Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Coming downstairs to discover an ominous puddle on the floor is never a great to start the day.

Fortuitously, most commonly seen explanations of dishwasher leaks are relatively straightforward to determine and fix yourself. Meaning you could not be required to hand wash the dishes that much, call an engineer or need to pay a high call-out fee.

So, find the manual if you know where it is, grab a towel to clean up the mess and so get a towel soak up any additional leaks and so find out whether you can’t find a do it yourself solution. If you can’t call us for local dishwasher repair.

Simple Causes of Dishwasher Faults and How to Mend Them

A lot of the most commonplace causes of dishwasher faults are not actually a result of a dishwasher issue at all. Prior to starting getting the tools out and also flicking through numerous YouTube tutorials there are a few problems you can rule out first.

Investigate to find out whether your dishwasher is aligned. If your dishwasher is not aligned water can easily puddle and so leak even if the dishwasher is working perfectly.
Check you are using the proper soap. You may be familiar with this fault with your washer. Too much detergent or the wrong variety can lead to too many soap suds, the bubbles bubble over and you get a leak.
Investigate your dishwasher door closes fully. If it does not you could have something blocking it such as a large plate, or you might need to fix the door fixings.
Check the filter located in the base of the machine for any easy to see obstructions because if your dishwasher isn’t emptying effectively this is likely to result in fill too much and spill.

If you have eliminated these potential problems it’s time to get ready and begin the investigation.

To make your life easier start with the door and investigate for any visible issues within of the machine before you move on to the underneath. If you are able to identify and so resolve the leak before you have 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 most commonplace place for leakage is around the door, luckily it is likewise one of the easiest problems to solve.

If the leak is intermittent the fault could be as easy as a large plate or another object putting pressure against the door and preventing it from closing correctly.

Else-ways the door seal might have been dislodged or been damaged.

Examine the door seal and also investigate for any brittleness, mineral deposits or other deposits, or any parts where the gasket has come away from the door.

Removing the gasket and also allowing it a good wash has been known to improve the situation in some cases or you may have to buy a new seal and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The water inlet valve can also be a everyday issue. The inlet is in most cases found underneath the machine and so you will most likely need to unscrew the kick plate and also might need to unscrew the door cover.

The inlet valve opens and closes to let water into the tub at various times during the program. The water inlet valve may be showing a leak, demonstrated by a slight drip, or it might be damaged and not functioning fully during the program.

In the case that the fill valve fails to shut properly this can mean that the dishwasher overfills, causing a leak.

Often water inlet valve cannot be refurbished, and so the whole component would need to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to supply, drain and redistribute water within the program.

Two complications may arise where hoses are involved.

The seals can get damaged or the connections may work loose thus it’s worth examining all the connection points .
The alternative issue than may easily develop as time goes by is that hoses may become damaged or get a hole in.

If you can 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 check the seals surrounding the water pumps or motor to see whether there is a leak and replace them if there is.

The Float Switch

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

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

Testing the switch will require a multi-meter but it might be obviously damaged in which case replacing it should stop the leak.

Other Parts that May Result in a Leak

A damaged wash arm or support could causing leakage. This will likewise often affect how well your dishes are being cleaned.

Broken or cracked tubes can likewise result in this issue as could a loose pump cap if your machine has one.

The motor shaft gasket could have degraded resulting in a leak. This will generally show as a leak coming from the underside of the appliance.

Top Tips to Mend Your Dishwasher

Save money by changing the seal rather than the entire part. In most instances, you can purchase the seal separately which saves time as well as money.
Check the quick solutions before you get more complicated. You don’t need to pull the entire dishwasher out if the problem is the detergent.
Photograph your progress. This might make your life easier when you come to put the thing back together, explain the component you are looking for to a sales person, as well as explain the problem to an engineer if required.
Be careful. Water and electricity are not good friends so turn off the power first.
If you’re struggling call the professionals.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Initial Investigation Fails to Disclose or Resolve the Leak

If the root of the issue is still a mystery the next step you could take is to pull out the machine to get a clearer view of the underneath it and also add water to the tub to see whether the leakage presents itself.

If this doesn’t shed any light your dishwasher may only show a leakage when the pump is running. If this is the case, you should hire a dishwasher repair person to pinpoint as well as mend the problem due to the safety risks of running the dishwasher with electrical elements exposed.