Why is My Dishwasher Leaking? | Santa Monica Appliance Repair

Entering the kitchen only to find an ominous puddle coming from the dishwasher is no-one’s chosen manner to start the day.

Thankfully, most common causes of dishwasher faults are comparatively simple to determine and mend by yourself. Meaning you might not have to hand wash the dishes for more than a day or two, wait for the repair man or need to pay a high call-out fee.

So, find the instruction manual if you have it, clean up the mess and so get something clean up any further spills and so see if you can’t fix the problem. If you cannot call us for local dishwasher repair.

Commonplace Causes of Dishwasher Faults as well as How to Fix Them

Some of the more commonly seen sources of dishwasher faults aren’t in fact because of a broken dishwasher at all. Before you start preparing yourself for an engineering task as well as watching numerous youtube tutorials there are a few things you can rule out first.

Check to find out if your dishwasher is level. If the dishwasher is not level water will quickly puddle and so leak without there being anything that needs to be resolved or changed.
Test you are using the right detergent. You could be familiar with this problem with your washing machine. An excess of detergent or using the incorrect variety could result in an excess of suds, the bubbles overflow and you get a leak.
Check your dishwasher door closes fully. If there’s a gap there may be a blockage, or you might have to fix the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Test the filter in the base of the machine for any obvious drainage issues because if your dishwasher isn’t draining correctly this will result in overfill and leak.

If none of the above issues apply it’s time to roll up your sleeves and begin the inspection.

To make your life easier start with the door and investigate for any obvious problems in the interior of the machine prior to moving on to the underneath. If you can identify and mend the problem without pulling out the dishwasher you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

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

Door Seal

The door is probably the most commonly seen place for a dishwasher to leak as well as one of the simplest issues to fix.

If the leak is intermittent the issue might be as straightforward as an oversized dish or another object pushing into the door and stopping it from sealing correctly.

Otherwise the door seal could have been dislodged or got split.

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

Extracting the seal and also allowing it a thorough clean could improve the situation in some cases or you could need to purchase a new seal and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The water inlet valve can be another commonplace fault. It is usually located on the underbelly of the machine which means you will need to remove the kick plate and also could need to remove the door cover.

The water inlet valve opens and closes to let water into the tub at various parts of the programme. The inlet valve might be damaged, demonstrated by a slight drip, or it could be broken and so not functioning properly while the dishwasher is running.

In the case that the water inlet valve doesn’t close properly this can lead to the dishwasher overfilling and cause a leak.

Generally fill valve can’t be fixed, thus the whole component would need to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

Your dishwasher uses hoses to supply, empty and redistribute water within the cycle.

Two issues might arise where hoses are concerned.

The seals might get damaged or the connections can work loose meaning it’s a good idea to have a look at all the connection points .
The other problem than can often develop over time is that hoses may be damaged or get a hole in.

Luckily faulty hoses are relatively easy to buy as well as change, even for a novice.

Pumps and Gaskets

You can visually investigate the seals around the water pumps or motor to ascertain if there is a leak and also change them if that’s the case.

The Float Switch

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

When working as it should the float will rise as the water level goes up until the desired or maximum water level is attained. The end piece of the float will then activate the switch. A blockage or breakage could be your problem.

Testing the switch would need a multi-meter but it might be clearly damaged in which case replacing it should fix the problem.

Other Components that May Lead to Leakage

A damaged wash arm or support can force water under the door causing leakage. This could also often affect how well your dishes are being cleaned.

Broken or damaged lines might also cause this fault as may a cracked pump cap.

The motor shaft seal might have degraded causing a leak. This will generally show as a puddle coming from the underside of the machine.

Top Tips to Fix Your Machine

Spend less by replacing the seal instead of the entire component. In many cases, you are able to acquire the seal without the rest of the part which saves time as well as money.
Test the quick resolutions before you get more complicated. There’s no point pulling the whole thing away from the wall if it’s the soap that’s making the problem.
Photograph your progress. This can help you put the thing back together, describe the part you are looking for to a sales person, as well as identify the issue to a repair person if needed.
Be careful. Water and electricity are not good friends so unplug the machine first.
If in doubt call a professional.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Initial Investigation Fails to Identify or Resolve the Leakage

If the cause of the problem remains a mystery the next step you may take is to pull out the machine to get better access underneath it and add water to the tub to find out if the leakage presents itself.

If you are still in the dark your dishwasher might only show a leakage if it’s running. If this is the case, your best bet would be to get a appliance repair person to diagnose and also resolve the leak due to the safety risks of checking for faults with electrical parts exposed.