Why is My Dishwasher Leaking? | Glendale Appliance Repair

Entering the kitchen only to find an ominous puddle coming from the dishwasher is no-one’s favorite manner to start the day.

Thankfully, most simple sources of dishwasher leaks are comparatively easy to determine and resolve on your own. Meaning you could not be required to hand wash the dishes that much, wait for the repair man or have to pay the call-out charge.

So, if you’re feeling up to it find the instruction manual if you know where it is, get a towel to clean up the puddle and so get something soak up any further leaks and so see if you can’t fix the problem. If you cannot call us for local dishwasher repair.

Simple Sources of Dishwasher Leaks and How to Mend Them

A lot of the most commonplace sources of dishwasher leaks aren’t actually due to a broken dishwasher at all. Before you start preparing yourself for an engineering task and watching numerous youtube videos there are a few things you can rule out first.

Check to find out whether your dishwasher is level. If the dishwasher is not level water will quickly pool and so leak even if the dishwasher is working perfectly.
Check you are using the proper detergent. You may have seen this with your washer. Too much soap or using the wrong variety could lead to too many suds, the bubbles overflow resulting in a spill.
Check your dishwasher door fully closes. If there’s a gap there may be an obstruction, or you might have to adjust the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Investigate the filter in the base of the machine for any visible obstructions as if your dishwasher isn’t draining correctly this will result in fill too much and so spill.

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

To make your life easier start with the door as well as investigate for any visible damage within of the machine before you move on to the underside. If you are able to identify as well as fix the leak 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 Seal

The most usual place for a dishwasher to leak is around the door, luckily it is also one of the easiest issues to fix.

If the leakage is periodic the issue might be as straightforward as a big pan or something else putting pressure against the door and preventing it from shutting fully.

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

Examine the door seal and check for any brittleness, mineral deposits or other deposits, or any parts where the seal has separated from the door.

Removing the gasket and giving it a good scrub can improve the situation in some instances or you might be required to buy a new gasket and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The water inlet valve can be another simple fault. The Valve is usually situated on the underbelly of the machine which means you may need to remove the toe board and also may need to remove the door cover.

The fill valve opens and also closes to allow water into the dishwasher at varying parts of the programme. The fill valve may be damaged, demonstrated by a slight drip, or it may be damaged thus not operating properly while the dishwasher is running.

If the water inlet valve doesn’t close correctly this can lead to the dishwasher overfilling and cause a leakage.

Often these valves cannot be repaired unless it is just the rubber seal that is broken, which means the whole component would have to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Your dishwasher uses hoses to fill, empty and also redistribute water along the programme.

Two complications could develop when it comes to hoses.

The seals may go or the contact points may come loose thus it’s worth examining all the connections .
The other fault than can often happen over time is that hoses could get broken or get a hole in.

If you can determine that the leakage is coming from a hose this should be relatively simple to change and replacement hoses are readily available.

Pumps and Gaskets

You can visually check the gaskets around the pumps or motor to determine if there is a leak and change them if there is.

The Float Switch

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

When working as it should the float will go up with the water level until it reaches the optimum fill level. The end piece of the float should 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 but it could be obviously damaged in which case getting a new one should stop the leak.

Other Parts that May Lead to Leakage

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

Broken or faulty tubes could also cause this fault as may a broken pump cover.

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

Top Tips to Fix Your Machine

Save money by changing the gasket rather than the whole part. In most cases, you can purchase the seal separately which saves you having to replace the entire part.
Test the easy solutions first. There’s no point pulling the whole thing out if it’s the detergent that’s making the problem.
Photograph your progress. This may help you reverse the process, explain the part you are looking for in a shop, and also identify the issue to a repair person if needed.
Be careful. Water and electricity do not mix so turn off the power first.
If in doubt get in a repair person.

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

If the root of the problem remains a mystery the thing you can do is to pull out the dishwasher to get a better look underneath it as well as fill it with water to see whether the leakage presents itself.

If you are still in the dark your machine might only leak if the pump is running. In this case, you should employ a qualified technician to diagnose as well as resolve the fault due to the safety risks of running the dishwasher with electrical elements exposed.