Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

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

Fortunately, most commonly seen causes of dishwasher leaks are comparatively easy to diagnose and mend by yourself. This means you may not have to wash the dishes by hand for more than a day or two, stay at home waiting for an engineer or need to pay the call-out charge.

So, find the instruction manual if you know where it is, grab a towel to clean up the puddle and so get a towel clean up any additional leaks and see whether you can’t fix the problem. If you aren’t able to call us for local dishwasher repair.

Simple Explanations of Dishwasher Faults and How to Fix Them

Many of the most simple explanations of dishwasher leaks are not really because of a broken dishwasher at all. Before you start getting the tools out and watching numerous youtube videos there are a few problems you can troubleshoot first.

Check to see if your dishwasher is aligned. If the dishwasher is wonky water can quickly puddle and so leak regardless of whether or not the dishwasher has a fault.
Investigate you have been using the correct soap. You might be aware of this problem with your washer. Too much soap or the wrong variety can lead to too many bubbles, the suds spill over and you get a leak.
Test your dishwasher door closes properly. If there’s a gap you could have something obstructing it such as a large plate, or you may have to adjust the door fixings.
Investigate the filter at the bottom of the tub for any obvious obstructions as if your dishwasher isn’t emptying effectively this is likely to result in fill too much and leak.

If none of the above issues apply it’s time to get ready and start a thorough check.

To make your life easier start with the door and check for any obvious issues within of the machine prior to moving on to the underside. If you can identify as well as resolve the leak before you have to pull out the dishwasher so much the better.

Also make sure you disconnect the appliance first by either unplugging it or turning off the circuit breaker for the dishwasher.

Door Gasket

The door is seemingly the most simple place for a dishwasher to leak and one of the quickest issues to resolve.

If the leakage is periodic the fault could be as easy as a large plate or something else putting pressure against the door and preventing it from shutting properly.

Otherwise the door gasket may have come out of place or been split.

Inspect the door seal and check for any cracks, a build-up of limescale or other gunk, or any tracts where the gasket might have come away from the door.

Taking off the gasket and giving it a comprehensive scrub could help in some cases or you could need to purchase a new gasket and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The water inlet valve can be another commonly seen fault. The inlet is usually found on the underbelly of the machine and so you may have to remove the kick plate and also might have to remove the door cover.

The fill valve opens and also closes to allow water into the dishwasher at varying parts of the cycle. The water inlet valve could be damaged, demonstrated with a slight drip, or it may be broken and not opening or closing correctly while the dishwasher is running.

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

Generally water inlet valve are not able to be refurbished unless it is only the rubber gasket that is damaged, thus the entire valve would have to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to supply, empty and redistribute water during the cycle.

Two issues can arise where hoses are involved.

The gaskets might get damaged or the connections can come loose thus it’s a good idea to have a look at all the connection points .
The alternative problem than may often happen as you use the machine is that hoses might get damaged or cracked.

If you can identify that the leak is a result of a faulty hose this should be relatively easy to change and new hoses are readily available.

Pumps and Seals

You can visually check the rubber gaskets that are part of the pumps or motor to determine whether there is a leakage and change 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 lift up as the water rises until the optimum or maximum water level is attained. The tail of the float would then turn on 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 but it could be clearly damaged in which case replacing it should stop the leak.

Other Components that Could Lead to Leakage

A cracked wash arm or support might causing a leak. This can likewise often result in your dishes not being cleaned as effectively as they should.

Broken or faulty tubes can also result in this fault as may a broken pump cover if your dishwasher has one.

The motor shaft gasket may have cracked resulting in leakage. This generally presents as a puddle coming from the underside of the dishwasher.

Top Tips to Mend Your Machine

Save money by changing the seal rather than the whole part. In plenty cases, you are able to acquire the seal without the rest of the part which saves time as well as money.
Investigate the simple resolutions first. There’s no point pulling the whole dishwasher out if it’s the detergent that’s making the issue.
Photograph your progress. This may assist you to put the thing back together, explain the part you are looking for in a shop, as well as explain the problem to a repair person if required.
Be careful. Water and electricity are not good friends so turn off the power first.
If you’re not sure call a repair person.

What To Do Next If Your Trouble Shooting Doesn’t Identify or Mend the Leak

If the cause of the issue remains a mystery the thing you might do is to pull the machine away from the wall to get a clearer view of the beneath it as well as fill it with water to see whether the leak can be seen that way.

If you don’t find any leaks with this method your machine may only leak when the pump is running. In this case, you should find a service engineer to determine and resolve the leak as there are safety risks of running the dishwasher with electrical components uncovered.