Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Coming downstairs to discover an ominous puddle coming from the dishwasher is never a great to start the day.

Thankfully, most commonplace sources of dishwasher leaks are relatively simple to determine and mend by yourself. This means you might not have to hand wash the dishes for more than a day or two, wait for the repair man or have to pay the call-out charge.

So, grab the manual if you have it, clean up the puddle and get something soak up any further spills 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

Some of the more commonplace causes of dishwasher faults aren’t in fact due to a dishwasher fault at all. Prior to starting getting the tools out and looking at numerous online videos there are a number of things you might want to take a look at first.

Investigate to see whether your dishwasher is aligned. If the dishwasher isn’t aligned water will quickly pool and so leak regardless of whether or not the dishwasher has a fault.
Check you have been using the correct detergent. You might be aware of this problem with your washing machine. Too much detergent or the incorrect variety could result in an excess of suds, the soap suds overflow resulting in a leak.
Test your dishwasher door fully closes. If there’s a gap there may be a blockage, or you might need to adjust the door fixings.
Investigate the filter located in the base of the tub for any obvious obstructions because if your dishwasher isn’t emptying correctly this can result in overfill and so spill.

If none of the above issues apply it’s time to roll up your sleeves and begin the investigation.

The easiest place to start is the door and check for any obvious damage within of the machine prior to moving on to the underside. If you are able to find and so mend the leak before you need to pull out the dishwasher you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

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

Door Gasket

The most commonly seen place for leakage is around the door, fortunately it is likewise one of the quickest issues to fix.

If the leakage is occasional the fault might be as simple as a large plate or something else pushing against the door thus stopping it from shutting fully.

On the other hand the door gasket may have come out of place or been split.

Inspect the door gasket and also check for any brittleness, mineral deposits or other debris, or any parts in which the seal has come away from the door.

Extracting the gasket and giving it a thorough wash might help in some cases or you may be required to acquire a new seal and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can also be a commonly seen problem. The Valve is in most cases found under the machine so you will need to unscrew the kick plate and also might need to take off the door cover.

The fill valve opens and closes to let water into the dishwasher at various parts of the cycle. The fill valve could be leaking, shown with a slow drip, or it could be broken and not opening or closing correctly during the programme.

When the water inlet valve fails to shut properly this can lead to the dishwasher overfilling and result in a leak.

Generally fill valve are not able to be refurbished unless it is only the rubber seal that is broken, which means the whole valve would have to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to fill, drain and also recirculate water within the programme.

Two problems can develop when it comes to hoses.

The seals might break or the connections could come loose so it’s a good idea to have a look at all the connection points .
The other problem than can easily develop as time goes by is that hoses may get broken or cracked.

Luckily broken hoses are easy to procure as well as replace.

Pumps and Gaskets

You are able to visually check the gaskets that are part of the pumps or motor to determine if there is a leak as well as replace them if there is.

The Float Switch

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

A working float will lift up with the water level until it reaches the optimum fill level. The tag of the float will then turn on the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be causing your issues.

Testing the switch would need a multi-meter but it may be clearly broken in which case replacing it should solve the problem.

Alternative Components that Could Result in Leakage

A cracked wash arm or support might resulting in leakage. This can likewise often affect how well your dishes are being cleaned.

Broken or cracked tubes could also cause this problem as may a cracked pump cover.

The motor shaft gasket might have degraded causing leakage. This generally presents as a leak coming from underneath the machine.

Top Tips to Sort Out Your Dishwasher

Spend less by changing the seal instead of the entire part. In many cases, you are able to acquire the gasket without the rest of the part which saves you having to change the entire component.
Check the quick solutions before you get more complicated. There’s no point pulling the whole thing away from the wall if it’s the soap that’s making the problem.
Take photos at each step. This may make your life easier when you come to put the thing back together, describe the component you need in a shop, and explain the issue to a repair person if required.
Stay safe. Water and electricity are not good friends so unplug the machine first.
If in doubt call a repair person.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Trouble Shooting Doesn’t Identify or Resolve the Leak

If the cause of the leakage remains a mystery the thing you may do is to pull the machine away from the wall to get better access beneath it as well as add water to the tub to find out whether the leakage presents itself.

If this gives no further clues your machine may only leak if the pump is running. In this case, you should employ a qualified technician to pinpoint as well as resolve the issue due to the safety risks of checking for faults with electrical components exposed.