Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Coming downstairs to find an ominous puddle on the floor is no-one’s chosen way to start the day.

Fortunately, most everyday sources of dishwasher faults are comparably simple to diagnose and mend yourself. Meaning you may not have to wash the dishes by hand that much, stay at home waiting for an engineer or have to pay the call-out fee.

So, get out the manual if you know where it is, clean up the puddle and get a towel soak up any further leaks and so see if you can diagnose the issue. If you can’t call us for local dishwasher repair.

Commonly Seen Sources of Dishwasher Faults as well as How to Resolve Them

Many of the most common explanations of dishwasher faults aren’t really a result of a broken dishwasher . Before you start getting the tools out and also watching endless online tutorials there are a number of problems you might want to rule out first.

Investigate to find out whether your dishwasher is level. If the dishwasher is wonky water can quickly puddle as well as spill out even if the dishwasher is working perfectly.
Investigate you are using the right detergent. You may be familiar with this problem with your washing machine. Too much soap or the wrong variety can result in an excess of bubbles, the soap suds overflow and you get a spill.
Investigate your dishwasher door closes fully. If there’s a gap there may be a blockage, or you might have to replace the door fixings.
Test the filter at the base of the machine for any visible drainage issues as if your dishwasher isn’t draining properly this is likely to result in overfill and spill.

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

The easiest place to start is the door and check for any obvious damage inside of the machine prior to moving on to the underneath. If you are able to find as well as mend the problem without pulling out the dishwasher you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

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 no doubt the most simple area for a dishwasher to leak and also one of the easiest issues to resolve.

If the leakage is periodic the problem might be as straightforward as a large plate or something else pushing against the door and stopping the door from sealing correctly.

Otherwise the door gasket could have been dislodged or become cracked.

Check the door gasket and investigate for any brittleness, mineral deposits or other gunk, or any areas where the seal has separated from the door.

Taking off the seal and also giving it a comprehensive wash has been known to improve the situation in some cases or you may need to buy a new seal and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can be another simple problem. It is usually found under the machine which means you will most likely have to remove the toe board and might have to unscrew the door cover.

The water inlet valve opens and closes to allow water into the tub at different times during the programme. The inlet valve may be leaking, shown by a slow drip, or it might be damaged and not functioning fully while the dishwasher is running.

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

In General water inlet valve cannot be repaired unless it is just the rubber gasket that is broken, thus the whole valve would have to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

Your dishwasher uses hoses to supply, drain and also recirculate water within the cycle.

Two problems can develop with hoses.

The seals can go or the contact points may work loose so it’s worth having a look at all the connections .
The other problem than can easily happen over time is that hoses could become damaged or cracked.

If you can see that the leak is coming from a hose this will be relatively simple to change and new hoses are easy to come by.

Pumps and Seals

You are able to visually test the seals that are part of the water pumps or motor to see if there is a leakage as well as replace them if that’s the case.

The Float Switch

Either the float or the float switch might be broken causing the dishwasher to overfill.

When operating as it should the float will lift up with the water level until the optimum or highest water level is attained. The tail of the float should then operate the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be causing your issues.

Checking the switch would need a multi-meter but it might be noticeably broken in which case getting a new one should stop the leak.

Alternative Parts that Might Result in a Leak

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

Broken or damaged tubes can likewise cause this problem as can a broken pump cover if your dishwasher has one.

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

Top Tips to Sort Out Your Machine

Spend less by replacing the seal rather than the entire component. In many cases, you can buy the seal separately which saves time as well as money.
Investigate the quick fixes first. There’s no point pulling the whole machine away from the wall if it’s the detergent that’s causing the issue.
Take photos as you go. This may assist you to put the thing back together, describe the part you are looking for in a shop, as well as explain the problem to an engineer if needed.
Stay safe. Water and electricity are not good friends so unplug the machine first.
If you’re struggling call the professionals.

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

If the cause of the leak is still a mystery the thing you could do is to pull out the machine to get better access beneath it and fill it with water to find out whether the leak presents itself.

If this doesn’t shed any light your machine might only leak if the pump is running. If this is the case, you may wish to find a service engineer to diagnose and also resolve the leak due to the safety risks of running the dishwasher with electrical parts exposed.