Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Coming downstairs to find an ominous puddle on the floor is never a great to start the day.

Thankfully, most common explanations of dishwasher faults are comparably straightforward to determine and resolve yourself. This means you might not have to hand wash the dishes for too long, wait for the repair man or have to pay the call-out fee.

So, get out the operating manual if you have it, clean up the puddle and get something clean up any further spills and see if you can’t fix the problem. If you cannot call us for local dishwasher repair.

Commonly Seen Explanations of Dishwasher Faults and How to Resolve Them

Many of the more everyday causes of dishwasher faults aren’t in fact a result of a broken dishwasher . Prior to starting preparing yourself for an engineering task as well as watching endless online tutorials there are a few issues you can rule out first.

Test to see whether your dishwasher is aligned. If the dishwasher is not level water can easily puddle and so leak regardless of whether or not the dishwasher has a fault.
Investigate you have been using the right detergent. You may have seen this with your washing machine. An excess of soap or the incorrect type may lead an excess of soap suds, the suds bubble over and you get a leak.
Investigate your dishwasher door fully closes. If it does not you might have an object obstructing it such as a large plate, or you may have to fix the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Check the filter at the base of the tub for any obvious obstructions as if your dishwasher isn’t draining correctly this can cause it to 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 test for any visible problems within of the machine before you move on to the underneath. If you can find and so mend the issue before you have to pull out the dishwasher so much the better.

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

Door Gasket

The most common place for a dishwasher to leak is around the door, fortunately it is likewise one of the easiest issues to resolve.

If the leakage is intermittent the problem might be as simple as a big pan or another object pushing into the door and preventing it from closing correctly.

On the other hand the door seal may have come out of place or been split.

Check the door seal and also investigate for any degradation, mineral deposits or other debris, or any areas where the seal has separated from the door.

Extracting the gasket and allowing it a comprehensive scrub can improve the situation in some instances or you could have to purchase a new gasket and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The water inlet valve can also be a everyday issue. It is generally located under the machine which means you will need to unscrew the kick plate and could have to remove the door cover.

The inlet valve opens and closes to allow water into the dishwasher at different parts of the programme. The inlet valve could be leaking, demonstrated with a slight drip, or it could be broken and not operating properly during the programme.

When the water inlet valve doesn’t close correctly this can result in the dishwasher overflowing.

Generally these valves are not able to be fixed unless it is only the rubber gasket that is broken, thus the whole valve would have to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to fill, empty and also redistribute water during the programme.

Two issues might arise where hoses are involved.

The gaskets can go or the contact points may work loose thus it’s a good idea to have a look at all the connections .
The alternative issue than may easily happen as time goes by is that hoses could get degraded or get a hole in.

Luckily damaged hoses are easy to procure as well as replace, even for a novice.

Pumps and Gaskets

You can visually check the rubber gaskets that are part of the water pumps or motor to determine if there is a leakage and change them if there is.

The Float Switch

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

When operating as it should the float will lift up as the water level goes up until it reaches the maximum fill level. The end piece of the float will then activate the switch. A blockage or breakage could be causing your problem.

Testing the switch would need a multi-meter although it could be obviously damaged in which case getting a new one should stop the leak.

Other Components that Could Lead to a Leak

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

Broken or damaged lines could also cause this problem as can a damaged pump cover if your machine has one.

The motor shaft gasket may have degraded causing a leak. This will generally show as a leak coming from underneath the dishwasher.

Top Tips to Mend Your Dishwasher

Save money by changing the seal in place of the whole part. In most situations, you are able to buy the seal without the rest of the part which saves time as well as money.
Investigate the easy fixes before you get more complicated. You don’t need to pull the entire dishwasher away from the wall if it’s the soap that’s making the leak.
Photograph your progress. This may help you reverse the process, describe the part you are looking for to a sales person, and explain the issue to a repair person if needed.
Stay safe. Water and electricity do not mix so turn off the power first.
If you’re struggling get in a professional.

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

If the root of the issue can’t be discovered the next step you can take is to pull out the machine to get better access beneath it and also add water to the tub to see if the leak becomes visible.

If this gives no further clues your dishwasher might only show a leakage when the pump is running. In this case, you should employ a service engineer to determine and also fix the leak as there are safety risks of running the dishwasher with electrical elements exposed.