Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Entering the kitchen to discover an ominous puddle on the floor is no-one’s favorite manner to start the day.

Fortunately, most common sources of dishwasher leaks are comparably easy to diagnose and resolve on your own. This means you could not need to hand wash the dishes for too long, take a day off waiting for an engineer or have to pay the call-out charge.

So, if you’re feeling up to it find the operating manual if you have it, clean up the mess and get something clean up any additional leaks and see if you can’t fix the problem. If you cannot call us for local dishwasher repair.

Commonplace Explanations of Dishwasher Leaks as well as How to Fix Them

A lot of the more simple explanations of dishwasher faults are not in fact due to a broken dishwasher at all. Prior to starting preparing yourself for an engineering task as well as looking at endless youtube tutorials there are a few issues you can troubleshoot first.

  1. Investigate to find out whether your dishwasher is aligned. If your dishwasher is wonky water can easily pool as well as leak even if the dishwasher is working perfectly.
  2. Investigate you are using the proper detergent. You may be familiar with this issue with your washer. An excess of soap or using the incorrect type may result in to too many suds, the suds overflow resulting in a spill.
  3. Check your dishwasher door closes correctly. If it does not you could have an object obstructing it such as a large plate, or you may have to fix the door fixings.
  4. Investigate the filter located in the bottom of the tub for any easy to see drainage issues because if your dishwasher isn’t draining correctly this will cause it to overfill and so leak.

If none of the above issues apply it’s time to get ready and start a thorough check.

To make your life easier start with the door as well as investigate for any obvious issues within of the machine prior to moving on to the underneath. If you are able to identify and so resolve the leak before you need to pull out the dishwasher so much the better.

Also make sure you disconnect the appliance first by either unplugging it or turning off the circuit breaker for the dishwasher.

Door Seal

The door is no doubt the most commonly seen area for leakage and also one of the easiest problems to solve.

If the leakage is intermittent the fault may be as easy as an oversized dish or another object pushing into the door thus preventing it from sealing correctly.

Otherwise the door seal may have been dislodged or become damaged.

Examine the door seal and check for any brittleness, a build-up of limescale or other deposits, or any parts where the seal might have separated from the door.

Taking off the seal and also giving it a comprehensive clean might improve the situation in some instances or you could be required to acquire a new seal and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The inlet valve can be another simple issue. The inlet is generally found under the machine so you may have to remove the kick plate and may have to unscrew the door cover.

The fill valve opens and also closes to let water into the dishwasher at varying times in the programme. The fill valve might be leaking, evidenced with a slow drip, or it could be broken and not operating fully throughout the cycle.

In the case that the inlet valve doesn’t shut properly this can mean that the dishwasher overfills, causing a leak.

Often these valves cannot be repaired unless it is just the rubber gasket that is broken, thus the whole part would have to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Your dishwasher uses hoses to fill, empty as well as recirculate water along the programme.

Two complications can arise with hoses.

  1. The gaskets can get damaged or the connections might come loose thus it’s worth having a look at all the connection points .
  2. The alternative fault than could often develop as you use the machine is that hoses can get degraded or cracked.

Luckily damaged hoses are easy to procure and change, even for a novice.

Pumps and Gaskets

You can visually test the gaskets that are part of the water pumps or motor to see whether there is a leak as well as change them if that’s the case.

The Float Switch

The float itself or the float switch might be broken resulting in the dishwasher overfilling.

When working correctly the float will go up as the water rises until it reaches the desired fill level. The tail of the float should then activate the switch. A blockage or breakage could be your issues.

Checking the switch will require electrical equipment but it could be obviously broken in which case getting a new one should stop the leak.

Other Components that Might Lead to a Leak

A damaged wash arm or support could force water under the door causing leakage. This can likewise often affect how well your dishes are being cleaned.

Broken or faulty tubes might also result in this fault as may a damaged pump cover.

The motor shaft seal may have cracked causing leakage. This will generally show as leakage coming from the underside of the dishwasher.

Top Tips to Sort Out Your Dishwasher

  1. Spend less by checking the gasket instead of the whole component. In many cases, you can acquire the gasket without the rest of the part which saves you having to change the entire part.
  2. Check the quick resolutions before you get more complicated. There’s no point pulling the entire machine away from the wall if it’s the detergent that’s causing the leak.
  3. Photograph your progress. This may make your life easier when you come to reverse the process, show the part you are looking for in a store, and also explain the fault to a repair person if required.
  4. Stay safe. Water and electricity are not good friends so unplug the machine first.
  5. If you’re not sure call the professionals.

What To Do Next If Your Trouble Shooting Fails to Identify or Mend the Leak

If the cause of the problem is still a mystery the thing you may do is to pull the dishwasher away from the wall to get a better look beneath it and fill it with water to see if the leakage presents itself.

If this doesn’t shed any light your machine may only leak when during a cycle. In this case, you may wish to employ a qualified technician to determine and also fix the fault due to the safety risks of checking for faults with electrical elements uncovered.

More Dishwasher Problems: