Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Entering the kitchen to step in an ominous puddle coming from the dishwasher is never the best to start the day.

Fortunately, most commonplace sources of dishwasher faults are relatively easy to determine and resolve yourself. Meaning you may not have 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 fee.

So, get out the instruction manual if you have it, grab a towel to clean up the leak and get something clean up any additional spills and see if you can’t fix the problem. If you aren’t able to call us for local dishwasher repair.

Everyday Causes of Dishwasher Leaks and How to Fix Them

Some of the more commonplace causes of dishwasher faults are not actually because of a dishwasher issue . Prior to starting preparing yourself for an engineering task and flicking through numerous online tutorials there are a couple of issues you can take a look at first.

Investigate to find out whether your dishwasher is level. If the dishwasher is misaligned water can quickly puddle and so leak regardless of whether or not the dishwasher has a fault.
Investigate you are using the right detergent. You may be aware of this issue with your washer. An excess of detergent or the incorrect variety can result in to too many suds, the suds spill over resulting in a spill.
Test your dishwasher door fully closes. If it doesn’t there may be an obstruction, or you may need to replace the door fixings.
Test the filter located at the bottom of the tub for any obvious obstructions as if your dishwasher isn’t emptying correctly this can cause it to fill too much and so spill.

When you have ruled out these issues it’s time to roll up your sleeves and start a thorough check.

The easiest place to start is the door as well as check for any visible problems in the interior of the machine before you move on to the underneath. If you can identify and mend the problem without pulling out the dishwasher you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

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

Door Seal

The door is seemingly the most commonplace area for a dishwasher to leak and one of the easiest problems to solve.

If the leak is intermittent the problem might be as straightforward as an oversized dish or something else putting pressure into the door thus preventing it from closing fully.

On the other hand the door gasket may have come out of place or become cracked.

Inspect the door seal and test for any cracks, mineral deposits or other debris, or any tracts in which the gasket might have come away from the door.

Removing the seal and also allowing it a good scrub can help in some cases or you might have to buy a new gasket and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can be another commonly seen fault. This is in most cases situated underneath the machine therefore you will need to remove the toe board and could have to take off the door cover.

The fill valve opens and also closes to let water into the dishwasher at varying parts of the cycle. The fill valve may be damaged, evidenced by a slight drip, or it could be broken and not opening or closing correctly during the programme.

When the inlet valve fails to close fully this can lead to the dishwasher overfilling and cause a leak.

Usually fill valve are not able to be fixed, and so the whole component would need to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

Your dishwasher uses hoses to fill, drain as well as recirculate water during the cycle.

Two issues can present themselves where hoses are concerned.

The gaskets may go or the contact points could work loose thus it’s worth checking all the connection points .
The other issue than may easily develop as time goes by is that hoses can get damaged or cracked.

Luckily faulty hoses are easy to get hold of and also change, even for a novice.

Pumps and Gaskets

You can visually investigate the gaskets around the water pumps or motor to determine if there is a leakage and replace them if that’s the case.

The Float Switch

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

When working correctly the float will lift up as the water level goes up until the desired or maximum water level is attained. The tail of the float would then activate the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be your problem.

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

Alternative Parts that May Lead to Leakage

A broken wash arm or support may force water under the door causing leakage. This could likewise often affect how well your dishes are being cleaned.

Broken or damaged lines could also result in this problem as might a damaged pump cap.

The motor shaft seal may have come loose causing leakage. This generally presents as a leak coming from underneath the machine.

Top Tips to Mend Your Dishwasher

Save money by replacing the seal in place of the whole part. In many instances, you are able to buy the gasket separately which saves you having to replace the whole component.
Investigate the easy fixes first. You don’t need to pull the entire dishwasher away from the wall if it’s the detergent that’s making the issue.
Take photos as you go along. This might assist you to reverse the process, explain the part you need in a store, and also explain the fault to a repair person if required.
Stay safe. Water and electricity are not good friends so unplug the machine first.
If you’re struggling call the professionals.

What To Do Next If Your Initial Investigation Fails to Disclose or Fix the Leakage

If the root of the issue can’t be uncovered the next step you might take is to pull out the machine to get a better look beneath it and fill it with water to see if the leakage presents itself.

If this gives no further clues your appliance might only show a leakage when during a cycle. In this case, your best bet would be to employ a dishwasher repair person to pinpoint as well as fix the issue as there are safety risks of checking for faults with electrical elements uncovered.