Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Entering the kitchen to discover a large puddle on the floor is never a great to start the day.

Luckily, most simple sources of dishwasher faults are comparably simple to pinpoint and resolve by yourself. This means you might not need to wash the dishes by hand that much, call an engineer or have to pay a high call-out charge.

So, grab the instruction manual if you have it, get an old towel to clean up the mess and get a towel soak up any additional leaks and so see whether you can find a do it yourself solution. If you cannot call us for local dishwasher repair.

Common Sources of Dishwasher Leaks as well as How to Fix Them

A lot of the most simple sources of dishwasher leaks aren’t really a result of a broken dishwasher . Prior to starting preparing yourself for an engineering task as well as looking at endless online tutorials there are a number of problems you might want to troubleshoot first.

Test to see whether your dishwasher is aligned. If the dishwasher isn’t level water will quickly puddle and so leak regardless of whether or not the dishwasher has a fault.
Test you have been using the proper detergent. You may be familiar with this issue with your washer. An excess of detergent or using the wrong type could result in an excess of soap suds, the bubbles spill over and so you get a leak.
Investigate your dishwasher door closes fully. If there’s a gap there may be a blockage, or you may need to fix the door fixings.
Investigate the filter located in the base of the tub for any visible obstructions because if your dishwasher isn’t emptying properly this is likely to cause it to fill too much and leak.

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

The easiest place to start is the door and test for any obvious issues within of the machine before you move on to the underneath. If you are able to find as well as fix the problem without pulling 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 Seal

The most commonly seen place for leakage is on the door, luckily it is likewise one of the quickest problems to solve.

If the leakage is periodic the fault may be as easy as a big pan or something else pushing against the door thus stopping the door from closing properly.

On the other hand the door gasket may have been dislodged or become cracked.

Examine the door gasket and check for any brittleness, a build-up of limescale or other gunk, or any areas where the gasket might have separated from the door.

Removing the gasket and also allowing it a good wash has been known to improve the situation in some instances or you could be required to acquire a new gasket and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The inlet valve can be a further simple problem. The inlet is generally situated on the underbelly of the machine which means you will have to remove the toe board and may need to unscrew the door cover.

The inlet valve opens and closes to let water into the dishwasher at different parts of the cycle. The inlet valve might be showing a leak, evidenced with a slow drip, or it may be damaged and not functioning properly throughout the cycle.

When the inlet valve doesn’t close fully this can lead to the dishwasher overfilling and result in a leakage.

In General fill valve cannot be refurbished, thus the entire part would have to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to fill, empty and also redistribute water within the program.

Two complications could arise where hoses are concerned.

The gaskets can go or the contact points may work loose meaning it’s worth having a look at all the connections .
The other issue than may easily develop as time goes by is that hoses might be broken or get a hole in.

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

Pumps and Gaskets

You can visually test the gaskets around the pumps or motor to see if there is a leakage as well as change them if that’s the case.

The Float Switch

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

A working float will lift up as the water rises until it reaches the optimum fill level. The tag of the float would then operate the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be your problem.

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

Other Parts that Might Lead to a Leak

A cracked wash arm or support could force water under the door resulting in leakage. This will likewise often affect how well your dishes are being cleaned.

Broken or cracked lines may also result in this issue as might a loose pump cap.

The motor shaft gasket may have degraded resulting in leakage. This will generally show as leakage coming from underneath the dishwasher.

Top Tips to Fix Your Machine

Save money by changing the gasket in place of the entire part. In most situations, you can buy the seal separately which saves you having to change the whole part.
Check the simple fixes before you get more complicated. There’s no point pulling the whole thing away from the wall if it’s the detergent that’s making the problem.
Photograph your progress. This might assist you to reverse the process, describe the component you need in a shop, and also identify the problem to a repair person if required.
Be careful. Water and electricity do not mix so unplug the machine first.
If you’re struggling call a repair person.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Trouble Shooting Fails to Identify or Fix the Leakage

If the cause of the leak can’t be discovered the next step you can take is to pull out the dishwasher to get a better look underneath it and also fill it with water to find out whether the leak can be seen that way.

If this gives no further clues your appliance may only show a leakage when during a cycle. In this instance, your best bet would be to employ a service engineer to diagnose and resolve the issue as there are safety risks of checking for faults with electrical elements exposed.