Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Getting up in the morning only to step in an ominous puddle coming from the dishwasher is no-one’s favorite manner to start the day.

Fortuitously, most commonly seen explanations of dishwasher leaks are comparatively straightforward to determine and resolve by yourself. This means you could not be required to hand wash the dishes for more than a day or two, spend a day at home waiting for an engineer or have to pay a high call-out fee.

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

Commonplace Sources of Dishwasher Faults as well as How to Mend Them

Some of the more commonplace sources of dishwasher faults aren’t actually a result of a broken dishwasher . Before you start getting the tools out and flicking through endless youtube tutorials there are a couple of things you might want to take a look at first.

Test to see whether your dishwasher is level. If your dishwasher is not level water can easily puddle and so leak without there being anything that needs to be resolved or changed.
Test you have been using the right soap. You could be familiar with this fault with your washing machine. Too much detergent or using the wrong variety could lead an excess of suds, the soap suds deluge and you get a spill.
Check your dishwasher door fully closes. If there’s a gap there may be an obstruction, or you might need to replace the door fixings.
Investigate the filter located in the bottom of the machine for any obvious obstructions because if your dishwasher isn’t emptying effectively this can result in overfill and spill.

If you have looked at these issues it’s time to get ready and really begin the investigation.

The easiest place to start is the door and test for any visible problems in the interior of the machine prior to moving on to the underside. If you can find and so resolve the issue before you have to pull out the dishwasher so much the better.

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

Door Seal

The door is seemingly the most common area for leakage as well as one of the quickest issues to resolve.

If the leak is intermittent the issue might be as simple as an oversized dish or something else pushing into the door thus preventing the door from sealing fully.

On the other hand the door gasket may have been dislodged or been damaged.

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

Removing the seal and allowing it a comprehensive scrub might improve the situation in some cases or you could be required to acquire a new seal and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can also be a common problem. The Valve is usually found underneath the machine so you may have to remove the toe board and might need to remove the door cover.

The inlet valve opens and also closes to allow water into the dishwasher at varying parts of the cycle. The inlet valve may be damaged, shown with a slow drip, or it may be broken thus not operating fully while the dishwasher is running.

If the inlet valve fails to shut correctly this can lead to the dishwasher overfilling and cause a leak.

Often inlet valve can’t be repaired, and so the whole component would need to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

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

Two complications may develop when it comes to hoses.

The gaskets can go or the connections might come loose thus it’s worth checking all the connection points .
The other problem than could often develop over time is that hoses might get damaged or get a hole in.

If you can identify that the leak is a result of a faulty hose this should be simple to replace and replacement hoses are readily available.

Pumps and Gaskets

You are able to visually test the seals around the pumps or motor to determine if there is a leakage and also change them if there is.

The Float Switch

The float itself or the float switch could be damaged resulting in the dishwasher overfilling.

When operating correctly the float will rise with the water level until it reaches the maximum fill level. The tag of the float would then operate the switch. A blockage or breakage could be your problem.

Testing the switch would need a multi-meter but it could be obviously broken in which case replacing it should fix the issue.

Alternative Parts that Might Lead to Leakage

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

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

The motor shaft seal may have cracked causing a leak. This will generally show as leakage coming from underneath the appliance.

Top Tips to Sort Out Your Dishwasher

Spend less by changing the gasket in place of the whole part. In many instances, you can buy the seal separately which saves time as well as money.
Check the quick fixes first. There’s no point pulling the entire machine out if the problem is the detergent.
Photograph your progress. This may help you put the thing back together, describe the part you need in a shop, as well as explain the problem to an engineer if required.
Be careful. Water and electricity do not mix so turn off the power first.
If in doubt call the professionals.

What To Do Next If Your Initial Investigation Fails to Identify or Fix the Leakage

If the cause of the leak can’t be uncovered the thing you can do is to pull the machine away from the wall to get a better look beneath it and also fill it with water to find out if the leakage becomes visible.

If this gives no further clues your machine may only show a leakage when the pump is running. In this case, your best bet would be to find a qualified technician to determine as well as mend the problem due to the safety risks of running the dishwasher with electrical elements uncovered.