Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Coming downstairs only to find a large puddle coming from the dishwasher is never the best to start the day.

Thankfully, most commonly seen sources of dishwasher faults are comparably straightforward to diagnose and resolve by yourself. This means you might not have to wash the dishes by hand for more than a day or two, spend a day at home waiting for an engineer or need to pay the call-out charge.

So, find the manual if you know where it is, find an old towel to clean up the puddle and get something clean up any additional leaks and see if you can’t fix the problem. If you aren’t able to call us for local dishwasher repair.

Commonly Seen Explanations of Dishwasher Leaks and How to Resolve Them

Many of the more simple causes of dishwasher faults are not actually due to a broken dishwasher at all. Before you start preparing yourself for an engineering task and also flicking through numerous youtube videos there are a number of issues you might want to troubleshoot first.

Investigate to see if your dishwasher is level. If the dishwasher is not aligned water can quickly pool and leak even if the dishwasher is working perfectly.
Check you are using the proper soap. You may be aware of this fault with your washer. An excess of soap or the incorrect variety can result in an excess of soap suds, the suds deluge resulting in a leak.
Test your dishwasher door fully closes. If there’s a gap there may be a blockage, or you could have to fix the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Investigate the filter in the bottom of the machine for any visible drainage issues because if your dishwasher isn’t emptying properly this will result in overfill and spill.

Once you have looked at these potential problems it’s time to roll up your sleeves and begin a thorough check.

The easiest place to start is the door as well as investigate for any obvious issues inside of the machine before you move on to the underneath. If you can identify and so resolve the problem without pulling out the dishwasher so much the better.

Before you do anything else make sure you unplug the dishwasher.

Door Seal

The most common place for a dishwasher to leak is on the door, fortunately it is also one of the simplest issues to resolve.

If the leak is periodic the fault might be as straightforward as an oversized dish or something else putting pressure into the door and preventing the door from shutting fully.

On the other hand the door gasket may have come loose or got cracked.

Examine the door gasket and test for any degradation, mineral deposits or other deposits, or any areas where the seal has come away from the door.

Taking off the seal and also giving it a comprehensive scrub has been known to help in some cases or you could need to acquire 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 usually found underneath the machine which means you will need to take off the toe board and may need to remove the door cover.

The water inlet valve opens and closes to allow water into the dishwasher at varying times in the cycle. The water inlet valve may be showing a leak, evidenced with a slow drip, or it may be broken and so not opening or closing correctly while the dishwasher is running.

In the case that the fill valve doesn’t close correctly this can mean that the dishwasher overfills, causing a leak.

Usually inlet valve are not able to be fixed unless it is just the rubber gasket that is damaged, thus the whole component would need to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to supply, empty and also redistribute water during the programme.

Two problems may arise where hoses are concerned.

The seals might get damaged or the contact points may come loose so it’s worth examining all the connection points .
The other issue than can easily happen over time is that hoses may get degraded or get a hole in.

Luckily faulty hoses are relatively simple to procure and change, even for a novice.

Pumps and Gaskets

You are able to visually investigate the gaskets that are part of the water pumps or motor to see if there is a leakage and also replace them if that’s the case.

The Float Switch

The float itself or the float switch might be broken causing the dishwasher to overfill.

When operating as it should the float will go up as the water level goes up until the optimum or highest water level is attained. The end piece of the float should then turn on the switch. A blockage or breakage could be your issues.

Testing the switch would need electrical equipment although it could be clearly damaged in which case replacing it should solve the problem.

Other Components that May Result in Leakage

A cracked wash arm or support could build up pressure causing a leak. This could also often result in your dishes not being cleaned as effectively as they should.

Broken or cracked tubes may likewise cause this problem as might a loose pump cap.

The motor shaft seal could have cracked resulting in leakage. This will generally show as leakage coming from underneath the dishwasher.

Top Tips to Sort Out Your Dishwasher

Save money by checking the gasket rather than the whole component. In plenty situations, you can buy the gasket without the rest of the part which saves time as well as money.
Check the quick fixes first. You don’t need to pull the whole machine out if the problem is the soap.
Photograph your progress. This could assist you to put the thing back together, show the component you need to a sales person, and identify the issue to a repair person if needed.
Stay safe. Water and electricity are not good friends so unplug the machine first.
If you’re struggling call a repair person.

What To Do Next If Your Trouble Shooting Fails to Disclose or Resolve the Leak

If the cause of the problem is still a mystery the next step you might take is to pull the dishwasher away from the wall to get better access beneath it and add water to the tub to see if the leak presents itself.

If this gives no further clues your appliance could only show a leakage when during a cycle. In this case, you may wish to employ a qualified technician to determine and also fix the issue as there are safety risks of running the dishwasher with electrical parts exposed.