Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Entering the kitchen to discover an ominous puddle on the floor is never the best to start the day.

Thankfully, most simple causes of dishwasher leaks are comparatively straightforward to diagnose and resolve by yourself. This means you may not need to wash the dishes by hand for more than a day or two, stay at home waiting for an engineer or need to pay the call-out charge.

So, if you’re feeling up to it find the manual if you have it, grab a towel to clean up the puddle and get a towel clean up any additional spills and see whether you can diagnose the issue. If you aren’t able to call us for local dishwasher repair.

Commonly Seen Sources of Dishwasher Faults as well as How to Mend Them

Many of the most simple causes of dishwasher leaks are not in fact a result of a broken dishwasher . Prior to starting preparing yourself for an engineering task and also watching numerous youtube videos there are a few things you can take a look at first.

Test to see if your dishwasher is level. If the dishwasher is not level water can easily puddle and spill out even if the dishwasher is working perfectly.
Investigate you have been using the proper detergent. You could be familiar with this fault with your washer. An excess of detergent or the wrong variety may result in to too many bubbles, the soap suds spill over resulting in a spill.
Check your dishwasher door closes properly. If it doesn’t you could have an object blocking it such as a large plate, or you might have to adjust the door fixings.
Test the filter in the bottom of the tub for any visible drainage issues as if your dishwasher isn’t emptying properly this is likely to result in overfill and so spill.

If you have ruled out these issues it’s time to get ready and really start a thorough check.

The easiest place to start is the door and investigate for any obvious issues in the interior of the machine before you move on to the underneath. If you are able to identify and so fix the issue without pulling out the dishwasher so much the better.

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

Door Gasket

The door is seemingly the most commonly seen area for a dishwasher to leak and also one of the easiest issues to resolve.

If the leak is intermittent the problem could be as straightforward as a large plate or something else pushing into the door and stopping it from closing fully.

On the other hand the door seal might have come loose or got split.

Inspect the door seal and also investigate for any brittleness, mineral deposits or other debris, or any tracts where the gasket has separated from the door.

Removing the gasket and allowing it a good scrub has been known to help in some instances or you could have to buy a new seal and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can be another commonly seen issue. This is generally situated underneath the machine which means you will most likely need to take off the kick plate and also could need to take off the door cover.

The water inlet valve opens and also closes to let water into the tub at varying times during the cycle. The inlet valve might be leaking, shown with a slight drip, or it may be broken and so not opening or closing fully while the dishwasher is running.

In the case that the fill valve fails to close properly this can mean that the dishwasher overfills, causing a leak.

Generally these valves can’t be refurbished unless it is only the rubber gasket that is faulty, which means the whole part would need to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to fill, drain and also recirculate water along the programme.

Two issues may develop with hoses.

The seals may break or the connections can come loose thus it’s a good idea to have a look at all the connection points .
The other problem than can often develop as time goes by is that hoses can become degraded or cracked.

If you can see that the leak is coming from a hose this should be relatively easy to replace and spare hoses are readily available.

Pumps and Seals

You can visually test the gaskets surrounding the water pumps or motor to see whether there is a leak as well as replace them if that’s the case.

The Float Switch

Either the float or the float switch could be not working correctly causing the dishwasher to overfill.

A working float will lift up as the water level goes up until the desired or maximum water level is reached. The tail of the float would then operate the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be causing your issues.

Testing the switch would need a multi-meter although it may be clearly damaged in which case replacing it should stop the leak.

Alternative Parts that Could Result in Leakage

A broken wash arm or support could puch water under the door causing a leak. This can also often result in your dishes not being cleaned as effectively as they should.

Broken or faulty tubes can likewise result in this issue as could a cracked pump cap.

The motor shaft gasket might have come loose causing leakage. This generally presents as leakage coming from underneath the appliance.

Top Tips to Fix Your Dishwasher

Save money by replacing the seal instead of the entire component. In many instances, you are able to purchase the gasket separately which saves time as well as money.
Check the quick resolutions before you get more complicated. You don’t need to pull the whole thing away from the wall if the problem is the soap.
Photograph your progress. This could make your life easier when you come to reverse the process, explain the component you need in a store, as well as explain the fault to a repair person if required.
Stay safe. Water and electricity do not mix so unplug the machine first.
If you’re struggling call a professional.

What To Do Next If Your Trouble Shooting Fails to Identify or Resolve the Leak

If the cause of the leakage can’t be discovered the thing you might do is to pull out the dishwasher to get a clearer view of the beneath it and fill it with water to see if the leakage presents itself.

If you are still in the dark your dishwasher could only show a leakage when the pump is running. If this is the case, you should find a service engineer to diagnose and also fix the leak due to the safety risks of checking for faults with electrical components exposed.