Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Coming downstairs to find a large puddle coming from the dishwasher is never the best to start the day.

Fortunately, most commonly seen explanations of dishwasher faults are comparably simple to diagnose and resolve yourself. Meaning you may not need to hand wash the dishes that much, wait for the repair man or need to pay a high call-out charge.

So, if you’re feeling up to it find the instruction manual if you know where it is, find an old towel to clean up the puddle and get something soak up any further leaks and so see whether you can’t fix the problem. If you aren’t able to call us for local dishwasher repair.

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

A lot of the more everyday sources of dishwasher leaks are not really because of a dishwasher fault at all. Prior to starting getting the tools out and watching endless online tutorials there are a couple of issues you should troubleshoot first.

Test to see if your dishwasher is aligned. If the dishwasher is not level water can easily puddle and so leak without there being anything that needs to be mended or changed.
Check you are using the proper soap. You may be aware of this fault with your washer. Too much detergent or the incorrect variety may lead to too many suds, the suds spill over resulting in a leak.
Check your dishwasher door fully closes. If there’s a gap you could have something obstructing it such as a large plate, or you could 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 draining correctly this will cause it to overfill and spill.

When you have eliminated these potential problems it’s time to get ready and begin a thorough check.

The easiest place to start is the door and check for any visible problems in the interior of the machine before you move on to the underneath. If you are able to identify as well as resolve the leak without pulling out the dishwasher you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

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

Door Gasket

The most usual place for leakage is on the door, thankfully it is also one of the simplest problems to fix.

If the leak is occasional the fault could be as simple as an oversized dish or another object putting pressure against the door and preventing the door from closing properly.

On the other hand the door seal may have been dislodged or been cracked.

Check the door seal and check for any cracks, mineral deposits or other deposits, or any parts where the gasket has separated from the door.

Taking off the seal and also allowing it a thorough wash has been known to help in some instances or you could have to acquire a new seal and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can be a further commonly seen issue. This is in most cases located underneath the machine and so you will most likely need to take off the toe board and also may have to unscrew the door cover.

The water inlet valve opens and closes to let water into the tub at various parts of the cycle. The inlet valve might be damaged, shown with a slow drip, or it might be damaged and not functioning properly throughout the programme.

If the inlet valve doesn’t shut properly this can mean that the dishwasher overfills, causing a leak.

In General inlet valve are not able to be repaired unless it is just the rubber gasket that is damaged, thus the whole component would need to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Your dishwasher uses hoses to supply, empty and recirculate water along the programme.

Two problems may present themselves where hoses are involved.

The seals could go or the connections could come loose thus it’s worth checking all the connection points first.
The alternative fault than can often happen as you use the machine is that hoses might get broken or get a hole in.

Luckily broken hoses are simple to get hold of and also change, even for a novice.

Pumps and Seals

You can visually investigate the rubber seals around the water pumps or motor to see whether there is a leakage as well as replace them if there is.

The Float Switch

Either the float or the float switch might be not working correctly resulting in the dishwasher overfilling.

A working float will rise with the water level until it reaches the maximum fill level. The end piece of the float will then activate the switch. A blockage or breakage could be causing your issues.

Testing the switch will require a multi-meter although it could be noticeably broken in which case getting a new one should stop the leak.

Alternative Components that May Lead to a Leak

A damaged wash arm or support might causing a leak. This can also often result in your dishes not being cleaned as effectively as they should.

Broken or faulty tubes can also result in this fault as may a damaged pump cap.

The motor shaft seal could have cracked causing leakage. This will generally show as a leak coming from underneath the appliance.

Top Tips to Fix Your Dishwasher

Spend less by replacing the gasket rather than the whole component. In plenty instances, you can purchase the seal without the rest of the part which saves time as well as money.
Check the simple fixes first. There’s no point pulling the whole thing out if it’s the detergent that’s causing the issue.
Take pictures at each step. This may assist you to reverse the process, explain the part you need in a shop, and identify the problem to a repair person if needed.
Be careful. Water and electricity are not good friends so unplug the machine first.
If you’re struggling get in a professional.

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

If the root of the problem can’t be discovered the next step you might take is to pull out the dishwasher to get a better look underneath it as well as add water to the tub to find out if the leakage presents itself.

If you are still in the dark your appliance may only leak if during a cycle. In this instance, you should get a qualified technician to determine as well as fix the leak due to the safety risks of running the dishwasher with electrical components exposed.