Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Coming downstairs only to step in an ominous puddle on the floor is no-one’s favorite manner to start the day.

Luckily, most common explanations of dishwasher leaks are comparably straightforward to diagnose and fix on your own. Meaning you may not have to wash the dishes by hand for more than a day or two, spend a day at home waiting for an engineer or need to pay a high call-out charge.

So, if you’re feeling up to it get out the manual if you know where it is, get an old towel to clean up the leak and so get something soak up any additional leaks and see whether you can’t fix the problem. If you can’t call us for local dishwasher repair.

Everyday Sources of Dishwasher Faults and How to Fix Them

A lot of the more commonly seen causes of dishwasher faults are not actually because of a broken dishwasher . Before you start getting the tools out and flicking through endless YouTube tutorials there are a couple of problems you should take a look at first.

Test to see whether your dishwasher is level. If the dishwasher is not aligned water will quickly pool and so spill out without there being anything that needs to be resolved or replaced.
Test you have been using the correct detergent. You could be aware of this fault with your washer. Too much soap or using the wrong variety could result in an excess of suds, the bubbles overflow and you get a spill.
Investigate your dishwasher door fully closes. If there’s a gap you could have something obstructing it, or you may have to replace the door fixings.
Investigate the filter located in the base of the machine for any obvious obstructions as if your dishwasher isn’t draining properly this will result in fill too much and so spill.

When you have looked at these potential problems it’s time to roll up your sleeves and start a thorough check.

The easiest place to start is the door and check for any visible problems within of the machine before you move on to the underneath. If you can find and so resolve 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 Gasket

The door is seemingly the most common area for a dishwasher to leak and also one of the easiest problems to resolve.

If the leakage is periodic the fault might be as easy as an oversize dish or something else pushing against the door thus stopping it from shutting fully.

Else-ways the door seal could have been dislodged or become damaged.

Check the door seal and also test for any brittleness, a build-up of limescale or other debris, or any areas where the seal might have come away from the door.

Extracting the seal and also allowing it a good clean might improve the situation in some instances or you might have to buy a new gasket and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can be another everyday fault. It is in most cases located underneath the machine and so you will most likely have to take off the kick plate and also could need to take off the door cover.

The inlet valve opens and closes to allow water into the machine at various times during the cycle. The water inlet valve may be showing a leak, shown with a slow drip, or it may be damaged thus not functioning fully during the program.

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

Often fill valve cannot be repaired unless it is only the rubber gasket that is faulty, thus the whole part would have to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to fill, drain and redistribute water within the cycle.

Two issues can arise with hoses.

The seals could go or the connections can come loose thus it’s a good idea to check all the connections .
The other fault than may easily develop as you use the machine is that hoses could get broken or get a hole in.

Luckily damaged hoses are relatively easy to get hold of and replace.

Pumps and Gaskets

You are able to visually test the rubber gaskets that are part of the pumps or motor to ascertain whether there is a leakage and also replace them if there is.

The Float Switch

The float itself or the float switch might be not working correctly resulting in the dishwasher overfilling.

A working float will go up with the water level until the optimum or maximum water level is reached. The tag of the float should then turn on the switch. A blockage or breakage could be causing your problem.

Checking the switch will require a multi-meter but it may be noticeably damaged in which case replacing it should stop the leak.

Alternative Parts that Might Cause a Leak

A damaged wash arm or support can resulting in a leak. This will also often result in your dishes not being cleaned as effectively as they should.

Broken or faulty lines might also result in this issue as may a loose 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 underneath the appliance.

Top Tips to Sort Out Your Dishwasher

Save money by checking the seal rather than the whole component. In plenty situations, you can buy the seal separately which saves you having to replace the entire component.
Investigate the quick solutions first. There’s no point pulling the entire thing away from the wall if it’s the soap that’s making the problem.
Take pictures as you go along. This might assist you to put the machine back together, describe the part you are looking for in a store, and also identify the problem to an engineer if required.
Stay safe. Water and electricity do not mix so unplug the machine first.
If in doubt call the professionals.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Initial Investigation Fails to Disclose or Fix the Leakage

If the root of the problem can’t be discovered the next step you may take is to pull the machine away from the wall to get better access underneath it and fill it with water to see whether the leakage becomes visible.

If you are still in the dark your appliance could only show a leakage when it’s running. In this case, you should hire a qualified technician to diagnose and fix the fault as there are safety risks of running the dishwasher with electrical parts exposed.