Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Getting up in the morning to discover a large puddle on the floor is never a great to start the day.

Thankfully, most common causes of dishwasher faults are comparatively straightforward to determine and mend by yourself. This means you might not be required to hand wash the dishes for too long, call an engineer or have to pay the call-out charge.

So, if you’re feeling up to it grab the operating manual if you know where it is, get a towel to clean up the leak and get something soak up any additional spills and so see if you can’t fix the problem. If you aren’t able to call us for local dishwasher repair.

Commonly Seen Causes of Dishwasher Leaks and How to Mend Them

Many of the more simple explanations of dishwasher faults aren’t in fact a result of a dishwasher fault . Prior to starting preparing yourself for an engineering task as well as watching numerous online tutorials there are a number of problems you can troubleshoot first.

Investigate to see whether your dishwasher is level. If the dishwasher isn’t level water can quickly pool as well as spill out regardless of whether or not the dishwasher has a fault.
Check you are using the proper soap. You could have seen this with your washing machine. An excess of soap or using the wrong type may result in to too many suds, the soap suds deluge resulting in a leak.
Investigate your dishwasher door fully closes. If there’s a gap you might have an object obstructing it such as a large plate, or you could have to fix the door fixings.
Investigate the filter located in the bottom of the tub for any visible obstructions as if your dishwasher isn’t draining properly this can cause it to fill too much and so spill.

When you have eliminated these issues it’s time to get ready and really start the investigation.

To make your life easier start with the door as well as check for any obvious issues within of the machine before you move on to the underside. If you are able to find and resolve the problem 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 most everyday place for a dishwasher to leak is on the door, luckily it is also one of the quickest issues to fix.

If the leakage is periodic the fault could be as easy as a large plate or something else pushing into the door thus preventing the door from closing fully.

On the other hand the door gasket could have come loose or got cracked.

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

Removing the seal and also giving it a good scrub could improve the situation in some cases or you might have to acquire a new seal and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can be a further everyday fault. The inlet is in most cases located on the underbelly of the machine and so you will have to remove the kick plate and also might have to unscrew the door cover.

The inlet valve opens and closes to allow water into the tub at varying times in the cycle. The water inlet valve could be leaking, evidenced with a slow drip, or it may be damaged and not opening or closing properly while the dishwasher is running.

When the fill valve doesn’t close correctly this can lead to the dishwasher overfilling and result in a leak.

Often these valves cannot be refurbished, which means the whole part would have to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

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

Two issues can develop where hoses are concerned.

The seals can go or the contact points may come loose thus it’s worth examining all the connections .
The alternative fault than might often develop over time is that hoses can get degraded or get a hole in.

If you are able to see that the leakage is coming from a hose this will be simple to replace and spare hoses are easy to procure.

Pumps and Gaskets

You can visually test the gaskets that are part of the pumps or motor to determine whether there is a leak and replace them if there is.

The Float Switch

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

When working as it should the float will go up as the water level goes up until it reaches the desired fill level. The tag of the float will then turn on 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 although it could be clearly broken in which case replacing it should stop the leak.

Other Components that Could Result in a Leak

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

Broken or faulty tubes could also cause this issue as may a loose pump cover.

The motor shaft seal could have cracked resulting in a leak. This generally presents as a puddle coming from underneath the machine.

Top Tips to Sort Out Your Machine

Save money by checking the seal rather than the whole part. In most situations, you are able to purchase the gasket separately which saves time as well as money.
Test the simple resolutions before you get more complicated. There’s no point pulling the entire dishwasher away from the wall if the problem is the detergent.
Photograph your progress. This may help you reverse the process, show the part you need to a sales person, and also identify the fault to a repair person if required.
Stay safe. Water and electricity do not mix so turn off the power first.
If you’re struggling call a professional.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Trouble Shooting Fails to Disclose or Mend the Leak

If the root of the leakage is still a mystery the thing you could do is to pull the machine away from the wall to get a clearer view of the beneath it and fill it with water to find out if the leak presents itself.

If this doesn’t shed any light your dishwasher might only leak when during a cycle. If this is the case, your best bet would be to employ a appliance repair person to determine and mend the problem due to the safety risks of running the dishwasher with electrical parts exposed.