Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Entering the kitchen only to step in a large puddle on the floor is no-one’s favorite way to start the day.

Fortunately, most everyday sources of dishwasher faults are comparatively easy to pinpoint and mend on your own. This means you could not have to wash the dishes by hand for too long, spend a day at home waiting for an engineer or need to pay the call-out charge.

So, if you’re feeling up to it get out the operating manual if you know where it is, clean up the puddle and get something soak up any further spills and see whether you can’t diagnose the fault. If you cannot call us for local dishwasher repair.

Commonplace Explanations of Dishwasher Leaks and How to Mend Them

Many of the most commonly seen sources of dishwasher leaks aren’t really a result of a broken dishwasher at all. Before you start preparing yourself for an engineering task and also flicking through numerous youtube tutorials there are a number of problems you should rule out first.

Check to find out whether your dishwasher is aligned. If your dishwasher is not level water will quickly pool and so leak even if the dishwasher is working perfectly.
Investigate you are using the proper detergent. You may be familiar with this fault with your washing machine. Too much soap or the wrong type may lead an excess of soap suds, the soap suds overflow resulting in a spill.
Investigate your dishwasher door fully closes. If it doesn’t you may have an object blocking it, or you might need to fix the door fixings.
Test the filter at the base of the machine for any obvious obstructions because if your dishwasher isn’t draining effectively this will result in fill too much and spill.

If none of the above issues apply it’s time to roll up your sleeves and really start the investigation.

To make your life easier start with the door and check for any obvious issues in the interior of the machine before you move on to the underside. If you are able to find and so mend the issue before you need to pull out the dishwasher you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

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

Door Gasket

The door is no doubt the most everyday area for a dishwasher to leak as well as one of the easiest problems to solve.

If the leak is occasional the problem could be as straightforward as a big pan or something else putting pressure into the door and preventing it from closing properly.

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

Check the door seal and also test for any cracks, a build-up of limescale or other gunk, or any areas where the gasket might have separated from the door.

Removing the seal and allowing it a thorough clean might help in some instances or you might be required to acquire a new seal and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The inlet valve can be another commonly seen problem. The Valve is usually situated on the underbelly of the machine so you will most likely need to remove the kick plate and also could need to remove the door cover.

The water inlet valve opens and closes to let water into the tub at different times in the cycle. The inlet valve may be showing a leak, shown with a slight drip, or it may be damaged thus not functioning fully during the cycle.

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

Usually these valves are not able to be fixed unless it is just the rubber gasket that is broken, which means the whole part would have to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

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

Two problems can present themselves with hoses.

The seals may break or the connections may come loose thus it’s a good idea to check all the connection points .
The alternative fault than could often happen over time is that hoses could become damaged or get a hole in.

Luckily faulty hoses are relatively simple to procure and change.

Pumps and Gaskets

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

The Float Switch

Either the float or the float switch may be broken causing the dishwasher to overfill.

When working correctly the float will rise as the water rises until the optimum or maximum water level is reached. The tag of the float should then turn on the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be causing your issues.

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

Alternative Components that Might Result in Leakage

A damaged wash arm or support can build up pressure resulting in a leak. This could likewise often affect how well your dishes are being cleaned.

Broken or damaged tubes may likewise cause this fault as may a damaged pump cover if your dishwasher has one.

The motor shaft seal could have come loose resulting in a leak. This will generally show as leakage coming from underneath the machine.

Top Tips to Mend Your Dishwasher

Save money by changing the gasket instead of the entire component. In plenty situations, you can acquire the gasket without the rest of the part which saves time as well as money.
Test the quick solutions first. There’s no point pulling the whole thing away from the wall if the problem is the detergent.
Photograph your progress. This can assist you to put the machine back together, describe the part you are looking for in a store, and also identify the fault to an engineer if required.
Stay safe. Water and electricity are not good friends so turn off the power first.
If in doubt call the professionals.

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

If the root of the leakage is still a mystery the thing you may do is to pull out the machine to get a clearer view of the beneath it and also fill it with water to find out whether the leakage can be seen that way.

If you don’t uncover any leakages with this method your dishwasher might only leak when during a cycle. In this instance, you may wish to hire a appliance repair person to determine and also resolve the problem due to the safety risks of checking for faults with electrical elements uncovered.