Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Getting up in the morning only to find an ominous puddle on the floor is no-one’s favorite way to start the day.

Thankfully, most simple sources of dishwasher faults are comparably straightforward to diagnose and resolve on your own. Meaning you could not have to hand wash the dishes that much, call an engineer or need to pay a high call-out charge.

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

Simple Explanations of Dishwasher Leaks as well as How to Resolve Them

Some of the most common sources of dishwasher leaks aren’t in fact because of a dishwasher issue at all. Prior to starting preparing yourself for an engineering task and watching numerous online tutorials there are a few things you might want to take a look at first.

Investigate to find out whether your dishwasher is level. If your dishwasher is not aligned water can easily puddle and so leak without there being anything that needs to be mended or replaced.
Investigate you are using the correct soap. You may be familiar with this fault with your washer. Too much detergent or the wrong type may lead to too many suds, the suds deluge and so you get a spill.
Investigate your dishwasher door fully closes. If it doesn’t you could have something blocking it, or you might have to fix the door fixings.
Check the filter in the bottom of the tub for any easy to see obstructions because if your dishwasher isn’t emptying properly this will result in fill too much and so leak.

If you have eliminated these potential problems it’s time to get ready and start the inspection.

To make your life easier start with the door as well as check for any visible damage inside of the machine before you move on to the underneath. If you can identify as well as mend the leak before you have to pull out the dishwasher you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

Also make sure you disconnect the appliance first by either unplugging it or turning off the circuit breaker for the dishwasher.

Door Gasket

The door is no doubt the most commonplace place for leakage and also one of the easiest problems to fix.

If the leakage is occasional the fault could be as straightforward as an oversized dish or another object putting pressure into the door and stopping it from sealing fully.

On the other hand the door seal might have come loose or been cracked.

Check the door seal and also test for any brittleness, a build-up of limescale or other gunk, or any areas in which the seal has separated from the door.

Removing the seal and allowing it a good clean has been known to help in some instances or you might be required to acquire a new gasket and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can also be a common issue. It is usually located under the machine so you will have to unscrew the kick plate and might have to remove the door cover.

The fill valve opens and also closes to let water into the tub at various parts of the cycle. The water inlet valve could be damaged, shown with a slow drip, or it might be damaged and not opening or closing properly while the dishwasher is running.

When the fill valve fails to shut properly this can result in the dishwasher overfilling and cause a leak.

In General these valves are not able to be fixed unless it is just the rubber gasket that is broken, thus the entire valve would need to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to fill, drain and recirculate water during the cycle.

Two complications may present themselves with hoses.

The gaskets could break or the contact points might work loose so it’s worth having a look at all the connections .
The other fault than could easily happen over time is that hoses may become degraded or cracked.

If you are able to identify that the leak is a result of a faulty hose this will be relatively easy to change and spare hoses are readily available.

Pumps and Gaskets

You can visually check the seals surrounding the water pumps or motor to see if there is a leakage and change them if that’s the case.

The Float Switch

The float itself or the float switch may be not working correctly causing the dishwasher to overfill.

When operating as it should the float will lift up as the water rises until the optimum or maximum water level is attained. The end piece of the float will then operate the switch. A blockage or breakage could be causing your issues.

Checking the switch will require electrical equipment but it might be obviously broken in which case getting a new one should stop the leak.

Other Parts that Might Result in a Leak

A cracked wash arm or support can puch water under the door causing a leak. This could likewise often affect how well your dishes are being cleaned.

Broken or damaged tubes may likewise cause this problem as might a loose pump cap.

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

Top Tips to Fix Your Machine

Spend less by changing the gasket rather than the whole part. In most situations, you can acquire the gasket without the rest of the part which saves you having to replace the whole part.
Investigate the quick fixes before you get more complicated. There’s no point pulling the whole dishwasher away from the wall if the problem is the detergent.
Take pictures as you go. This can make your life easier when you come to put the thing back together, describe the part you are looking for to a sales person, and identify the fault to an engineer if required.
Be careful. Water and electricity do not mix so turn off the power first.
If you’re struggling call a repair person.

What To Do Next If Your Trouble Shooting Fails to Identify or Mend the Leakage

If the root of the issue can’t be discovered the next step you could take is to pull the dishwasher away from the wall to get a clearer view of the beneath it as well as add water to the tub to find out if the leak becomes visible.

If you are still in the dark your dishwasher may only leak if during a cycle. If this is the case, your best bet would be to get a service engineer to pinpoint and mend the problem due to the safety risks of checking for faults with electrical parts uncovered.