[StillaYankee]

Thanks for the reply!
The model # I listed was an abbreviated # (from their literature)--the full # is 665.16299400 as listed on the inside of the dishwasher. I also know that it's made by Whirlpool for Sears.
According to the owners manual, the dishwasher is supposed to heat the water to the proper temp (I would assume 135-140*) if the incoming water is colder than it should be & continually adjust the temp during the entire cycle. This isn't anything new, my Maytag that I had in NY was less than 3 years old & it had that feature (and did an excellent job of heating the water) & the dishwasher I had before that had it as well (can't remember the brand on that 1, only remember that the electronics fried after a couple of years!).
The exact temp it heats to? That's the problem, it doesn't heat at all. I check the temp after the dishwasher fills & it reads 72-75* (I don't know why the variation--& this is on a very expensive digital instant read thermometer). If I check the temp later on in the cycle it still reads 72-75*. Checking the temp during what I would call the main wash cycle yields a slightly warmer 87-92* (about the middle of the cycle). It's difficult to catch the dishwasher at the beginning of any cycle, except the very first 1, because it's so extremely quiet & because it's supposed to be trying to heat the water so it either stops to heat or extends the cycle to heat.
I can understand it not heating to 135*, if it at least got to 125-130*, but water that stays under 100* just doesn't make any sense & it's not going to clean like it would if the water temp was where it's supposed to be.
I've even had a plumber come & check the line to make sure it was connected to the hot water line, but as is usual here all the guy did was pull on the piping a little to see if the hot water line moved when he pulled on the dishwasher line! I still have a beef with the builder about this & I have the feeling that 'if you want it done right, do it yourself' will come into play very shortly. It just kills me to have to do this stuff on a brand new house when I didn't have to do it on the 95 year old house I had in NY!
I just realized I have left 1 important fact out---I do know that the heating element does work (at least during the drying cycle) as it does dry the dishes effectively & if you try to unload the dishwasher just after it's finished drying, you'll have to move fast 'cause those dishes are piping hot!
Thanks,
Anthony P.