Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It may not be the primary function but getting your crockery and cutlery dry could in actual fact be harder for your machine than removing the dirt. Crockery and cutlery and glassware have multiple nooks and crannies that may collect dishwater preventing it from drying out, and as your dishwasher cools water condenses from the steam.

Different machines also make use of a variety of different means to dry your plates. Certain models will use a heating coil to warm the air in the dishwasher and assist with evaporation, some heat the water further nearing the final rinse, others make use of a fan, and some use a combination of all of these. There are therefore a number of reasons why your dishwasher might not be drying plates fully and a variety of options to improve the situation.

Plastic is less likely to dry fully than glass or ceramics as it cools down more quickly hindering the drying process, so it’s worth seeing whether the drying issue is related to the material rather than the machine.

If dishes are coming out wet you can enlist the help of a dishwasher repair service or first utilize this troubleshooting guide to figure out what the problem is and with any luck fix it.

Top Reasons Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Crockery and Cutlery

Few things are more frustrating than an appliance that isn’t working properly, whether that’s a smartphone that really isn’t being that smart, a washing machine that’s churning out dirty clothes, or a dishwasher that is either not cleaning or drying your crockery and cutlery. If you open your dishwasher to discover wet plates here are a few troubleshooting tips to help you figure out why.

Not all makes and models are built to the same spec and you will find that some appliances perform to a higher standard compared to others. However, if if your dishwasher has always dried your plates in the past one of these areas could be the problem.

Inspect the Placement of Your Crockery and Cutlery

It might be that there is no fault with the machine. Before assuming the dishwasher is broken you should look at how it has been loaded, ensuring it isn’t too full. It’s also worth noting that plastics are more difficult to dry than metal, glass or ceramics.

Check The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Rinse aid plays a key role in drying your plates thus, if you’ve forgotten to top up or the rinse aid dispenser is broken this can result in wet dishes at the end of the cycle.

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

Inspect The Heating Element

Without enough heat your crockery and cutlery will not dry so a faulty heating coil might be the explanation your machine is not drying dishes. If your crockery and cutlery aren’t hot to touch at the end of the cycle this can indicate that the heating coil is broken.

To inspect the heating coil you will need to disconnect the dishwasher, find the heating element, you could need the instruction manual to do this, then use a multimeter to check it’s working.

Inspect the Thermostat

The thermostat stops your dishwasher getting too hot, determining the heat of the water and air during drying. Therefore, if it’s faulty this can result in your appliance not heating up at all.

If the heating coil seems to be in working order but your dishwasher isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat may be the issue. Again you can make sure with the help of a multimeter.

Have a Look at The Drying Fan and Vent

Many machines will employ a fan and vent to suck moist air from the dishwasher. If the fan isn’t operating as is should or the vent is blocked then the water vapor will remain in the machine preventing the dishes from drying.

You can make use of your manual to ascertain if your machine uses a fan and locate it. Don’t forget to double check the dishwasher is disconnected before attempting to access the fan.

First visually inspect the fan and vent to ascertain if anything is blocking it that might stop it from functioning correctly. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Tips to Increase Drying Capability

There are a number of methods you can use to increase how well your appliance dries your dishes and prevent you needing to dry them by hand as infrequently as possible.

Don’t overload the dishwasher. Overcrowding the dishwasher limits the circulation of both water and air decreasing the effectiveness of your appliance when it comes to both washing and drying your dishes. It could be appealing to cram in as much as possible but your machine will be more effective if you leave sufficient space so that plates are not touching.
Make use of rinse aid. Some dishwasher tablets include a rinse aid but even if the brand you use says it does, adding a separate rinse aid to the appliance won’t hurt. Rinse aid works by breaking the bond between water molecules and your dishes, helping water run off quickly, speeding up drying time and giving a spot and streak free finish.
Open your machine as soon as the cycle has finished. Some new models have this as an automatic option, but if yours doesn’t, opening the dishwasher when the cycle finishes allows warm air to escape thus stopping water condensing on the plates as the machine cools down.
Find out if your machine uses a heat feature and make sure it’s turned on. Setting a higher heat will result in better drying times and you could be able to add more heat at different points in the program.
Unload the bottom rack first. This doesn’t affect how effective your dishwasher is, but it prevent and water spilling that has collected in the concave bottoms of cups and glasses.

If you have checked all the above it may be time to phone the professionals or perhaps replace your machine.