Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Entering the kitchen only to step in an ominous puddle on the floor is no-one’s favorite manner to start the day.

Fortuitously, most common explanations of dishwasher faults are relatively straightforward to determine and fix by yourself. This means you might not need to hand wash the dishes that much, spend a day at home waiting for an repair person or have to pay a high call-out fee.

So, find the manual if you know where it is, clean up the mess and get a towel soak up any further spills and see whether you can’t fix the problem. If you cannot call us for local dishwasher repair.

Everyday Causes of Dishwasher Leaks and How to Mend Them

Some of the most commonly seen causes of dishwasher faults are not in fact a result of a broken dishwasher . Before you start preparing yourself for an engineering task and also watching numerous YouTube videos there are a couple of issues you might want to troubleshoot first.

Check to find out if your dishwasher is level. If your dishwasher is not level water will easily pool as well as leak without there being anything that needs to be mended or changed.
Test you are using the right detergent. You may be familiar with this problem with your washer. An excess of detergent or the wrong type may result in an excess of suds, the soap suds overflow and so you get a leak.
Check your dishwasher door fully closes. If there’s a gap you may have an object obstructing it such as a large plate, or you may have to fix the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Test the filter located in the bottom of the tub for any visible obstructions as if your dishwasher isn’t emptying properly this is likely to cause it to overfill and leak.

If you have eliminated these possible causes it’s time to roll up your sleeves and really begin the inspection.

To make your life easier start with the door as well as check for any obvious problems in the interior of the machine prior to moving on to the underneath. If you can identify as well as resolve the issue before you have to pull out the dishwasher you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

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

Door Seal

The door is probably the most simple place for a dishwasher to leak and also one of the easiest issues to resolve.

If the leakage is periodic the fault may be as simple as an oversize dish or another object pushing against the door and preventing the door from shutting correctly.

Otherwise the door gasket may have come loose or got split.

Check the door gasket and test for any degradation, mineral deposits or other gunk, or any tracts in which the seal has come away from the door.

Removing the seal and also giving it a good clean has been known to improve the situation in some instances or you may have to acquire a new gasket and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can be a further common issue. It is generally located underneath the machine therefore you may have to remove the kick plate and may need to unscrew the door cover.

The inlet valve opens and closes to allow water into the tub at various parts of the cycle. The water inlet valve might be showing a leak, evidenced with a slight drip, or it may be broken and not opening or closing fully during the program.

In the case that the water inlet valve fails to close correctly this can mean that the dishwasher overfills, causing a leak.

Often fill valve can’t be refurbished, and so the entire component would need to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to fill, empty and also recirculate water along the cycle.

Two complications might develop when it comes to hoses.

The gaskets might get damaged or the contact points might come loose so it’s a good idea to check all the connection points first.
The alternative fault than may often develop as time goes by is that hoses can become broken or cracked.

If you are able to identify that the leak is coming from a hose this should be relatively easy to change and replacement hoses are readily available.

Pumps and Gaskets

You can visually investigate the gaskets around the water pumps or motor to ascertain whether there is a leakage and replace them if that’s the case.

The Float Switch

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

A working float will lift up with the water level until it reaches the optimum fill level. The end piece of the float would then activate the switch. A blockage or breakage could be causing your issues.

Testing the switch would need electrical equipment but it may be obviously broken in which case getting a new one should stop the leak.

Other Parts that May Result in Leakage

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

Broken or faulty lines can likewise result in this issue as might a loose pump cover.

The motor shaft seal may have degraded resulting in leakage. This generally presents as a leak coming from the underside of the machine.

Top Tips to Mend Your Dishwasher

Spend less by changing the gasket in place of the whole component. In plenty situations, you are able to buy the seal without the rest of the part which saves time as well as money.
Investigate the easy solutions before you get more complicated. You don’t need to pull the whole machine out if it’s the detergent that’s making the leak.
Take photos at each step. This can help you reverse the process, show the component you need in a shop, and also identify the fault to an engineer if needed.
Stay safe. Water and electricity are not good friends so unplug the machine first.
If in doubt get in a professional.

What To Do Next If Your Initial Investigation Fails to Identify or Resolve the Leakage

If the cause of the leak remains a mystery the next step you can take is to pull out the dishwasher to get better access underneath it and also add water to the tub to see whether the leak becomes visible.

If this doesn’t shed any light your machine could only leak when it’s running. In this case, you should hire a qualified technician to pinpoint and also mend the problem as there are safety risks of checking for faults with electrical parts exposed.