Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Coming downstairs only to find an ominous puddle on the floor is no-one’s favorite manner to start the day.

Fortunately, most simple sources of dishwasher leaks are comparatively simple to determine and resolve yourself. Meaning you might not have to hand wash the dishes for too long, spend a day at home waiting for an repair person or need to pay the call-out fee.

So, if you’re feeling up to it grab the manual if you have it, clean up the mess and so get a towel soak up any additional spills and so find out if you can’t find a DIY solution. If you cannot call us for local dishwasher repair.

Everyday Sources of Dishwasher Leaks and How to Resolve Them

Some of the more commonly seen sources of dishwasher leaks aren’t in fact due to a dishwasher fault at all. Prior to starting preparing yourself for an engineering task and watching numerous youtube videos there are a few things you should take a look at first.

Check to find out if your dishwasher is level. If your dishwasher isn’t level water can quickly pool as well as leak regardless of whether or not the dishwasher has a fault.
Investigate you have been using the correct detergent. You could be familiar with this issue with your washing machine. Too much detergent or using the incorrect type can result in to too many soap suds, the suds bubble over resulting in a leak.
Test your dishwasher door fully closes. If it does not you may have something obstructing it such as a large plate, or you could have to fix the door fixings.
Test the filter at the base of the machine for any easy to see drainage issues because if your dishwasher isn’t emptying correctly this is likely to result in fill too much and so spill.

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

To make your life easier start with the door and check for any obvious problems in the interior of the machine before you move on to the underside. If you are able to identify as well as mend the leak without pulling out the dishwasher you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

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

Door Gasket

The door is no doubt the most common area for leakage and one of the simplest problems to solve.

If the leak is intermittent the problem may be as easy as a big pan or another object pushing against the door thus preventing the door from closing properly.

Else-ways the door gasket might have come loose or become split.

Check the door gasket and also investigate for any cracks, mineral deposits or other gunk, or any parts in which the gasket might have separated from the door.

Extracting the seal and also giving it a thorough wash could help in some instances or you might be required to purchase a new seal and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can be another simple problem. The inlet is in most cases found under the machine so you will most likely need to remove the toe board and may have to unscrew the door cover.

The inlet valve opens and closes to allow water into the dishwasher at various parts of the cycle. The inlet valve may be damaged, evidenced with a slight drip, or it may be damaged and so not functioning fully during the programme.

In the case that the inlet valve doesn’t close properly this can lead to the dishwasher leaking.

Usually these valves are not able to be refurbished unless it is just the rubber gasket that is faulty, which means the entire valve would have to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to supply, empty and recirculate water within the cycle.

Two issues can arise with hoses.

The gaskets can get damaged or the connections may come loose so it’s a good idea to check all the connection points first.
The alternative fault than might often happen as you use the machine is that hoses might get degraded or cracked.

Luckily damaged hoses are simple to procure and also change.

Pumps and Seals

You can visually investigate the rubber seals surrounding the pumps or motor to ascertain whether there is a leak as well as replace them if there is.

The Float Switch

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

A working float will rise with the water level until it reaches the highest fill level. The tag of the float should then operate the switch. A blockage or breakage could be causing your issues.

Testing the switch would need electrical equipment although it might be obviously broken in which case getting a new one should stop the leak.

Other Components that Might Cause a Leak

A damaged wash arm or support might build up pressure resulting in leakage. This will likewise often result in your dishes not being cleaned as effectively as they should.

Broken or damaged lines may also result in this issue as could a damaged pump cover.

The motor shaft gasket might have cracked causing a leak. This will generally show as a leak coming from underneath the appliance.

Top Tips to Fix Your Dishwasher

Save money by checking the seal in place of the whole component. In many cases, you can buy the gasket without the rest of the part which saves time as well as money.
Investigate the easy resolutions before you get more complicated. You don’t need to pull the whole dishwasher out if the problem is the soap.
Photograph your progress. This may assist you to put the thing back together, show the component you need to a sales person, and identify the problem to an engineer if required.
Stay safe. Water and electricity are not good friends so unplug the machine first.
If in doubt call the professionals.

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

If the root of the leakage remains a mystery the thing you can do is to pull out the dishwasher to get better access beneath it and fill it with water to see if the leak can be seen that way.

If this gives no further clues your machine might only show a leakage if the pump is running. In this case, you may wish to get a service engineer to diagnose and resolve the problem as there are safety risks of checking for faults with electrical components exposed.