Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Coming downstairs to discover an ominous puddle on the floor is never the best to start the day.

Fortunately, most commonly seen causes of dishwasher faults are comparatively simple to determine and mend by yourself. This means you could not need to wash the dishes by hand for more than a day or two, call an engineer or need to pay a high call-out charge.

So, if you’re feeling up to it find the operating manual if you know where it is, clean up the mess and so get something clean up any further spills and so see if you can’t fix the problem. If you can’t call us for local dishwasher repair.

Common Sources of Dishwasher Faults as well as How to Mend Them

Many of the more commonly seen explanations of dishwasher leaks are not really because of a dishwasher issue at all. Before you start preparing yourself for an engineering task and flicking through numerous youtube videos there are a couple of things you can take a look at first.

Test to find out if your dishwasher is aligned. If your dishwasher is misaligned water will easily pool and so leak even if the dishwasher is working perfectly.
Check you are using the proper soap. You may be familiar with this problem with your washer. Too much detergent or the wrong variety can lead an excess of suds, the suds spill over and you get a leak.
Investigate your dishwasher door fully closes. If it doesn’t you could have an object blocking it, or you might have to adjust the door fixings.
Check the filter in the base of the tub for any easy to see obstructions as if your dishwasher isn’t emptying correctly this will result in overfill and spill.

Once you have looked at these potential problems it’s time to get ready and really begin the inspection.

The easiest place to start is the door as well as check for any obvious damage inside of the machine prior to moving on to the underside. If you can identify and so fix the issue without pulling out the dishwasher so much the better.

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

Door Gasket

The most commonplace place for leakage is around the door, thankfully it is also one of the simplest problems to resolve.

If the leak is intermittent the problem might be as simple as a large plate or something else putting pressure against the door thus stopping the door from sealing properly.

Else-ways the door seal could have come loose or got cracked.

Inspect the door gasket and also test for any degradation, mineral deposits or other gunk, or any tracts where the gasket has come away from the door.

Removing the seal and also giving it a thorough wash can improve the situation in some instances or you could have to buy a new seal and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The water inlet valve can be a further everyday issue. The Valve is in most cases situated on the underbelly of the machine therefore you may have to unscrew the toe board and might need to remove the door cover.

The inlet valve opens and closes to let water into the tub at different parts of the programme. The water inlet valve may be damaged, evidenced by a slight drip, or it could be damaged and not operating correctly throughout the programme.

In the case that the fill valve doesn’t close correctly this can mean that the dishwasher overfills, causing a leak.

Often these valves cannot be fixed unless it is only the rubber gasket that is faulty, which means the entire valve would need to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Your dishwasher uses hoses to fill, empty as well as recirculate water along the cycle.

Two problems might present themselves where hoses are concerned.

The seals might break or the contact points may work loose so it’s a good idea to have a look at all the connection points .
The other issue than can often happen as time goes by is that hoses may become damaged or cracked.

Luckily broken hoses are easy to get hold of as well as change.

Pumps and Gaskets

You can visually investigate the seals that are part of the water pumps or motor to determine if there is a leak as well as replace them if that’s the case.

The Float Switch

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

A working float will lift up as the water rises until the desired or highest water level is attained. The tail of the float will then turn on 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 but it might be clearly damaged in which case getting a new one should solve the leak.

Other Parts that Might Result in a Leak

A cracked wash arm or support may causing a leak. This can likewise often result in your dishes not being cleaned as effectively as they should.

Broken or cracked tubes may also result in this problem as may a broken pump cover if your dishwasher has one.

The motor shaft seal could have degraded resulting in a leak. This generally presents as a puddle coming from the underside of the appliance.

Top Tips to Mend Your Machine

Spend less by changing the seal rather than the entire part. In most situations, you are able to acquire the gasket separately which saves time as well as money.
Test the simple fixes first. There’s no point pulling the entire machine out if it’s the detergent that’s making the leak.
Take photos as you go along. This might make your life easier when you come to reverse the process, show the component you are looking for to a sales person, and also identify the fault to a repair person if required.
Be careful. Water and electricity do not mix so unplug the machine first.
If you’re struggling call a repair person.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Initial Investigation Doesn’t Identify or Resolve the Leak

If the cause of the issue is still a mystery the thing you can do is to pull the machine away from the wall to get a clearer view of the beneath it and also fill it with water to find out whether the leak can be seen that way.

If you are still in the dark your appliance could only show a leakage if during a cycle. In this instance, you should hire a service engineer to determine and also resolve the problem due to the safety risks of checking for faults with electrical elements uncovered.