Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Getting up in the morning to find a large puddle on the floor is no-one’s favorite way to start the day.

Luckily, most simple sources of dishwasher leaks are relatively simple to determine and fix on your own. This means you could not be required to hand wash the dishes for more than a day or two, take a day off waiting for an engineer or have to pay a high call-out charge.

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

Everyday Explanations of Dishwasher Faults as well as How to Fix Them

Some of the most commonplace sources of dishwasher faults are not in fact a result of a dishwasher fault at all. Prior to starting preparing yourself for an engineering task as well as flicking through numerous youtube videos there are a couple of things you should take a look at first.

Test to see whether your dishwasher is level. If your dishwasher is misaligned water can easily pool as well as spill out even if the dishwasher is working perfectly.
Investigate you have been using the correct detergent. You might be aware of this issue with your washing machine. An excess of soap or the incorrect type could result in an excess of suds, the bubbles overflow resulting in a spill.
Test your dishwasher door fully closes. If it doesn’t there may be an obstruction, or you could have to fix the door fixings.
Check the filter in the base of the machine for any visible drainage issues because if your dishwasher isn’t draining effectively this will cause it to overfill and so leak.

When you have eliminated these potential problems it’s time to roll up your sleeves and really begin a thorough check.

To make your life easier start with the door as well as investigate for any visible issues in the interior of the machine before you move on to the underneath. If you are able to find and fix the issue before you need to pull out the dishwasher so much the better.

And make sure you disconnect the appliance first by either unplugging it or turning off the circuit breaker for the dishwasher.

Door Seal

The most commonplace place for leakage is around the door, luckily it is also one of the quickest problems to solve.

If the leak is intermittent the problem might be as straightforward as an oversized dish or something else pushing into the door thus stopping the door from sealing fully.

On the other hand the door seal might have come out of place or been damaged.

Inspect the door seal and check for any degradation, a build-up of limescale or other debris, or any parts where the gasket might have come away from the door.

Taking off the gasket and also allowing it a good wash could improve the situation in some instances or you may need to buy a new seal and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can be another common problem. The Valve is in most cases found on the underbelly of the machine which means you may have to remove the toe board and also may have to take off the door cover.

The water inlet valve opens and also closes to allow water into the machine at varying times during the programme. The inlet valve might be showing a leak, evidenced with a slight drip, or it might be broken and not opening or closing properly during the programme.

When the water inlet valve fails to shut fully this can result in the dishwasher overflowing.

Often these valves cannot be refurbished, and so the whole part would need to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to fill, empty as well as recirculate water during the cycle.

Two complications could present themselves where hoses are concerned.

The seals may go or the connections may come loose thus it’s worth checking all the connection points .
The other issue than can often happen over time is that hoses might get damaged or cracked.

If you are able to see that the leakage is coming from a hose this should be relatively easy to replace and spare hoses are easy to procure.

Pumps and Seals

You are able to visually investigate the seals around the pumps or motor to see if there is a leak and also change them if that’s the case.

The Float Switch

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

When operating as it should the float will go up as the water rises until the desired or highest water level is attained. The tail of the float will then turn on the switch. A blockage or breakage could be causing your problem.

Testing the switch will require electrical equipment but it could be clearly damaged in which case replacing it should solve the issue.

Other Parts that Could Result in Leakage

A broken wash arm or support may build up pressure causing leakage. This can likewise often affect how well your dishes are being cleaned.

Broken or damaged lines may likewise result in this fault as may a cracked pump cover.

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

Top Tips to Mend Your Machine

Save money by checking the seal rather than the whole component. In plenty cases, you are able to purchase the seal separately which saves you having to replace the whole component.
Investigate the quick solutions before you get more complicated. You don’t need to pull the whole machine out if the problem is the soap.
Photograph your progress. This can assist you to reverse the process, show the component you are looking for in a shop, as well as explain the problem to a repair person if required.
Stay safe. Water and electricity do not mix so turn off the power first.
If you’re not sure call a repair person.

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

If the root of the leakage can’t be uncovered the thing you may do is to pull the dishwasher away from the wall to get a clearer view of the beneath it and also add water to the tub to find out if the leakage becomes visible.

If you don’t find any leaks with this method your dishwasher may only leak if the pump is running. In this instance, you should hire a service engineer to diagnose as well as mend the problem as there are safety risks of checking for faults with electrical elements uncovered.