Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

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

Fortuitously, most commonly seen sources of dishwasher leaks are comparably straightforward to diagnose and fix on your own. This means you might not have to wash the dishes by hand that much, wait for the repair man or need to pay the call-out fee.

So, if you’re feeling up to it get out the manual if you have it, clean up the puddle and so get something clean up any additional leaks and so see if you can find a do it yourself solution. If you can’t call us for local dishwasher repair.

Everyday Sources of Dishwasher Faults and How to Resolve Them

Some of the most commonly seen sources of dishwasher leaks are not actually a result of a dishwasher fault at all. Before you start getting the tools out as well as looking at numerous online videos there are a number of issues you might want to rule out first.

Test to find out if your dishwasher is level. If your dishwasher isn’t level water will quickly puddle as well as leak without there being anything that needs to be resolved or replaced.
Investigate you have been using the correct soap. You might have seen this with your washer. Too much soap or the incorrect variety can lead to too many soap suds, the soap suds bubble over resulting in a spill.
Test your dishwasher door fully closes. If it does not you could have an object obstructing it such as a large plate, or you may need to fix the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Investigate the filter located at the bottom of the machine for any obvious drainage issues because if your dishwasher isn’t emptying correctly this is likely to result in fill too much and so leak.

If none of the above issues apply it’s time to get ready and begin a thorough check.

The easiest place to start is the door and check for any visible issues inside of the machine before you move on to the underside. If you are able to identify and mend the problem without pulling out the dishwasher so much the better.

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

Door Gasket

The most everyday place for leakage is on the door, luckily it is likewise one of the easiest issues to fix.

If the leak is intermittent the problem could be as straightforward as an oversize dish or something else pushing against the door and preventing the door from closing fully.

Otherwise the door seal could have been dislodged or been cracked.

Examine the door seal and also investigate for any cracks, mineral deposits or other gunk, or any areas in which the seal has come away from the door.

Extracting the seal and giving it a thorough scrub might improve the situation in some cases or you may have to acquire a new seal and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can also be a commonly seen fault. The Valve is in most cases situated underneath the machine which means you will have to remove the kick plate and might have to take off the door cover.

The water inlet valve opens and also closes to let water into the tub at different parts of the program. The inlet valve may be leaking, demonstrated with a slight drip, or it could be damaged thus not operating fully while the dishwasher is running.

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

Often inlet valve cannot be repaired, which means the whole valve would need to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to supply, drain as well as redistribute water along the cycle.

Two problems can present themselves where hoses are the cause.

The gaskets can get damaged or the connections might come loose thus it’s worth checking all the connections first.
The alternative fault than can easily happen as you use the machine is that hoses can become degraded or get a hole in.

If you can identify that the leak is coming from a hose this will be easy to change and replacement hoses are readily available.

Pumps and Seals

You can visually check the gaskets around the water pumps or motor to ascertain if there is a leak and replace them if there is.

The Float Switch

Either the float or the float switch may be faulty resulting in the dishwasher overfilling.

When working correctly the float will rise as the water rises until the desired or maximum water level is reached. The end piece of the float will then operate the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be causing your issues.

Checking the switch would need electrical equipment but it might be obviously damaged in which case getting a new one should stop the leak.

Alternative Components that Might Lead to a Leak

A damaged wash arm or support could resulting in leakage. This will likewise often affect how well your dishes are being cleaned.

Broken or cracked lines can also result in this problem as could a loose pump cover.

The motor shaft gasket might have degraded causing leakage. This generally presents as a puddle coming from the underside of the machine.

Top Tips to Mend Your Machine

Save money by checking the seal instead of the whole part. In most instances, you are able to acquire the seal separately which saves time as well as money.
Investigate the easy resolutions first. You don’t need to pull the whole dishwasher away from the wall if the problem is the soap.
Photograph your progress. This may help you reverse the process, describe the part you need to a sales person, and explain the fault to an engineer if required.
Be careful. Water and electricity are not good friends so turn off the power first.
If you’re not sure call a professional.

What To Do Next If Your Initial Investigation Doesn’t Identify or Mend the Leakage

If the root of the leak can’t be uncovered the thing you might do is to pull out the machine to get a clearer view of the underneath it and also fill it with water to see if the leakage can be seen that way.

If you don’t find any leakages with this method your machine might only leak when the pump is running. In this instance, your best bet would be to hire a qualified technician to pinpoint and also resolve the issue due to the safety risks of checking for faults with electrical elements uncovered.