Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Entering the kitchen to discover an ominous puddle on the floor is no-one’s favorite way to start the day.

Thankfully, most common sources of dishwasher leaks are comparably simple to determine and mend yourself. Meaning you may not need to hand wash the dishes that much, stay at home waiting for an repair person or have to pay the call-out charge.

So, find the instruction manual if you have it, get an old towel to clean up the leak and so get something soak up any further leaks and see whether you can diagnose the fault. If you cannot call us for local dishwasher repair.

Simple Sources of Dishwasher Faults as well as How to Fix Them

Many of the most everyday causes of dishwasher leaks aren’t really due to a broken dishwasher . Before you start getting the tools out and also looking at numerous youtube videos there are a couple of problems you can troubleshoot first.

Test to find out whether your dishwasher is aligned. If the dishwasher isn’t level water will quickly pool as well as leak regardless of whether or not the dishwasher has a fault.
Test you have been using the correct soap. You could have seen this with your washing machine. An excess of detergent or the incorrect type may result in an excess of bubbles, the suds bubble over resulting in a leak.
Investigate your dishwasher door fully closes. If there’s a gap there may be an obstruction, or you may need to replace the door fixings.
Check the filter located at the base of the machine for any visible drainage issues as if your dishwasher isn’t emptying properly this is likely to cause it to overfill and so leak.

If none of the above issues apply it’s time to roll up your sleeves and really start the investigation.

The easiest place to start is the door as well as check for any obvious damage inside of the machine prior to moving on to the underside. If you are able to identify and so resolve the problem without pulling out the dishwasher so much the better.

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

Door Seal

The most commonplace place for a dishwasher to leak is around the door, thankfully it is also one of the easiest problems to resolve.

If the leakage is occasional the issue could be as easy as an oversized dish or another object pushing against the door and stopping the door from shutting correctly.

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

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

Removing the gasket and also giving it a comprehensive scrub could improve the situation in some cases or you might need to acquire a new seal and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can also be a common issue. The inlet is usually located underneath the machine so you will need to remove the toe board and also could have to remove the door cover.

The water inlet valve opens and also closes to allow water into the machine at different times in the programme. The water inlet valve could be damaged, demonstrated by a slow drip, or it might be damaged and so not functioning properly while the dishwasher is running.

In the case that the water inlet valve fails to close properly this can lead to the dishwasher overfilling and result in a leakage.

Generally these valves cannot be repaired unless it is just the rubber seal that is broken, thus the whole component would have to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

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

Two issues can arise when it comes to hoses.

The gaskets could break or the connections could come loose thus it’s a good idea to have a look at all the connection points first.
The other issue than could often happen as you use the machine is that hoses can be broken or cracked.

Luckily damaged hoses are relatively easy to buy and also replace.

Pumps and Gaskets

You can visually test the rubber gaskets that are part of the water pumps or motor to determine whether there is a leak as well as replace them if there is.

The Float Switch

The float itself or the float switch may be faulty causing the dishwasher to overfill.

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

Checking the switch will require electrical equipment although it might be clearly damaged in which case replacing it should stop the leak.

Other Parts that Could Result in Leakage

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

Broken or cracked tubes can also result in this issue as could a loose pump cap if your machine has one.

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

Top Tips to Mend Your Dishwasher

Spend less by replacing the gasket in place of the whole part. In most situations, you are able to purchase the gasket separately which saves you having to change the entire part.
Check the easy fixes first. There’s no point pulling the entire machine away from the wall if the problem is the detergent.
Take pictures as you go along. This can assist you to reverse the process, show the part you need to a sales person, and also identify the problem to an engineer if needed.
Stay safe. Water and electricity are not good friends so unplug the machine first.
If in doubt call the professionals.

What To Do Next If Your Trouble Shooting Fails to Identify or Fix the Leak

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

If you are still in the dark your appliance could only show a leakage when it’s running. If this is the case, you may wish to find a qualified technician to pinpoint and fix the issue as there are safety risks of checking for faults with electrical elements exposed.