Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It may not be the primary function but drying your dishes may in actual fact be more arduous for your machine than cleaning them. Crockery and cutlery and glassware have multiple crevices that can collect water making it more difficult for it to evaporate, thus as your machine cools water condenses out of the steam.

Different machines also utilize a number of different means to get your crockery and cutlery dry. Some will employ a heating coil to warm the inside of the dishwasher and help the water to evaporate, some heat up the water more near the end of the cycle, others make use of a fan, and certain models make use of a combination of all of these. There are consequently a number of explanations why your dishwasher might not be drying crockery and cutlery optimally and a number of options to improve the situation.

Plastic items are more difficult to dry than glass or ceramics as it doesn’t retain heat in the same way which helps with the drying process, so it’s worth taking note whether the drying issue is related to the material rather than the machine.

If your dishwasher doesn’t seem to be drying effectively you can hire a dishwasher repair service or first utilize this troubleshooting list to help you identify and rectify the issue.

Top Explanations Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Crockery and Cutlery

There is nothing more irritating than an appliance that isn’t working properly, regardless of whether its a smartphone, tumble dryer or dishwasher we expect them to do the job they were made for. If you open your dishwasher to discover wet plates there are a number of places you can look 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 crockery and cutlery than others. But if you notice a change in how well your machine is working one of these issues could be the problem.

Have a Look at the Placement of Your Plates

It might be that there is no fault with the appliance. Before assuming the dishwasher is broken you should look at how it has been stacked, ensuring it isn’t too full. It’s also worth noting that plastic items don’t dry as well as metal, glass or ceramics.

Inspect The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Your machine needs rinse aid to properly dry your plates and so if you have run out of rinse aid or the rinse aid dispenser is not working this can stop your dishes coming out properly dry.

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

Inspect The Heating Coil

Heat is essential for drying your crockery and cutlery so a broken heating coil might be the explanation your appliance is not drying crockery and cutlery. If your plates don’t feel hot at the end of the cycle this can be a good indicator that the heating coil isn’t working as it should.

To check the heating coil first unplug the machine, then locate the heating element, you might need the manual for this, and check for continuity using a multimeter.

Have a Look at the Thermostat

The thermostat ensures your dishwasher doesn’t overheat, adjusting the heat of the water and air during drying. However, if it’s broken this can mean your appliance doesn’t heat up at all.

If you check the heating element and do not find an issue but your appliance isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat may be the problem. Again you can test this with the help of a multimeter.

Inspect The Fan and Vent

Many dishwashers will employ a fan and vent to remove the warm moist air out of the appliance. If either of these elements are faulty then the hot air will condense on the crockery and cutlery instead preventing them from drying.

You can use your manual to find out if your dishwasher uses a fan and locate it. Don’t forget to make sure the dishwasher is disconnected before attempting to make repairs.

First look at the fan and vent to check if there is anything lodged that could stop it from operating correctly. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Ways to Increase Drying Capability

There are a variety of things you can do to improve your machines effectiveness at drying and prevent you needing to dry them by hand as little as possible.

Don’t cram the machine. Overloading the appliance stops the flow of both water and air decreasing the effectiveness of your dishwasher when it comes to both cleaning and finishing your dishes. Although it’s tempting to try and stuff everything in, your dishwasher will be more effective if you leave enough space so that water and air can circulate freely.
Employ rinse aid. Some detergents already have this but even so, adding a little extra to the dishwasher won’t hurt. Rinse aid helps reduce spotting and gives your glasses a streak-free finish but it also breaks the bond between water molecules and your crockery and cutlery helping the water to run off them and consequently making them dry more quickly and evenly.
Open your appliance as soon as the cycle has finished. Some newer machines do this automatically, but if yours doesn’t, opening the door when the cycle finishes allows warm air to evaporate and prevent water condensing on the plates as the dishwasher cools down.
Check if your dishwasher has a heat feature and make sure it’s turned on. Setting a higher temperature will result in improved drying times and you could be able to add more heat at different points in the cycle.
Empty the bottom rack 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 might be time to phone the professionals or perhaps replace your dishwasher.