A household appliance for treating at least one item according to at least one cycle of operation includes a treating chemistry dispenser receiving a unit dose container and having a door moveable between an opened position and a closed position, a piercing mechanism located proximate to the treating chemistry dispenser and having a piercer that is moveable between a non-piercing position and a piercing position where the piercer is moved to perforate a unit dose container received within the treating chemistry dispenser.

A control method for a dishwasher that includes a spray arm, a sump configured to provide a space where washing water is stored and to collect washing water sprayed from the spray arm, a housing configured to connect the sump and the spray arm, a heater located in the housing, an impeller located in the housing and above the heater, and a motor configured to rotate the impeller, is described. The control method includes the actions of supplying washing water to the sump; rotating the impeller by supplying electricity to the motor; measuring an amount of electric current supplied to the motor during the rotating of the impeller; and heating washing water located in the housing by operating the heater based on the amount of electric current supplied to the motor during the rotating of the impeller being greater than or equal to a preset reference amount.

The present disclosure relates to a dishwasher. The dishwasher according to an embodiment comprises: a tub having a washing room, in which an object to be washed is accommodated, formed therein; a nozzle which is arranged in the washing room and sprays washing water to the object to be washed, and includes a magnetic body at one end thereof; a coil which his formed to surround a region corresponding to a movable range of the nozzle, and through which an electric current flows according to the rotation of the nozzle; and a controller which controls an operation of the nozzle according to an operation command, and determines an operating status of the nozzle on the basis of a value of the voltage generated in the coil.

A dishwasher and a method for controlling a dishwasher are provided. The dishwasher may include a washing tub that defines a washing space in which one or more dishes may be placed; an injection unit that injects wash water to the dishes; a sump provided underneath of the washing tub; a drive that supplies and circulates the wash water stored in the sump to the injection unit; and a drainage pump that drains the wash water from the sump. The method for controlling the dishwasher may include supplying wash water to the dishwasher; washing dishes using the wash water; rinsing the washed dishes; and drying the dishes. The method may further include exhausting by operating the drainage pump for a predetermined period of time to exhaust air from the drainage pump after the supplying of the wash water to the dishwasher.

A control method of a dishwasher that includes at least two flow paths having different flow rates, a chamber having communication holes that each communicate with a respective flow path, a water supply pump configured to supply washing water to the chamber through an impeller rotated by a motor, and a flow path switching unit located within the chamber and configured to sequentially open the communication holes is described. The control method includes the actions of measuring an amount of current supplied to the motor while the motor rotates the impeller to supply washing water to the chamber, and determining a position of the flow path switching unit by comparing the amount of current supplied to the motor with reference current amounts that are each designated as an amount of current supplied to the motor when the motor rotates the impeller to supply washing water to the respective flow path.

Systems and methods of detecting current leakage in a heating element are provided. An alternating current signal can be applied to the heating element. The heating element can have an associated line relay and an associated neutral relay coupled to a line terminal of the heating element and a neutral terminal of the heating element, respectively. A control system can be configured to control a sequence of operations of the line and neutral relays such that the magnitude of a leakage current flowing through the heating element to ground is increased. Such increased magnitude can facilitate detection of the leakage current. The detected leakage current can be compared with a leakage threshold. The control system can cease the operation of the heating element if the leakage current is greater than the leakage threshold.

A domestic appliance and a method at the domestic appliance for detecting presence of process water in a pump of the domestic appliance are provided. The method of detecting process water in a pump of a domestic appliance may include operating the pump to rotate in a first direction, recording a first response of the pump rotating in the first direction based on a measured pump operation parameter, operating the pump to rotate in a second direction, and recording a second response of the pump rotating in the second direction based on the measured pump operation parameter. The method may further include comparing the first response and the second response, and determining the presence of water in the pump based on the comparison of the first and second response.

A dishwasher and method utilize a cam-based position sensor that is configured to sense multiple rotational positions for a discretely directable tubular spray element driven by a tubular spray element drive.

A dishwasher may include a spray arm arrangement and a washing chamber. The spray arm arrangement may include a spray arm arranged to rotate around a first axis of rotation within said washing chamber. The spray arm may be provided with one or more spray nozzles arranged to spray washing liquid into said washing chamber. The dishwasher may also include a mechanical switch for detecting an angular position of said spray arm. The spray arm arrangement may further include an activating device arranged to rotate with said spray arm, which activating device may include at least one activating structure arranged to cyclically activate said mechanical switch during rotation of said spray arm.

A method of operating a dishwashing appliance includes activating a pump for a predefined self-calibration time by supplying electrical power from a power supply to a motor of the pump. The method also includes monitoring, with the sensor circuit, electrical power between the power supply and the motor while the pump is activated for the predefined self-calibration time. The method further includes determining, based on the monitored electrical power, a motor type of the motor and selecting a set of control parameters corresponding to the determined motor type of the motor. The method also includes activating the pump according to the selected set of control parameters during at least one cycle of the dishwashing appliance.