Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Coming downstairs only to discover a large puddle coming from the dishwasher is never the best to start the day.

Luckily, most commonly seen sources of dishwasher leaks are comparatively easy to determine and fix by yourself. Meaning you may not need to hand wash the dishes for more than a day or two, stay at home waiting for an repair person or have to pay a high call-out charge.

So, find the operating manual if you can, find a towel to clean up the leak and so get a towel clean up any further leaks and see whether you can’t fix the problem. If you cannot call us for local dishwasher repair.

Everyday Sources of Dishwasher Faults as well as How to Fix Them

Many of the more simple explanations of dishwasher leaks aren’t in fact a result of a broken dishwasher . Before you start preparing yourself for an engineering task and looking at numerous youtube tutorials there are a couple of problems you might want to rule out first.

Check to see whether your dishwasher is aligned. If your dishwasher isn’t level water will easily puddle and so leak even if the dishwasher is working perfectly.
Check you are using the correct soap. You could be aware of this fault with your washer. An excess of soap or using the incorrect variety can result in to too many suds, the suds overflow resulting in a spill.
Investigate your dishwasher door fully closes. If there’s a gap you may have something obstructing it, or you might have to adjust the door fixings.
Test the filter at the base of the tub for any obvious drainage issues as if your dishwasher isn’t draining correctly this will result in fill too much and so leak.

Once you have looked at these issues it’s time to get ready and really start the investigation.

The easiest place to start is the door as well as check for any visible problems within of the machine before you move on to the underside. If you are able to find as well as fix the issue before you need to pull out the dishwasher you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

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

Door Seal

The door is probably the most commonly seen area for leakage and also one of the easiest issues to fix.

If the leakage is periodic the fault may be as easy as a large plate or another object pushing into the door thus preventing the door from shutting fully.

Otherwise the door seal could have been dislodged or got damaged.

Check the door seal and also check for any degradation, mineral deposits or other gunk, or any areas where the seal has separated from the door.

Taking off the gasket and also giving it a comprehensive scrub can help in some instances or you may have to purchase a new seal and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can also be a common issue. This is usually located underneath the machine which means you may have to remove the kick plate and also could need to unscrew the door cover.

The water inlet valve opens and also closes to allow water into the tub at various parts of the programme. The inlet valve might be leaking, demonstrated with a slow drip, or it might be damaged and so not opening or closing correctly during the programme.

If the water inlet valve doesn’t close fully this can mean that the dishwasher overfills, causing a leak.

Usually water inlet valve are not able to be refurbished, and so the whole part would have to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to fill, drain as well as recirculate water during the programme.

Two problems may arise where hoses are the cause.

The gaskets might break or the connections may work loose so it’s worth having a look at all the connections first.
The other issue than can easily develop over time is that hoses might become broken or get a hole in.

Luckily faulty hoses are relatively simple to procure and also replace.

Pumps and Gaskets

You can visually check the rubber seals surrounding the pumps or motor to determine whether there is a leak and also replace them if there is.

The Float Switch

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

When operating correctly the float will go up with the water level until it reaches the highest fill level. The tail of the float would then activate 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 although it could be obviously broken in which case replacing it should stop the leak.

Other Parts that May Result in a Leak

A damaged wash arm or support might causing leakage. This can also often affect how well your dishes are being cleaned.

Broken or damaged tubes may likewise result in this fault as can a broken pump cover.

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

Top Tips to Fix Your Dishwasher

Spend less by replacing the gasket rather than the whole part. In plenty situations, you can purchase the seal without the rest of the part which saves time as well as money.
Investigate the simple solutions before you get more complicated. There’s no point pulling the entire thing away from the wall if it’s the soap that’s causing the problem.
Photograph your progress. This might assist you to put the thing back together, show the component you need to a sales person, and explain the issue to an engineer if needed.
Stay safe. Water and electricity do not mix so unplug the machine first.
If you’re struggling get in a repair person.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Trouble Shooting Fails to Identify or Mend the Leak

If the cause of the issue can’t be discovered the next step you can take is to pull out the dishwasher to get a better look underneath it as well as fill it with water to find out whether the leak becomes visible.

If this gives no further clues your machine could only leak when it’s running. In this case, you should find a service engineer to determine and resolve the issue due to the safety risks of checking for faults with electrical parts uncovered.