on that footing. The code alone cannot say which part is involved, so the pattern of when it appears matters.
Loading checks
- Lower the upper rack if it has height settings, so glasses clear the arm.
- Lean tall stems against the rack’s tines, not against each other.
- Turn the upper arm by hand to confirm it spins freely.
- Keep a few inches clear above the tallest glass.
Cloudiness and spotting
Glass that looks cloudy after the cycle is a different story from a code. Hard water leaves chalky film, while too much rinse aid can leave blue streaks. Soak a cloudy glass in white vinegar for ten minutes, and if the haze comes off, it is mineral, not a mechanical fault.
Inspect the arm itself
Look at the small holes along the upper arm and at the connection where it clips on. A hole packed with grit reduces the spray, and a loose clip lets the arm wobble. Rinse the arm, push it back until it clicks, and run a hot cycle on a lightly loaded rack. The upper arm is turned by the water leaving its holes, so anything that rubs it or clogs a hole slows the spin and leaves part of the rack poorly sprayed.
Do not remove the water feed tube inside the tub. It is part of the plumbing and is not meant for casual handling.
When to ask for service
If E31 returns with a clean arm and a sensible load, the circulation path or its sensing may be at fault. Whether the code returns every cycle or only with certain loads separates a loading habit from a circulation problem. A technician tests these with the machine open. You get a written estimate after diagnosis, and nothing is replaced until you approve.
Useful to mention
Say which rack was loaded how, and whether the code showed after a heavy glassware load in particular.
One more habit
Wash very tall or delicate stemware by hand when you can. It is less stress on both the glass and the rack, and it removes the most common reason an upper arm gets stuck.
If the arm still catches on the same spot after reloading, look for a bent rack rail or a loose roller, because a rack that sits crooked changes the clearance for everything.
Frequently asked questions
If it blocks the arm, it can change how water moves, so reloading is worth trying.
Vinegar removes mineral film. Etching, which is permanent, does not come off.
It depends on the load, so adjust the rack to give the arm space.
Model compatibility: Bertazzoni reuses codes across series and model years, so E31 may mean something different on another appliance or generation. Confirm this against your model’s documentation and record your full model number before acting.
