Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Getting up in the morning to find an ominous puddle coming from the dishwasher is no-one’s chosen manner to start the day.

Fortuitously, most everyday causes of dishwasher faults are relatively straightforward to diagnose and resolve on your own. This means you may not need to hand wash the dishes that much, call an engineer or have to pay the call-out fee.

So, if you’re feeling up to it find the manual if you have it, grab a towel to clean up the mess and so get a towel soak up any further spills and so see whether you can’t diagnose the fault. If you aren’t able to call us for local dishwasher repair.

Commonplace Sources of Dishwasher Leaks as well as How to Resolve Them

A lot of the more commonly seen sources of dishwasher faults aren’t in fact due to a broken dishwasher at all. Prior to starting getting the tools out and also flicking through numerous online tutorials there are a number of issues you might want to troubleshoot first.

Test to find out whether your dishwasher is aligned. If your dishwasher is misaligned water can quickly puddle and spill out even if the dishwasher is working perfectly.
Investigate you have been using the right detergent. You could be familiar with this problem with your washer. An excess of soap or using the wrong type could lead to too many suds, the soap suds spill over and you get a spill.
Investigate your dishwasher door fully closes. If there’s a gap there may be a blockage, or you could have to adjust the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Investigate the filter located at the bottom of the tub for any visible drainage issues as if your dishwasher isn’t emptying properly this can result in overfill and leak.

Once you have ruled out these issues it’s time to get ready and really begin a thorough check.

To make your life easier start with the door and check for any visible issues inside of the machine before you move on to the underside. If you are able to identify and mend the leak 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 door is seemingly the most commonly seen place for a dishwasher to leak and also one of the simplest problems to resolve.

If the leakage is occasional the issue may be as straightforward as a large plate or something else putting pressure into the door thus preventing it from sealing correctly.

On the other hand the door seal could have been dislodged or become damaged.

Examine the door gasket and test for any cracks, mineral deposits or other gunk, or any parts where the gasket might have come away from the door.

Removing the seal and allowing it a good scrub can improve the situation in some instances or you may need to buy a new gasket and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The inlet valve can also be a common issue. The Valve is usually situated underneath the machine therefore you will need to take off the toe board and also may need to take off the door cover.

The fill valve opens and closes to allow water into the machine at various parts of the programme. The inlet valve may be leaking, demonstrated with a slight drip, or it may be damaged thus not operating fully while the dishwasher is running.

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

Often inlet valve can’t be repaired unless it is just the rubber gasket that is broken, thus the entire part would have to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Your dishwasher uses hoses to supply, empty as well as recirculate water during the cycle.

Two issues can present themselves where hoses are involved.

The seals could break or the connections may work loose meaning it’s worth examining all the connections first.
The alternative problem than could easily happen as you use the machine is that hoses may get degraded or cracked.

Luckily damaged hoses are simple to get hold of as well as change, even for a novice.

Pumps and Gaskets

You can visually investigate the rubber seals surrounding the pumps or motor to ascertain if there is a leak as well as change them if there is.

The Float Switch

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

When working correctly the float will lift up as the water level goes up until it reaches the desired fill level. The tag of the float should then operate the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be causing your problem.

Testing the switch will require a multi-meter but it may be obviously damaged in which case replacing it should stop the leak.

Alternative Parts that Might Lead to Leakage

A cracked wash arm or support might force water under the door resulting in leakage. This could also often result in your dishes not being cleaned as effectively as they should.

Broken or faulty lines may also cause this problem as could a damaged pump cap if your machine has one.

The motor shaft seal might have degraded causing a leak. This will generally show as leakage coming from underneath the dishwasher.

Top Tips to Sort Out Your Machine

Spend less by checking the gasket rather than the whole part. In many instances, you can buy the gasket without the rest of the part which saves you having to change the entire part.
Investigate the quick fixes first. You don’t need to pull the whole thing out if it’s the detergent that’s causing the issue.
Photograph your progress. This may assist you to reverse the process, explain the part you are looking for to a sales person, and explain the problem to a repair person if required.
Be careful. Water and electricity do not mix so unplug the machine first.
If you’re struggling get in a professional.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Trouble Shooting Fails to Identify or Fix the Leakage

If the root of the leakage can’t be discovered the next step you could take is to pull out the machine to get a better look beneath it and fill it with water to find out whether the leakage becomes visible.

If you are still in the dark your machine may only leak when the pump is running. In this case, you may wish to hire a service engineer to diagnose and also mend the issue as there are safety risks of checking for faults with electrical parts exposed.