Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Entering the kitchen only to find a large puddle coming from the dishwasher is never the best to start the day.

Luckily, most commonplace explanations of dishwasher leaks are comparatively easy to diagnose and mend on your own. Meaning you may not have to wash the dishes by hand for more than a day or two, stay at home waiting for an repair person or need to pay a high call-out charge.

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

Everyday Causes of Dishwasher Faults and How to Fix Them

Some of the more everyday explanations of dishwasher faults aren’t really a result of a broken dishwasher . Before you start getting the tools out and also looking at numerous YouTube tutorials there are a few things you might want to rule out first.

Test to see whether your dishwasher is level. If the dishwasher isn’t aligned water can easily pool as well as leak even if the dishwasher is working perfectly.
Test you are using the proper detergent. You might be aware of this fault with your washing machine. An excess of detergent or using the incorrect type may lead an excess of suds, the soap suds bubble over resulting in a spill.
Investigate your dishwasher door fully closes. If there’s a gap there may be a blockage, or you may need to replace the door fixings.
Check the filter located in the base of the tub for any easy to see obstructions as if your dishwasher isn’t emptying correctly this can cause it to fill too much and so spill.

When you have looked at these potential problems it’s time to roll up your sleeves and begin the investigation.

To make your life easier start with the door and investigate for any obvious damage within of the machine prior to moving on to the underside. If you are able to find and fix the leak without pulling out the dishwasher you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

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

Door Gasket

The door is seemingly the most simple place for a dishwasher to leak and also one of the simplest problems to fix.

If the leakage is intermittent the problem might be as simple as a big pan or something else pushing into the door thus stopping the door from shutting fully.

Otherwise the door gasket may have been dislodged or got damaged.

Inspect the door gasket and also investigate for any degradation, mineral deposits or other debris, or any areas where the seal has separated from the door.

Taking off the gasket and also giving it a good wash might help in some instances or you may need to acquire a new gasket and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The water inlet valve can be a further common issue. This is usually located under the machine therefore you may have to take off the kick plate and may need to take off the door cover.

The water inlet valve opens and closes to allow water into the tub at varying parts of the cycle. The inlet valve might be showing a leak, evidenced with a slight drip, or it might be damaged and so not functioning correctly while the dishwasher is running.

In the case that the inlet valve doesn’t close correctly this can lead to the dishwasher leaking.

Usually these valves can’t be refurbished unless it is only the rubber gasket that is faulty, and so the whole component would have to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to supply, drain as well as recirculate water during the cycle.

Two problems may develop where hoses are the cause.

The gaskets may get damaged or the contact points can work loose so it’s a good idea to check all the connections .
The other issue than can often happen as time goes by is that hoses may get degraded or get a hole in.

If you can see that the leak is coming from a hose this will be simple to replace and new hoses are easy to procure.

Pumps and Gaskets

You are able to visually check the seals around the water pumps or motor to determine if there is a leakage and also replace them if that’s the case.

The Float Switch

The float itself or the float switch may be broken causing the dishwasher to overfill.

A working float will rise with the water level until it reaches the maximum fill level. The end piece of the float would then operate the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be your problem.

Testing the switch would need electrical equipment although it may be clearly damaged in which case replacing it should stop the leak.

Other Components that Could Cause a Leak

A cracked wash arm or support could build up pressure resulting in leakage. This could also often result in your dishes not being cleaned as effectively as they should.

Broken or damaged lines can also result in this fault as can a damaged pump cover if your machine has one.

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

Top Tips to Mend Your Machine

Save money by replacing the seal rather than the whole part. In many instances, you can acquire the gasket without the rest of the part which saves you having to change the entire part.
Investigate the quick resolutions before you get more complicated. You don’t need to pull the whole dishwasher out if the problem is the soap.
Take photos as you go along. This may make your life easier when you come to put the machine back together, explain the part you are looking for to a sales person, and identify the issue to a repair person if required.
Be careful. Water and electricity do not mix so unplug the machine first.
If in doubt call a professional.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Initial Investigation Fails to Identify or Mend the Leakage

If the root of the problem can’t be discovered the thing you could do is to pull the dishwasher away from the wall to get a better look beneath it as well as fill it with water to see whether the leakage can be seen that way.

If this gives no further clues your appliance may only leak when it’s running. If this is the case, your best bet would be to hire a service engineer to pinpoint and also fix the problem as there are safety risks of checking for faults with electrical elements exposed.