Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Coming downstairs only to find an ominous puddle on the floor is no-one’s favorite manner to start the day.

Thankfully, most commonplace sources of dishwasher faults are comparably easy to determine and fix by yourself. This means you might not need to hand wash the dishes for more than a day or two, call an engineer or need to pay the call-out charge.

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

Commonly Seen Explanations of Dishwasher Faults and How to Resolve Them

Many of the more common sources of dishwasher leaks are not actually due to a dishwasher issue . Before you start preparing yourself for an engineering task and watching endless online videos there are a couple of things you should troubleshoot first.

Test to find out whether your dishwasher is aligned. If your dishwasher isn’t aligned water will easily pool and leak without there being anything that needs to be resolved or replaced.
Check you have been using the correct detergent. You might have seen this with your washer. Too much soap or the wrong type may lead an excess of soap suds, the suds overflow and you get a leak.
Check your dishwasher door fully closes. If it does not you might have something blocking it, or you could need to replace the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Test the filter located at the base of the tub for any obvious drainage issues because if your dishwasher isn’t emptying correctly this will result in fill too much and leak.

If you have eliminated these potential problems it’s time to roll up your sleeves and start a thorough check.

The easiest place to start is the door and test for any obvious issues inside of the machine before you move on to the underneath. If you can identify and so fix the issue before you need to pull out the dishwasher so much the better.

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

Door Seal

The most commonly seen place for a dishwasher to leak is on the door, luckily it is likewise one of the quickest problems to solve.

If the leakage is periodic the fault could be as straightforward as an oversized dish or something else putting pressure into the door thus preventing it from sealing fully.

On the other hand the door seal may have come loose or been damaged.

Examine the door gasket and also test for any brittleness, a build-up of limescale or other debris, or any tracts where the seal might have separated from the door.

Removing the gasket and giving it a good scrub has been known to improve the situation in some cases or you could have to buy a new seal and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The inlet valve can also be a commonly seen fault. The inlet is in most cases situated under the machine which means you will most likely need to remove the kick plate and may need to take off the door cover.

The fill valve opens and closes to let water into the machine at different parts of the programme. The fill valve could be damaged, demonstrated with a slow drip, or it could be damaged and not functioning properly throughout the programme.

When the inlet valve fails to close properly this can mean that the dishwasher overfills, causing a leak.

In General these valves are not able to be refurbished unless it is only the rubber seal that is broken, and so the whole valve would have to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to supply, drain and also redistribute water within the cycle.

Two problems can develop where hoses are concerned.

The seals may get damaged or the connections might work loose so it’s worth checking all the connections .
The alternative problem than can easily happen as you use the machine is that hoses might become damaged or cracked.

Luckily damaged hoses are easy to procure as well as replace.

Pumps and Seals

You can visually check the rubber gaskets around the pumps or motor to ascertain if there is a leakage and replace them if that’s the case.

The Float Switch

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

A working float will rise with the water level until the optimum or highest water level is reached. The tag of the float should then turn on the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be your problem.

Testing the switch would need electrical equipment but it might be clearly damaged in which case getting a new one should fix the issue.

Other Parts that May Result in a Leak

A damaged wash arm or support can force water under the door resulting in leakage. This can also often affect how well your dishes are being cleaned.

Broken or cracked lines might likewise cause this problem as can a broken pump cover if your machine has one.

The motor shaft gasket may have come loose causing leakage. This generally presents as a puddle coming from the underside of the machine.

Top Tips to Sort Out Your Machine

Save money by checking the gasket instead of the whole component. In most cases, you are able to acquire the seal separately which saves you having to replace the whole component.
Check the quick solutions first. You don’t need to pull the whole dishwasher out if the problem is the detergent.
Take pictures as you go along. This might make your life easier when you come to reverse the process, explain the component you need to a sales person, as well as explain 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 not sure call a professional.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Initial Investigation Fails to Identify or Fix the Leak

If the cause of the leakage can’t be discovered the thing you might do is to pull the dishwasher away from the wall to get a clearer view of the underneath it and add water to the tub to find out if the leak presents itself.

If you are still in the dark your dishwasher may only leak when it’s running. If this is the case, you may wish to get a qualified technician to determine as well as fix the issue due to the safety risks of checking for faults with electrical parts exposed.