Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes? | Glendale Appliance Repair

It may not be the primary function but getting your crockery and cutlery dry could really be more difficult for your machine than getting them clean. Crockery and cutlery and glassware have multiple nooks and crannies that may trap water stopping it from evaporating, thus as your dishwasher cools down water condenses from the humid air.

Dishwashers also utilize a variety of means to get your dishes dry. Certain models will employ a heating element to warm the inside of the dishwasher and help with evaporation, some heat up the water to a higher temperature nearing the final rinse, certain models make use of a fan, and certain models make use of a mix of all three. There are consequently a number of explanations why your machine might not be drying crockery and cutlery fully and a number of options to rectify the situation.

Plastic is more difficult to dry than other materials as it doesn’t retain heat in the same way which helps with the drying process, so it’s worth noting whether the items that aren’t drying are predominantly plastic items.

If dishes are coming out wet you can hire a dishwasher repair service or first use this troubleshooting list to help you identify and rectify the issue.

Top Reasons Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Crockery and Cutlery

There is nothing more frustrating than an appliance that doesn’t work as it’s meant to, regardless of whether its a smartphone, air conditioner or dishwasher we expect them to do the job they were made for. If you open your dishwasher to discover wet plates here are a few troubleshooting tips to help you figure out why.

Not all dishwashers are created equal and you will find that some appliances do a better job of drying your dishes than others. But if you notice a change in how effectively your dishwasher is working one of these issues could be the cause.

Inspect How Your Dishwasher Has Been Loaded

It might be that there is no fault with the dishwasher. Before assuming the dishwasher is not working you should first check that you haven’t overfilled it or accidentally stacked items one inside the other. Also be aware that plastic items are more difficult to dry than metal, glass or ceramics.

Have a Look at The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Your dishwasher needs rinse aid to properly dry your crockery and cutlery therefore, if you’ve forgotten to top up or your rinse aid dispenser is broken this can stop your crockery and cutlery coming out properly dry.

The best thing to do is inspect the dispenser for damage and check that there is rinse aid inside.

Inspect The Heating Element

Heat is essential for drying your plates so a broken heating element may be the reason your dishwasher is not working as it should. If your dishes don’t feel hot when they come out of the machine this can indicate that the heating element isn’t working as it should.

To inspect the heating element first disconnect the appliance, then locate the heating coil, you may need the instruction manual to do this, then use a multimeter to check it’s working.

Have a Look at the Thermostat

The thermostat ensures your dishwasher doesn’t overheat, determining the heat of the water and air during drying. Therefore, if it’s not working this can result in your dishwasher not reaching a high enough temperature.

If the heating coil seems to be working as it should but your machine isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat may be the issue. Once again you can test this with the help of a multimeter.

Have a Look at The Fan and Vent

Many dishwashers will employ a fan and vent to suck moist air out of the dishwasher. If either of these elements are faulty then the hot air will condense on the plates instead leaving them wet.

You can make use of your instruction manual to check if your machine uses a fan and find its location. Don’t forget to double check the machine is unplugged before trying to make repairs.

You can look at the fan and vent to see if there is anything lodged that would stop it from operating correctly. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Ideas to Increase Drying Power

There are a variety of things you can do to boost your appliances drying ability and prevent you needing to dry them by hand as little as possible.

Allow sufficient space between crockery and cutlery. Overcrowding the dishwasher limits the flow of both water and air making removing the dirt from and drying your crockery and cutlery more difficult. Although it’s appealing to try and stuff everything in, your appliance will be more effective if you leave sufficient space so that plates are not touching.
Employ rinse aid. Some dishwasher tablets include a rinse aid but even if the brand you use says it does, adding a little extra to the appliance won’t hurt. Rinse aid works by breaking the bond between water molecules and your dishes, helping water run off quickly, speeding up drying time and giving a spot and streak free finish.
Open the door at the end of the program. Some newer dishwashers do this automatically, but many do not, thus, opening the door when the cycle completes can help allow the water to evaporate and stop water condensing on the dishes as the dishwasher cools down.
Have a look to see if your appliance uses a heat feature and make sure it’s turned on. The higher the temperature the better the drying and it could be possible to add more heat at different points in the program.
Empty the lower level first. This doesn’t affect how well your dishwasher works, but it stop and water spilling that has collected in the concave bottoms of cups and glasses.

If none of the above solves the problem it could be time to phone an engineer or perhaps buy a new dishwasher.