Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Coming downstairs to step in an ominous puddle on the floor is never the best to start the day.

Luckily, most everyday explanations of dishwasher leaks are comparatively easy to pinpoint and resolve by yourself. This means you could not need to wash the dishes by hand that much, wait for the repair man or have to pay a high call-out charge.

So, grab the operating manual if you can, clean up the puddle and so get a towel clean up any additional spills and see if you can diagnose the problem. If you aren’t able to call us for local dishwasher repair.

Simple Sources of Dishwasher Faults and How to Mend Them

Many of the more common explanations of dishwasher leaks are not actually because of a dishwasher issue . Prior to starting preparing yourself for an engineering task and also watching numerous online videos there are a couple of problems you might want to take a look at first.

Investigate to see whether your dishwasher is level. If the dishwasher is not level water will easily pool and leak even if the dishwasher is working perfectly.
Test you have been using the correct soap. You may have seen this with your washer. An excess of detergent or the wrong type can lead to too many suds, the suds spill over resulting in a spill.
Investigate your dishwasher door closes properly. If there’s a gap you could have an object obstructing it, or you may need to replace the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Check the filter located in the base of the machine for any obvious drainage issues because if your dishwasher isn’t draining effectively this will cause it to fill too much and spill.

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

To make your life easier start with the door and check for any visible problems within of the machine before you move on to the underside. If you can identify as well as mend the issue before you have 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 everyday place for a dishwasher to leak is on the door, luckily it is likewise one of the easiest problems to resolve.

If the leakage is intermittent the fault might be as straightforward as an oversized dish or another object putting pressure into the door thus stopping the door from closing correctly.

Otherwise the door seal may have come out of place or become split.

Check the door gasket and test for any cracks, a build-up of limescale or other gunk, or any tracts in which the gasket has separated from the door.

Extracting the seal and also giving it a thorough scrub has been known to improve the situation in some cases or you could need to buy a new seal and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can be a further common fault. The inlet is in most cases found on the underbelly of the machine therefore you will most likely have to unscrew the kick plate and may need to remove the door cover.

The fill valve opens and also closes to allow water into the dishwasher at various times during the cycle. The water inlet valve could be damaged, demonstrated with a slow drip, or it might be broken thus not operating correctly during the programme.

In the case that the water inlet valve fails to close properly this can result in the dishwasher leaking.

Usually these valves are not able to be refurbished unless it is only the rubber gasket that is broken, and so the entire valve would have to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to supply, drain and also recirculate water along the cycle.

Two complications could present themselves when it comes to hoses.

The seals can get damaged or the connections may come loose so it’s a good idea to check all the connection points .
The other issue than could often happen as time goes by is that hoses could become broken or cracked.

If you can identify that the leak is a result of a faulty hose this will be relatively simple to replace and replacement hoses are easy to come by.

Pumps and Gaskets

You can visually check the gaskets that are part of the pumps or motor to see if there is a leakage and change them if that’s the case.

The Float Switch

The float itself or the float switch could be damaged resulting in the dishwasher overfilling.

When working correctly the float will lift up as the water level goes up until the optimum or highest water level is reached. The tail of the float would then turn on the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be your problem.

Testing the switch would need a multi-meter but it might be noticeably broken in which case getting a new one should stop the leak.

Other Parts that May Lead to a Leak

A damaged wash arm or support could puch water under the door resulting in leakage. This can also often affect how well your dishes are being cleaned.

Broken or faulty lines might also cause this fault as can a damaged pump cover.

The motor shaft seal may have come loose resulting in leakage. This will generally show as leakage coming from underneath the appliance.

Top Tips to Fix Your Machine

Spend less by changing the gasket in place of the entire component. In many instances, you are able to buy the gasket separately which saves you having to replace the whole component.
Investigate the simple solutions before you get more complicated. You don’t need to pull the whole thing away from the wall if it’s the soap that’s making the issue.
Photograph your progress. This could assist you to put the machine back together, describe the component you are looking for in a store, as well as explain the issue to an engineer if required.
Stay safe. Water and electricity are not good friends so unplug the machine first.
If you’re not sure get in the professionals.

What To Do Next If Your Initial Investigation Doesn’t Identify or Resolve the Leak

If the root of the leak remains a mystery the next step you might take is to pull the machine away from the wall to get a better look underneath it and also fill it with water to find out whether the leakage presents itself.

If this gives no further clues your machine may only leak if it’s running. In this instance, your best bet would be to find a qualified technician to pinpoint and also resolve the problem due to the safety risks of checking for faults with electrical elements exposed.