Stepping on a large puddle in the kitchen floor to grab some breakfast would never be an ideal occurrence to starting the day with a good mood.
Fortunately, most regular causes of dishwasher problems are rather upfront to identify and work it out on your own. Meaning to say, you’re not going to end up washing the dishes by hand for a few days or wait for professional service to swing by your house and fix the appliance.
So, if you’re pumped up about this, go and get the instruction manual, clean up the large puddle and wipe up any additional spills on the dishwasher with a dry towel and see whether you can find a DIY solution or not. If you aren’t able to identify which causes the problem, you can call us for a professional dishwasher repair.
Simple Explanations of Dishwasher Problems as well as How to Fix Them
Many of the more simple explanations of dishwasher problems are not actually due to the fault of the dishwasher itself. Before you start panicking and make a call for a repairman, there are a few things you should do troubleshooting with first.
- Inspect your dishwasher and see whether it’s aligned properly or not. If your dishwasher isn’t aligned properly, water will easily lounge around as well as making leaks, regardless of whether or not the dishwasher is at fault.
- Ensure if you have been using the right detergent for your dishwasher. You might have seen this with your dishwasher before, but too much detergent or the incorrect selection may result to excessive soap bubbles and foams, which will eventually overflow as to why you’re getting a spill.
- Check if your dishwasher door fully locks when closed. If your notice that there’s a visible gap, there may be a blockage, which prevents your dishwasher to be fully locked. If so, you might need to order a replacement for the hinge or any locking mechanism.
- Test out the filter for any possible drainage issues. It is usually located in the base of the machine. If your dishwasher isn’t draining correctly, this will only cause it to fill lavishly and spill right after.
If none of these issues are of relevance, then it might be the right time to roll up your sleeves and start an in-depth investigation.
To make things less complicated, begin with the door and scan for any possible issues in the interior of the machine before you proceed to the underneath. If you can identify and fix the problem without pulling out the dishwasher, you’ll save yourself a lot of time and energy.
Before you start anything else, make sure to unplug the appliance first.
Door Gasket
The door is apparently the most involved part for leakage. But luckily, it is also one of the easiest problems to fix.
If the leakage is periodic, the problem could be as easy as a big pan or something else pushing against the door thus preventing the door from shutting all the way in.
On the other hand the door gasket could have come baggy or got torn apart.
Examine the door seal and test for any degradation, mineral deposits or other debris, or any areas where the seal might have detached from the door.
Extracting the seal and also allowing it a good wash could improve the situation in some cases or you could acquire a new seal and replace it.
Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)
The water inlet valve can also be an everyday problem. It is usually found under the machine which means you will have to take off the kick plate and might need to unscrew the door cover.
The water inlet valve opens and closes to allow water into the tub at different parts of the cycle. The fill valve could be showing a leak, evidenced with a slow drip, or it could be broken and not functioning correctly throughout the programme.
In the case that the water inlet valve fails to close correctly this can lead to the dishwasher overfilling and result in a leak.
Usually inlet valve can’t be fixed unless it is only the rubber seal that is damaged, thus the whole valve would need to be changed.
Leaking Hoses
Your dishwasher uses hoses to supply, empty as well as to redistribute water along the setting.
Two problems might present themselves when it comes to hoses.
- The seals may go or the connections might work loose meaning it’s a good idea to have a look at all the connections first.
- The alternative issue than might easily develop as you use the machine is that hoses can get damaged or get a hole in.
If you are able to see that the leakage is a result of a faulty hose this should be relatively easy to replace and spare hoses are readily available.
Pumps and Seals
You can visually test the rubber seals that are part of the water pumps or motor to determine whether there is a leak. If that should be the case, replace them.
The Float Switch
Either the float or the float switch may be malfunctioning which often results in the dishwasher overfilling.
A working float will gradually rise with the increasing water level until the optimum or highest water level is reached. The tail of the float should then activate the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken, this could be causing your problem.
Testing the switch requires electrical equipment but it could be obviously damaged in which case, getting a new one should easily resolve the problem.
Other Components that may Lead to Leakage
A damaged wash arm or support could result in leakage. This will also often result in your dishes not being cleaned as they should be.
Broken or cracked tubes could likewise cause this problem as can a damaged pump cap.
The motor shaft gasket might have come loose which results in leakage. This will generally show some leakage coming from the underside of the appliance.
Top Tips to Mend your Machine
- Spend less by changing the seal rather than the entire component. In plenty situations, you can buy the seal without the rest of the part which saves you having to replace the whole component.
- Check the easy fixes first. You don’t need to pull the whole thing away from the wall if it’s the detergent that’s causing the issue.
- Take pictures as you go along. This can make your life easier when you come to put the machine back together, describe the component you need in a store, as well as explain the problem to an engineer if needed.
- Be careful. Water and electricity do not mix so turn off the power first.
- If you’re not sure get in the professionals.
The Next Steps you should Take if your Initial Investigation Fails to Identify or Mend the Leakage
If the source of the leakage can’t be located, the thing you can do is to pull out the entire dishwasher to get a much better view beneath it. Afterwards, you should fill it with water to find out if the leak will present itself.
If this doesn’t do the trick, your appliance may perhaps leak when it’s running. In this case, you should hire a professional appliance repair to locate and fix the problem as there are safety hazards of checking for problems with exposed electrical components.