Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Coming downstairs only to find an ominous puddle coming from the dishwasher is never the best to start the day.

Fortuitously, most commonplace causes of dishwasher faults are relatively straightforward to determine and mend by yourself. Meaning you may not need to hand wash the dishes for more than a day or two, call an engineer or need to pay the call-out fee.

So, if you’re feeling up to it grab the manual if you can, clean up the puddle and get a towel clean up any further leaks and so find out whether you can find a DIY solution. If you cannot call us for local dishwasher repair.

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

Many of the most common causes of dishwasher faults aren’t really a result of a broken dishwasher. Before you start preparing yourself for an engineering task as well as flicking through numerous online videos there are a few problems you should troubleshoot first.

Test to find out if your dishwasher is level. If the dishwasher is misaligned water can quickly puddle and so leak regardless of whether or not the dishwasher has a fault.
Test you are using the correct detergent. You could have seen this with your washer. An excess of soap or the wrong variety can lead to too many soap suds, the suds deluge resulting in a spill.
Check your dishwasher door closes correctly. If there’s a gap you could have something blocking it such as a large plate, or you could need to adjust the door fixings.
Test the filter located at the bottom of the tub for any easy to see obstructions because if your dishwasher isn’t emptying correctly this is likely to cause it to overfill and leak.

When you have looked at these issues it’s time to roll up your sleeves and really start a thorough check.

The easiest place to start is the door as well as investigate for any obvious problems within of the machine prior to moving on to the underneath. If you are able to find as well as fix the problem without pulling out the dishwasher so much the better.

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

Door Seal

The most usual place for leakage is around the door, fortunately it is likewise one of the simplest issues to solve.

If the leakage is intermittent the issue could be as straightforward as an oversized dish or something else pushing into the door thus preventing it from shutting correctly.

On the other hand the door gasket might have come out of place or got damaged.

Check the door seal and investigate for any degradation, a build-up of limescale or other deposits, or any areas in which the seal has come away from the door.

Taking off the seal and allowing it a comprehensive wash has been known to improve the situation in some cases or you might have to acquire a new gasket and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The inlet valve can also be a simple fault. The Valve is generally situated underneath the machine so you will most likely need to unscrew the toe board and also may have to unscrew the door cover.

The water inlet valve opens and closes to allow water into the tub at varying parts of the cycle. The water inlet valve may be showing a leak, evidenced by a slight drip, or it may be broken and not operating properly during the cycle.

In the case that the fill valve doesn’t close fully this can lead to the dishwasher overflowing.

Generally these valves are not able to be fixed unless it is only the rubber seal that is damaged, thus the entire component would need to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Your dishwasher uses hoses to supply, drain as well as redistribute water during the programme.

Two complications can develop when it comes to hoses.

The gaskets may go or the connections could work loose thus it’s worth examining all the connection points .
The alternative problem than might often develop as you use the machine is that hoses might become damaged or get a hole in.

If you are able to determine that the leak is coming from a hose this will be simple to replace and new hoses are easy to come by.

Pumps and Gaskets

You can visually investigate the seals surrounding the water pumps or motor to ascertain whether there is a leak and change them if there is.

The Float Switch

Either the float or the float switch may be damaged causing the dishwasher to overfill.

When working as it should the float will go up with the water level until it reaches the maximum fill level. The tag of the float will then activate the switch. A blockage or breakage could be your problem.

Testing the switch would need a multi-meter although it may be obviously damaged in which case replacing it should fix the issue.

Alternative Parts that May Result in Leakage

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

Broken or damaged lines can also result in this problem as may a broken pump cover.

The motor shaft gasket might have cracked causing leakage. This will generally show as a leak coming from the underside of the machine.

Top Tips to Mend Your Machine

Save money by replacing the seal rather than the entire part. In most instances, you are able to purchase the gasket without the rest of the part which saves time as well as money.
Investigate the quick solutions before you get more complicated. You don’t need to pull the whole machine away from the wall if the problem is the soap.
Take photos as you go. This could assist you to reverse the process, describe the component you are looking for in a shop, and also explain the fault to a repair person if needed.
Stay safe. Water and electricity are not good friends so unplug the machine first.
If in doubt call a repair person.

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

If the cause of the problem is still a mystery the thing you might do is to pull out the machine to get a clearer view of the beneath it and fill it with water to find out if the leakage presents itself.

If this doesn’t shed any light your machine may only leak when the pump is running. In this instance, you may wish to find a service engineer to pinpoint as well as fix the issue as there are safety risks of running the dishwasher with electrical elements exposed.