Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Coming downstairs to discover a large puddle coming from the dishwasher is never a great to start the day.

Thankfully, most commonplace explanations of dishwasher faults are comparatively easy to pinpoint and resolve yourself. This means you could not be required to hand wash the dishes that much, call an engineer or have to pay a high call-out fee.

So, if you’re feeling up to it get out the operating manual if you know where it is, grab an old towel to clean up the mess and so get a towel soak up any additional spills and see if you can’t fix the problem. If you cannot call us for local dishwasher repair.

Everyday Explanations of Dishwasher Leaks as well as How to Fix Them

Many of the most common explanations of dishwasher leaks are not really due to a dishwasher fault at all. Before you start getting the tools out and watching numerous online videos there are a few things you might want to troubleshoot first.

Check to find out if your dishwasher is aligned. If the dishwasher isn’t level water will easily puddle and so spill out even if the dishwasher is working perfectly.
Investigate you have been using the right soap. You may be familiar with this problem with your washing machine. Too much soap or using the incorrect variety may lead an excess of bubbles, the bubbles spill over and so you get a leak.
Investigate your dishwasher door fully closes. If there’s a gap there may be a blockage, or you may need to fix the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Investigate the filter in the base of the tub for any obvious obstructions because if your dishwasher isn’t draining correctly this will cause it to overfill and spill.

If none of the above issues apply it’s time to get ready and begin a thorough check.

To make your life easier start with the door and check for any visible problems inside of the machine before you move on to the underneath. If you are able to find and mend the problem before you have to pull out the dishwasher you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

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

Door Gasket

The door is probably the most common area for leakage as well as one of the easiest problems to resolve.

If the leak is intermittent the problem might be as straightforward as an oversize dish or something else pushing against the door thus preventing it from sealing correctly.

Otherwise the door seal might have been dislodged or got cracked.

Examine the door seal and also test for any brittleness, a build-up of limescale or other deposits, or any areas where the seal has come away from the door.

Extracting the gasket and also giving it a thorough scrub has been known to help in some cases or you might be required to acquire a new gasket and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The inlet valve can also be a commonplace issue. The Valve is generally situated on the underbelly of the machine which means you will need to remove the kick plate and also may need to remove the door cover.

The water inlet valve opens and closes to let water into the dishwasher at varying times in the program. The water inlet valve might be damaged, evidenced with a slight drip, or it could be broken thus not operating fully while the dishwasher is running.

If the fill valve fails to close fully this can result in the dishwasher leaking.

Usually inlet valve cannot be refurbished, thus the whole component would need to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

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

Two complications may present themselves with hoses.

The gaskets could get damaged or the connections can come loose so it’s worth examining all the connection points .
The other problem than might often develop as time goes by is that hoses could become broken or get a hole in.

Luckily damaged hoses are easy to get hold of and replace, even for a novice.

Pumps and Seals

You can visually investigate the rubber seals around the water pumps or motor to see whether there is a leakage and replace them if there is.

The Float Switch

The float itself or the float switch could be damaged causing the dishwasher to overfill.

A working float will rise as the water rises until the optimum or highest water level is attained. The tag of the float would then turn on the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be your issues.

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

Other Parts that Could Cause a Leak

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

Broken or cracked tubes may also result in this problem as could a broken pump cover if your machine has one.

The motor shaft seal could have degraded causing leakage. This will generally show as leakage coming from underneath the dishwasher.

Top Tips to Sort Out Your Dishwasher

Save money by checking the seal in place of the entire part. In many instances, you are able to buy the seal without the rest of the part which saves you having to replace the entire component.
Check the simple fixes before you get more complicated. There’s no point pulling the whole thing away from the wall if the problem is the detergent.
Take photos at each step. This can help you put the thing back together, describe the part you need in a shop, as well as explain the fault to a repair person if required.
Stay safe. Water and electricity do not mix so unplug the machine first.
If you’re not sure call a repair person.

What To Do Next If Your Trouble Shooting Doesn’t Identify or Resolve the Leakage

If the root of the leak is still a mystery the thing you can do is to pull the dishwasher away from the wall to get a better look underneath it and also add water to the tub to find out whether the leakage becomes visible.

If you don’t find any faults with this method your appliance could only leak if during a cycle. In this instance, your best bet would be to hire a dishwasher repair person to determine as well as resolve the problem due to the safety risks of checking for faults with electrical parts uncovered.