Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Getting up in the morning to step in a large puddle coming from the dishwasher is never the best to start the day.

Fortunately, most commonly seen causes of dishwasher faults are comparatively straightforward to determine and resolve yourself. This means you might not be required to wash the dishes by hand that much, call an engineer or need to pay a high call-out charge.

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

Commonly Seen Explanations of Dishwasher Leaks and How to Mend Them

Some of the most simple explanations of dishwasher leaks are not really because of a dishwasher issue . Before you start getting the tools out as well as flicking through endless youtube videos there are a number of problems you should take a look at first.

Investigate to see if your dishwasher is level. If your dishwasher is not level water can quickly pool and so leak regardless of whether or not the dishwasher has a fault.
Check you have been using the right soap. You may be familiar with this fault with your washer. An excess of detergent or using the incorrect type may lead an excess of suds, the suds bubble over and so you get a spill.
Test your dishwasher door closes properly. If it does not there may be an obstruction, or you may have to fix the door fixings.
Check the filter at the bottom of the machine for any obvious drainage issues as if your dishwasher isn’t draining properly this can cause it to overfill and so leak.

If none of the above issues apply it’s time to get ready and really start the inspection.

To make your life easier start with the door as well as investigate for any obvious issues in the interior of the machine prior to moving on to the underside. If you are able to find and resolve the issue without pulling out the dishwasher you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

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

Door Gasket

The most commonly seen place for leakage is around the door, luckily it is also one of the simplest issues to solve.

If the leak is occasional the issue may be as easy as a big pan or another object pushing against the door and stopping it from closing correctly.

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

Check the door gasket and also check for any brittleness, a build-up of limescale or other gunk, or any parts in which the gasket has come away from the door.

Removing the seal and giving it a thorough wash can help in some instances or you might need to purchase a new gasket and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can be a further common fault. This is generally situated under the machine therefore you will need to remove the kick plate and could have to remove the door cover.

The inlet valve opens and closes to let water into the dishwasher at different parts of the cycle. The fill valve might be leaking, shown with a slight drip, or it could be damaged thus not operating properly while the dishwasher is running.

In the case that the fill valve fails to close correctly this can lead to the dishwasher leaking.

In General water inlet valve cannot be refurbished unless it is just the rubber gasket that is broken, and so the entire valve would have to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Your dishwasher uses hoses to fill, drain and also recirculate water along the cycle.

Two issues can develop when it comes to hoses.

The seals might break or the contact points might come loose so it’s a good idea to have a look at all the connection points first.
The other fault than could often develop as time goes by is that hoses could get damaged or get a hole in.

If you can determine that the leak is coming from a hose this will be relatively easy to replace and replacement hoses are readily available.

Pumps and Seals

You can visually check the rubber gaskets that are part of the pumps or motor to determine if there is a leak and also change them if there is.

The Float Switch

Either the float or the float switch might be broken resulting in the dishwasher overfilling.

A working float will go up as the water rises until it reaches the maximum fill level. The end piece of the float should then activate the switch. A blockage or breakage could be your issues.

Checking the switch will require electrical equipment although it might be obviously broken in which case getting a new one should stop the leak.

Alternative Components that May Lead to a Leak

A cracked wash arm or support may resulting in leakage. This can likewise often affect how well your dishes are being cleaned.

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

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

Top Tips to Fix Your Dishwasher

Save money by checking the gasket rather than the whole part. In plenty situations, you are able to purchase the gasket without the rest of the part which saves you having to change the whole part.
Check the easy solutions first. There’s no point pulling the entire dishwasher out if the problem is the soap.
Photograph your progress. This could help you put the machine back together, show the part you are looking for to a sales person, and also explain the problem to a repair person if needed.
Stay safe. Water and electricity do not mix so unplug the machine first.
If in doubt get in a professional.

What To Do Next If Your Trouble Shooting Fails to Disclose or Resolve the Leak

If the root of the issue can’t be discovered the thing you could do is to pull out the dishwasher to get a better look underneath it and add water to the tub to find out if the leakage can be seen that way.

If you are still in the dark your dishwasher could only show a leakage if the pump is running. If this is the case, you may wish to get a qualified technician to pinpoint and also resolve the fault as there are safety risks of checking for faults with electrical parts uncovered.