Why is My Dishwasher Leaking? | Westminster Appliance Repair

Coming downstairs to find a large puddle coming from the dishwasher is no-one’s chosen way to start the day.

Luckily, most commonplace sources of dishwasher faults are relatively straightforward to diagnose and mend by yourself. Meaning you could not be required to wash the dishes by hand that much, wait for the repair man or have to pay the call-out fee.

So, find the manual if you have it, clean up the puddle and so get a towel clean up any further spills and see if you can’t fix the problem. If you can’t call us for local dishwasher repair.

Simple Causes of Dishwasher Faults and How to Mend Them

Many of the more commonly seen explanations of dishwasher leaks are not in fact due to a broken dishwasher . Before you start preparing yourself for an engineering task as well as looking at numerous online tutorials there are a few issues you might want to troubleshoot first.

Test to find out whether your dishwasher is level. If the dishwasher is not aligned water will quickly pool and spill out regardless of whether or not the dishwasher has a fault.
Test you have been using the correct detergent. You could be aware of this problem with your washing machine. Too much soap or the incorrect type could result in to too many soap suds, the bubbles overflow resulting in a spill.
Check your dishwasher door fully closes. If it doesn’t there may be a blockage, or you may need to fix the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Investigate the filter in the bottom of the machine for any easy to see drainage issues as if your dishwasher isn’t draining properly this will result in overfill and so spill.

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

To make your life easier start with the door as well as test for any visible issues within of the machine prior to moving on to the underside. If you are able to identify and mend the issue without pulling 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 most commonplace place for a dishwasher to leak is around the door, luckily it is likewise one of the simplest problems to solve.

If the leakage is intermittent the problem might be as simple as a big pan or another object pushing into the door thus preventing the door from shutting properly.

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

Inspect the door seal and also test for any brittleness, a build-up of limescale or other gunk, or any parts where the seal might have separated from the door.

Removing the seal and also giving it a good scrub can help in some cases or you might need to purchase a new seal and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The inlet valve can be another simple problem. The Valve is generally situated on the underbelly of the machine and so you will have to take off the kick plate and may have to take off the door cover.

The inlet valve opens and closes to let water into the machine at different times in the programme. The water inlet valve could be showing a leak, evidenced by a slight drip, or it could be damaged and not functioning fully during the programme.

If the water inlet valve fails to shut fully this can mean that the dishwasher overfills, causing a leak.

Usually inlet valve can’t be repaired unless it is only the rubber seal that is broken, thus the whole valve would need to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

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

Two complications can develop where hoses are the cause.

The gaskets can go or the connections can come loose meaning it’s a good idea to check all the connection points first.
The alternative problem than can easily develop as time goes by is that hoses may get damaged or cracked.

Luckily damaged hoses are easy to buy as well as change, even for a novice.

Pumps and Gaskets

You are able to visually check the seals that are part of the water pumps or motor to see whether there is a leakage and also change them if that’s the case.

The Float Switch

The float itself or the float switch may be faulty resulting in the dishwasher overfilling.

When operating correctly the float will lift up as the water rises until it reaches the optimum fill level. The tag of the float will then operate the switch. A blockage or breakage could be your problem.

Checking the switch would need a multi-meter although it could be clearly broken in which case replacing it should stop the leak.

Other Components that Might Cause Leakage

A broken wash arm or support could build up pressure resulting in leakage. This will also often result in your dishes not being cleaned as effectively as they should.

Broken or damaged lines could likewise result in this fault as may a cracked pump cover if your dishwasher has one.

The motor shaft gasket could have degraded resulting in leakage. This will generally show as a puddle coming from underneath the machine.

Top Tips to Sort Out Your Dishwasher

Save money by checking the gasket instead of the whole component. In many cases, you can acquire the seal separately which saves time as well as money.
Test the quick solutions before you get more complicated. There’s no point pulling the whole thing away from the wall if the problem is the detergent.
Take pictures at each step. This could assist you to put the thing back together, show the component you are looking for in a shop, and also explain the problem to an engineer if required.
Be careful. Water and electricity do not mix so turn off the power first.
If in doubt get in a repair person.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Initial Investigation Doesn’t Identify or Fix the Leak

If the cause of the problem is still a mystery the thing you might do is to pull the machine away from the wall to get better access underneath it as well as add water to the tub to see if the leakage can be seen that way.

If you don’t find any faults with this method your machine might only show a leakage when during a cycle. If this is the case, you may wish to employ a dishwasher repair person to determine as well as mend the leak due to the safety risks of checking for faults with electrical elements exposed.