Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Coming downstairs only to find an ominous puddle on the floor is no-one’s favorite manner to start the day.

Luckily, most commonplace causes of dishwasher faults are relatively easy to pinpoint and fix on your own. This means you may not be required to hand wash the dishes for too long, wait for the repair man or have to pay the call-out charge.

So, grab the operating manual if you have it, find an old towel to clean up the puddle and so get something soak up any further leaks and see if you can’t fix the problem. If you cannot call us for local dishwasher repair.

Simple Causes of Dishwasher Faults and How to Mend Them

Many of the most commonly seen explanations of dishwasher leaks aren’t in fact because of a broken dishwasher at all. Before you start getting the tools out and looking at numerous youtube videos there are a few things you can rule out first.

Test to find out whether your dishwasher is level. If the dishwasher is wonky water will quickly puddle as well as leak even if the dishwasher is working perfectly.
Investigate you have been using the right detergent. You might have seen this with your washing machine. Too much detergent or the wrong variety could result in an excess of suds, the bubbles bubble over resulting in a spill.
Investigate your dishwasher door fully closes. If there’s a gap there may be a blockage, or you could have to replace the door fixings.
Test the filter at the bottom of the tub for any easy to see obstructions as if your dishwasher isn’t emptying properly this is likely to result in fill too much and so spill.

If none of the above issues apply it’s time to roll up your sleeves and start a thorough check.

The easiest place to start is the door and investigate for any obvious issues inside of the machine prior to moving on to the underside. If you are able to find as well as mend the problem without pulling 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 everyday area for leakage as well as one of the quickest issues to fix.

If the leakage is periodic the issue might be as easy as a big pan or another object putting pressure against the door and preventing it from closing properly.

Otherwise the door seal could have come loose or got damaged.

Check the door seal and also investigate for any degradation, mineral deposits or other deposits, or any tracts where the gasket might have come away from the door.

Extracting the gasket and also allowing it a thorough wash could help in some instances or you could have to buy a new gasket and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The inlet valve can be a further everyday fault. The inlet is usually located under the machine so you may have to take off the toe board and also could need to take off the door cover.

The fill valve opens and closes to let water into the machine at various parts of the cycle. The fill valve may be showing a leak, demonstrated with a slight drip, or it may be damaged thus not operating properly throughout the cycle.

In the case that the inlet valve doesn’t close fully this can result in the dishwasher overfilling and result in a leak.

Usually inlet valve are not able to be fixed unless it is only the rubber seal that is broken, thus the entire component would have to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

Your dishwasher uses hoses to fill, drain as well as redistribute water along the programme.

Two problems can arise with hoses.

The gaskets can go or the connections may work loose so it’s a good idea to check all the connections .
The other problem than may often happen as time goes by is that hoses could get damaged or cracked.

If you are able to see that the leakage is a result of a faulty hose this should be relatively easy to change and spare hoses are readily available.

Pumps and Gaskets

You can visually test the gaskets that are part of the pumps or motor to determine whether there is a leak and also change them if there is.

The Float Switch

The float itself or the float switch may be not working correctly causing the dishwasher to overfill.

When working as it should the float will rise as the water rises until it reaches the optimum fill level. The tail of the float would then turn on the switch. A blockage or breakage could be causing your problem.

Testing the switch will require a multi-meter although it might be noticeably broken in which case getting a new one should stop the leak.

Other Parts that May Cause a Leak

A damaged wash arm or support may causing leakage. This could also often result in your dishes not being cleaned as effectively as they should.

Broken or cracked lines might likewise cause this fault as can a cracked pump cap.

The motor shaft gasket could have come loose resulting in a leak. This will generally show as leakage coming from underneath the machine.

Top Tips to Mend Your Machine

Save money by checking the seal instead of the entire component. In many cases, you are able to acquire the gasket without the rest of the part which saves you having to change the entire part.
Test the simple fixes first. You don’t need to pull the whole thing out if the problem is the soap.
Take photos at each step. This may assist you to reverse the process, explain the component you need in a shop, and explain the issue to an engineer if required.
Stay safe. Water and electricity do not mix so unplug the machine first.
If in doubt get in the professionals.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Trouble Shooting Fails to Disclose or Mend the Leakage

If the cause of the issue is still a mystery the thing you might do is to pull the dishwasher away from the wall to get a clearer view of the underneath it as well as add water to the tub to see if the leakage can be seen that way.

If you don’t discover any leakages with this method your machine could only show a leakage if during a cycle. In this case, your best bet would be to hire a qualified technician to diagnose as well as resolve the problem as there are safety risks of running the dishwasher with electrical parts exposed.