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.

Thankfully, most commonly seen explanations of dishwasher leaks are comparatively simple to diagnose and fix yourself. Meaning you may not need to wash the dishes by hand for too long, stay at home waiting for an repair person or have to pay a high call-out charge.

So, grab the operating manual if you have it, find an old towel to clean up the puddle and so get a towel clean up any additional spills and see whether you can’t fix the problem. If you cannot call us for local dishwasher repair.

Everyday Explanations of Dishwasher Leaks as well as How to Mend Them

A lot of the more commonplace causes of dishwasher faults are not in fact a result of a broken dishwasher at all. Prior to starting preparing yourself for an engineering task as well as watching endless youtube tutorials there are a few issues you might want to rule out first.

Investigate to find out if your dishwasher is aligned. If your dishwasher is not level water can quickly pool and so leak without there being anything that needs to be mended or replaced.
Test you have been using the right soap. You may be aware of this problem with your washing machine. An excess of soap or the incorrect variety may lead to too many bubbles, the soap suds deluge and so you get a spill.
Investigate your dishwasher door closes correctly. If it does not you could have an object blocking it, or you may need to replace the door fixings.
Investigate the filter at the bottom of the machine for any obvious drainage issues as if your dishwasher isn’t emptying properly this can result in fill too much and so leak.

If you have eliminated these potential problems it’s time to roll up your sleeves and really begin a thorough check.

The easiest place to start is the door and check for any obvious problems in the interior of the machine prior to moving on to the underside. If you can identify and resolve the issue without pulling out the dishwasher so much the better.

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

Door Seal

The door is seemingly the most commonplace place for leakage and one of the easiest issues to solve.

If the leakage is periodic the fault could be as easy as a large plate or another object putting pressure into the door thus preventing the door from sealing correctly.

On the other hand the door seal could have come out of place or got damaged.

Examine the door gasket and also test for any brittleness, a build-up of limescale or other debris, or any parts in which the seal has separated from the door.

Removing the seal and also giving it a thorough scrub could help in some instances or you could be required to purchase a new gasket and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The water inlet valve can also be a commonly seen problem. This is in most cases found on the underbelly of the machine so you may have to take off the kick plate and might need to remove the door cover.

The inlet valve opens and also closes to allow water into the machine at various times in the programme. The water inlet valve may be damaged, demonstrated by a slight drip, or it may be broken and so not functioning properly while the dishwasher is running.

If the fill valve doesn’t shut properly this can mean that the dishwasher overfills, causing a leak.

Often these valves can’t be repaired unless it is only the rubber gasket that is broken, which means the entire part would need to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to fill, empty as well as redistribute water during the cycle.

Two issues may arise with hoses.

The seals might get damaged or the connections may come loose so it’s a good idea to have a look at all the connection points first.
The other issue than can easily develop as you use the machine is that hoses could become broken or get a hole in.

If you can identify that the leakage is a result of a faulty hose this will be relatively simple to replace and replacement hoses are easy to come by.

Pumps and Seals

You are able to visually test the rubber seals around the water pumps or motor to determine whether there is a leak and also change them if there is.

The Float Switch

The float itself or the float switch may be broken causing the dishwasher to overfill.

A working float will lift up with the water level until it reaches the optimum fill level. The end piece of the float will then operate the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be causing your problem.

Checking the switch would need a multi-meter but it might be noticeably damaged in which case replacing it should fix the leak.

Other Parts that May Result in Leakage

A cracked wash arm or support may build up pressure resulting in leakage. This will also often affect how well your dishes are being cleaned.

Broken or damaged lines could likewise result in this problem as can a damaged pump cap.

The motor shaft seal may have come loose causing leakage. This generally presents as leakage coming from the underside of the appliance.

Top Tips to Fix Your Machine

Spend less by checking the seal rather than the whole part. In most instances, you can acquire the gasket separately which saves time as well as money.
Check the quick fixes first. You don’t need to pull the entire dishwasher away from the wall if the problem is the soap.
Take pictures at each step. This may assist you to reverse the process, show the part you need in a shop, and explain the issue to an engineer if needed.
Stay safe. Water and electricity do not mix so unplug the machine first.
If in doubt get in a professional.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Initial Investigation Fails to Identify or Fix the Leak

If the cause of the problem can’t be discovered the thing you could do is to pull the dishwasher away from the wall to get a better look beneath it and also fill it with water to see whether the leak presents itself.

If this gives no further clues your machine could only show a leakage if the pump is running. In this instance, your best bet would be to hire a service engineer to pinpoint and also fix the issue as there are safety risks of checking for faults with electrical parts exposed.