Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

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

Luckily, most commonly seen sources of dishwasher leaks are comparatively easy to pinpoint and mend on your own. This means you may not have to wash the dishes by hand that much, call an engineer or have to pay the call-out fee.

So, grab the instruction manual if you can, get an old towel to clean up the puddle and so get something clean up any further spills and see if you can diagnose the fault. If you cannot call us for local dishwasher repair.

Commonly Seen Explanations of Dishwasher Faults and How to Fix Them

Many of the more everyday explanations of dishwasher faults are not really due to a dishwasher issue at all. Before you start getting the tools out and also flicking through endless youtube tutorials there are a couple of issues you should take a look at first.

Investigate to see if your dishwasher is aligned. If the dishwasher isn’t aligned water can easily pool and so leak even if the dishwasher is working perfectly.
Investigate you are using the right soap. You could have seen this with your washer. Too much detergent or using the wrong type can lead to too many suds, the bubbles overflow resulting in a spill.
Investigate your dishwasher door closes properly. If it doesn’t you may have an object obstructing it, or you could have to replace the door fixings.
Check the filter located at the bottom of the tub for any visible obstructions as if your dishwasher isn’t emptying effectively this can result in fill too much and spill.

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

The easiest place to start is the door and test for any visible damage in the interior of the machine before you move on to the underside. If you can find and mend the problem before you need to pull out the dishwasher so much the better.

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

Door Seal

The most commonplace place for leakage is on the door, thankfully it is likewise one of the easiest problems to fix.

If the leakage is intermittent the issue may be as straightforward as an oversized dish or another object pushing into the door and stopping the door from sealing properly.

Else-ways the door seal may have come out of place or got cracked.

Inspect the door seal and test for any degradation, a build-up of limescale or other debris, or any parts in which the gasket has come away from the door.

Removing the seal and allowing it a good clean can help in some cases or you might need to acquire a new seal and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can be another simple problem. The Valve is generally found under the machine and so you will need to take off the toe board and also could have to take off the door cover.

The fill valve opens and also closes to let water into the tub at varying parts of the cycle. The water inlet valve may be showing a leak, evidenced with a slow drip, or it could be damaged and not opening or closing fully while the dishwasher is running.

In the case that the inlet valve fails to shut properly this can lead to the dishwasher leaking.

Usually fill valve are not able to be fixed, and so the entire valve would have to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Your dishwasher uses hoses to supply, empty as well as redistribute water along the programme.

Two issues could develop when it comes to hoses.

The gaskets may go or the connections may come loose thus it’s a good idea to have a look at all the connections first.
The other fault than could easily develop as you use the machine is that hoses can get degraded or get a hole in.

Luckily broken hoses are easy to get hold of as well as change.

Pumps and Seals

You are able to visually test the rubber gaskets that are part of the water pumps or motor to ascertain whether there is a leak and replace them if there is.

The Float Switch

Either the float or the float switch might be broken causing the dishwasher to overfill.

A working float will lift up as the water rises until the desired or highest water level is attained. The end piece of the float should then turn on the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be causing your problem.

Checking the switch will require a multi-meter although it could be noticeably damaged in which case replacing it should stop the leak.

Alternative Components that Could Cause Leakage

A damaged wash arm or support could build up pressure resulting in a leak. This can likewise often result in your dishes not being cleaned as effectively as they should.

Broken or faulty tubes can likewise result in this problem as may a broken pump cap.

The motor shaft gasket could have degraded resulting in a leak. This will generally show as a leak coming from underneath the dishwasher.

Top Tips to Mend Your Machine

Save money by checking the gasket rather than the whole part. In plenty situations, you are able to acquire the seal without the rest of the part which saves you having to change the whole part.
Investigate the easy solutions first. There’s no point pulling the entire thing away from the wall if the problem is the detergent.
Photograph your progress. This can assist you to put the machine back together, describe the part you are looking for in a store, and also identify the issue to an engineer if needed.
Stay safe. Water and electricity do not mix so turn off the power first.
If in doubt get in the professionals.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Initial Investigation Doesn’t Identify or Mend the Leak

If the cause of the leak is still a mystery the thing you may do is to pull the machine away from the wall to get better access underneath it and fill it with water to find out if the leak becomes visible.

If this doesn’t shed any light your appliance might only leak when the pump is running. If this is the case, you may wish to employ a qualified technician to diagnose and also fix the fault as there are safety risks of checking for faults with electrical components exposed.