Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Entering the kitchen to step in an ominous puddle on the floor is never a great to start the day.

Thankfully, most simple explanations of dishwasher leaks are comparably easy to diagnose and mend yourself. Meaning you may not be required to wash the dishes by hand for too long, take a day off waiting for an repair person or need to pay the call-out charge.

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

Simple Explanations of Dishwasher Leaks and How to Fix Them

A lot of the most commonly seen causes of dishwasher faults aren’t really due to a broken dishwasher at all. Before you start preparing yourself for an engineering task as well as looking at endless youtube videos there are a couple of issues you can rule out first.

Check to see whether your dishwasher is aligned. If the dishwasher is misaligned water will easily pool and so leak regardless of whether or not the dishwasher has a fault.
Investigate you are using the right soap. You could have seen this with your washing machine. Too much soap or using the wrong variety can result in to too many suds, the bubbles bubble over and you get a spill.
Check your dishwasher door closes correctly. If it does not you might have something blocking it such as a large plate, or you might need to replace the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Investigate the filter in the bottom of the machine for any easy to see drainage issues because if your dishwasher isn’t draining properly this can cause it to fill too much and so leak.

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

The easiest place to start is the door as well as check for any obvious issues in the interior of the machine before you move on to the underside. If you are able to identify as well as mend the leak without pulling out the dishwasher you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

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

Door Seal

The most everyday place for a dishwasher to leak is on the door, luckily it is also one of the quickest problems to solve.

If the leakage is intermittent the fault may be as easy as a large plate or another object pushing into the door thus stopping the door from closing correctly.

On the other hand the door gasket may have come loose or become split.

Check the door gasket and also test for any cracks, a build-up of limescale or other deposits, or any areas where the seal might have separated from the door.

Extracting the seal and also allowing it a comprehensive scrub might help in some instances or you might have to buy a new gasket and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can also be a simple problem. This is generally situated on the underbelly of the machine which means you will need to unscrew the kick plate and also may need to take off the door cover.

The inlet valve opens and also closes to allow water into the tub at varying parts of the cycle. The water inlet valve could be damaged, shown with a slight drip, or it may be damaged and so not operating correctly during the cycle.

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

Usually water inlet valve are not able to be repaired unless it is just the rubber gasket that is damaged, thus the whole part would have to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to supply, empty as well as redistribute water along the programme.

Two issues can arise with hoses.

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

If you can determine that the leak is coming from a hose this will be relatively easy to replace and replacement hoses are easy to procure.

Pumps and Gaskets

You are able to visually test the gaskets that are part of the pumps or motor to determine if there is a leak and also change them if that’s the case.

The Float Switch

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

A working float will go up as the water rises until the desired or maximum water level is reached. The end piece of the float would then turn on the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be your problem.

Checking the switch will require electrical equipment although it might be obviously damaged in which case getting a new one should solve the problem.

Alternative Components that May Result in Leakage

A damaged wash arm or support could resulting in leakage. This will likewise often affect how well your dishes are being cleaned.

Broken or cracked lines might also cause this issue as might a damaged pump cover if your machine has one.

The motor shaft gasket might have come loose causing leakage. This generally presents as leakage coming from the underside of the dishwasher.

Top Tips to Sort Out Your Machine

Save money by replacing the seal rather than the whole component. In plenty cases, you can purchase the seal without the rest of the part which saves you having to replace the entire component.
Investigate the easy solutions first. There’s no point pulling the whole machine away from the wall if it’s the detergent that’s making the leak.
Photograph your progress. This could make your life easier when you come to put the thing back together, show the part you are looking for to a sales person, as well as explain the problem to an engineer if needed.
Be careful. Water and electricity do not mix so turn off the power first.
If in doubt call a professional.

What To Do Next If Your Initial Investigation Doesn’t Identify or Resolve the Leak

If the root of the leak can’t be discovered the thing you might do is to pull the dishwasher away from the wall to get a clearer view of the beneath it and add water to the tub to find out if the leakage becomes visible.

If this doesn’t shed any light your appliance could only show a leakage when the pump is running. In this instance, your best bet would be to get a qualified technician to pinpoint and resolve the fault due to the safety risks of checking for faults with electrical components uncovered.