Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Entering the kitchen only to discover an ominous puddle on the floor is no-one’s chosen way to start the day.

Fortuitously, most everyday sources of dishwasher leaks are comparably straightforward to determine and resolve yourself. Meaning you might not need to hand wash the dishes that much, take a day off waiting for an engineer or need to pay a high call-out fee.

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

Commonplace Sources of Dishwasher Leaks as well as How to Mend Them

Some of the most everyday sources of dishwasher leaks aren’t in fact because of a broken dishwasher at all. Prior to starting getting the tools out and looking at numerous online tutorials there are a few issues you should troubleshoot first.

Check to find out whether your dishwasher is aligned. If your dishwasher is wonky water will quickly puddle and spill out even if the dishwasher is working perfectly.
Check you are using the right soap. You might have seen this with your washing machine. An excess of detergent or using the wrong type may result in an excess of bubbles, the soap suds deluge resulting in a leak.
Investigate your dishwasher door closes correctly. If it does not there may be a blockage, or you could have to adjust the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Investigate the filter in the base of the tub for any obvious drainage issues as if your dishwasher isn’t draining correctly this is likely to result in fill too much and so spill.

Once you have ruled out these potential problems it’s time to roll up your sleeves and really begin the inspection.

The easiest place to start is the door and test for any visible issues within of the machine before you move on to the underside. If you can identify and so fix 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 appliance.

Door Seal

The door is probably the most commonly seen place for a dishwasher to leak and also one of the quickest problems to resolve.

If the leakage is occasional the problem might be as easy as a large plate or something else putting pressure into the door thus stopping the door from shutting properly.

On the other hand the door gasket may have come out of place or got damaged.

Examine the door seal and investigate for any brittleness, mineral deposits or other deposits, or any areas where the seal might have separated from the door.

Removing the seal and giving it a good wash has been known to help in some instances or you may need to acquire a new seal and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The water inlet valve can also be a common problem. This is usually found underneath the machine which means you will have to take off the kick plate and could need to remove the door cover.

The fill valve opens and closes to let water into the machine at different parts of the programme. The fill valve could be leaking, demonstrated with a slight drip, or it may be damaged thus not opening or closing fully throughout the programme.

When the water inlet valve doesn’t close correctly this can mean that the dishwasher overfills, causing a leak.

In General water inlet valve can’t be repaired, thus the whole valve would have to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

Your dishwasher uses hoses to fill, empty as well as recirculate water during the programme.

Two issues can develop when it comes to hoses.

The seals may break or the connections can come loose meaning it’s worth examining all the connections .
The alternative issue than might often develop as you use the machine is that hoses might become damaged or cracked.

Luckily faulty hoses are relatively simple to buy and change.

Pumps and Seals

You can visually check the rubber seals surrounding the pumps or motor to see if there is a leak and change them if there is.

The Float Switch

Either the float or the float switch might be not working correctly resulting in the dishwasher overfilling.

When operating correctly the float will lift up as the water rises until it reaches the highest fill level. The tail of the float should then turn on the switch. A blockage or breakage could be causing your issues.

Testing the switch would need a multi-meter although it may be noticeably broken in which case replacing it should fix the problem.

Other Parts that Might Lead to Leakage

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

Broken or cracked tubes can also result in this issue as may a loose pump cap if your machine has one.

The motor shaft seal might have cracked resulting in a leak. This generally presents as leakage coming from the underside of the dishwasher.

Top Tips to Sort Out Your Dishwasher

Save money by replacing the seal instead of the entire component. In plenty cases, you are able to acquire the seal separately which saves you having to change the entire component.
Investigate the simple solutions before you get more complicated. You don’t need to pull the entire dishwasher away from the wall if the problem is the detergent.
Photograph your progress. This may make your life easier when you come to put the thing back together, describe the component you are looking for in a store, as well as explain the issue to a repair person if required.
Be careful. Water and electricity are not good friends so turn off the power first.
If in doubt get in the professionals.

What To Do Next If Your Trouble Shooting Fails to Disclose or Fix the Leakage

If the root of the leakage is still a mystery the next step you might take is to pull the machine away from the wall to get a better look underneath it as well as add water to the tub to see if the leak can be seen that way.

If this doesn’t shed any light your appliance might only leak if during a cycle. In this case, you may wish to get a service engineer to determine and fix the fault as there are safety risks of running the dishwasher with electrical parts exposed.