Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Coming downstairs only to find an ominous puddle on the floor is never a great to start the day.

Fortuitously, most everyday explanations of dishwasher leaks are comparatively straightforward to pinpoint and fix by yourself. This means you might not need to hand wash the dishes for more than a day or two, stay at home waiting for an repair person or need to pay the call-out charge.

So, if you’re feeling up to it find the operating manual if you can, clean up the mess and so get a towel clean up any further spills and see if you can’t find a DIY solution. If you cannot call us for local dishwasher repair.

Commonplace Explanations of Dishwasher Leaks as well as How to Fix Them

Many of the most commonplace sources of dishwasher faults aren’t actually due to a broken dishwasher at all. Prior to starting preparing yourself for an engineering task and flicking through endless online tutorials there are a number of problems you should rule out first.

Investigate to see whether your dishwasher is aligned. If the dishwasher isn’t aligned water will easily pool and leak regardless of whether or not the dishwasher has a fault.
Test you are using the right soap. You could have seen this with your washer. An excess of detergent or the incorrect variety may lead to too many bubbles, the soap suds spill over resulting in a leak.
Test your dishwasher door fully closes. If it does not there may be an obstruction, or you may have to fix the door fixings.
Test the filter in the bottom of the tub for any easy to see drainage issues because if your dishwasher isn’t emptying correctly this is likely to result in fill too much and so leak.

When you have ruled out these potential problems it’s time to get ready and begin the investigation.

The easiest place to start is the door as well as test for any visible issues inside of the machine prior to moving on to the underside. If you are able to identify as well as fix the issue before you need to pull out the dishwasher so much the better.

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

Door Seal

The most usual place for a dishwasher to leak is around the door, thankfully it is also one of the quickest issues to fix.

If the leak is occasional the problem might be as easy as a big pan or something else pushing against the door and preventing it from shutting correctly.

Otherwise the door gasket might have come out of place or been damaged.

Inspect the door gasket and also check for any cracks, a build-up of limescale or other debris, or any areas in which the seal has separated from the door.

Taking off the gasket and also allowing it a good wash can improve the situation in some cases or you might be required to purchase a new gasket and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can be another common issue. This is generally situated underneath the machine therefore you will have to remove the kick plate and may need to remove the door cover.

The fill valve opens and closes to let water into the tub at varying parts of the cycle. The fill valve could be leaking, evidenced by a slow drip, or it could be damaged and so not operating fully while the dishwasher is running.

If the inlet valve fails to close fully this can mean that the dishwasher overfills, causing a leak.

Usually water inlet valve can’t be repaired unless it is just the rubber gasket that is faulty, thus the entire valve would need to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

Your dishwasher uses hoses to fill, drain and redistribute water along the programme.

Two complications can present themselves where hoses are the cause.

The gaskets may get damaged or the contact points might come loose so it’s worth examining all the connection points .
The alternative fault than could often happen as time goes by is that hoses could be damaged or cracked.

Luckily damaged hoses are easy to buy and also change.

Pumps and Seals

You can visually check the rubber gaskets around the pumps or motor to see if there is a leakage and also replace them if that’s the case.

The Float Switch

Either the float or the float switch could be damaged causing the dishwasher to overfill.

When operating as it should the float will lift up with the water level until it reaches the desired fill level. The tag of the float should then turn on the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be your issues.

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

Other Parts that Might Lead to Leakage

A damaged wash arm or support could puch water under the door causing leakage. This will also often result in your dishes not being cleaned as effectively as they should.

Broken or damaged tubes could also cause this fault as may a loose pump cap if your dishwasher has one.

The motor shaft seal may have degraded resulting in a leak. This generally presents as leakage coming from the underside of the dishwasher.

Top Tips to Sort Out Your Dishwasher

Save money by checking the gasket rather than the whole part. In plenty instances, you are able to buy the seal separately which saves time as well as money.
Investigate the quick fixes first. You don’t need to pull the whole machine away from the wall if it’s the detergent that’s making the problem.
Photograph your progress. This can assist you to put the thing back together, show the part you need in a shop, and also explain the fault to a repair person if needed.
Stay safe. Water and electricity do not mix so turn off the power first.
If in doubt call a professional.

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

If the root of the problem is still a mystery the next step you could take is to pull the dishwasher away from the wall to get a clearer view of the underneath it as well as fill it with water to see whether the leakage can be seen that way.

If you don’t discover any leakages with this method your dishwasher might only leak if during a cycle. In this case, your best bet would be to find a appliance repair person to pinpoint and resolve the problem as there are safety risks of checking for faults with electrical components uncovered.