Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It may not be the primary function but drying your plates could really be harder for your machine than removing the dirt. Plates and cups have lots of crevices that can trap dishwater preventing it from drying out, and as your dishwasher cools down water condenses out of the steam.

Different machines also employ a number of methods to get your crockery and cutlery dry. Certain models will employ a heating element to heat up the inside of the dishwasher and assist with evaporation, some heat up the water more approaching the final rinse, certain models use a fan, and others have a mix of all of these. There are thus a variety of explanations why your dishwasher could not be drying crockery and cutlery optimally and a variety of things you can do to improve the situation.

Plastic is more difficult to dry than other materials as it doesn’t retain heat in the same way which helps with the drying process, so it’s worth seeing whether the drying issue is related to the material rather than the machine.

If your dishwasher isn’t drying effectively you can hire a dishwasher repair service or first use this troubleshooting guide to help you identify and rectify the issue.

Top Explanations Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Crockery and Cutlery

Few things are more annoying than a home appliance that doesn’t work as it should, regardless of whether its a smartphone, air conditioner or dishwasher we expect them to do the job they were made for. If you open the dishwasher to wet plates there are a few troubleshooting tips to help you figure out the issue.

Not all makes and models are created equal and some dishwashers perform to a superior standard compared to others. However, if you notice a change in how effectively your machine is working one of these areas could be the cause.

Check How Your Dishwasher Has Been Loaded

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the machine. Before assuming the dishwasher is broken you should look at how it has been stacked, ensuring it isn’t overloaded. It’s also worth noting that plastics are more difficult to dry than metal, glass or ceramics.

Check The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Rinse aid plays a key role in drying your crockery and cutlery and so if you have run out of rinse aid or your rinse aid dispenser is faulty this can result in wet plates at the end of the cycle.

Visually check the rinse aid dispenser for cracks and ensure that there is rinse aid inside.

Check The Heating Coil

Without enough heat your crockery and cutlery will not dry so a not working heating element may be the reason your appliance is not working as it should. If your crockery and cutlery aren’t hot to touch at the end of the cycle this can indicate that the heating element isn’t working as it should.

To check the heating coil first disconnect the machine, then find the heating element, you may need the owners manual for this, then use a multimeter to check it’s working.

Check the Thermostat

The thermostat ensures your appliance doesn’t overheat, adjusting the heat of the water and air during drying. Therefore, if it’s faulty this can result in your machine not heating up at all.

If the heating coil seems to be working as it should but your dishwasher isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat could be at fault. Again you can check this using a multimeter.

Have a Look at The Fan and Vent

Many dishwashers will make use of a fan and vent to remove the warm moist air out of the dishwasher. If the fan isn’t operating as is should or the vent is blocked then the water vapor will remain in the dishwasher preventing the plates from drying.

You can use your instruction manual to find out if your machine has a fan and find its location. Don’t forget to make sure the dishwasher is disconnected before attempting to access the fan.

First look at the fan and vent to see if there is anything lodged that would prevent it from operating correctly. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Tips to Boost Drying Capability

There are a number of methods you can use to increase your dishwashers effectiveness at drying and prevent you needing to dry them by hand as infrequently as possible.

  1. Don’t overload the dishwasher. Overcrowding the machine inhibits the circulation of both water and air making removing the dirt from and drying your dishes harder. Although it’s tempting to try and cram everything in, you will get better results if you leave enough space so that water and air can circulate freely.
  2. Make use of rinse aid. Some dishwasher tablets include a rinse aid but even so, adding a little extra to the dishwasher won’t hurt. Rinse aid helps reduce spotting and gives your glassware in particular a streak-free shine but it also breaks the bond between water molecules and your plates helping the water to run off them and thus allowing them to dry faster.
  3. Open the door at the end of the cycle. Some newer dishwashers have this as an automatic function, but many do not, thus, opening the dishwasher at the end of the cycle can help allow the water to evaporate and stop water droplets forming as the appliance cools down.
  4. Have a look to see if your machine uses a heat feature and utilize it. Setting a higher temperature will result in improved drying times and it might be possible to add more heat at different points in the cycle.
  5. Think about how you empty your machine. This is simply because cups and glasses that are upside down on the top shelf often have a concave bottom where water can pool. Emptying the bottom rack first stops you spilling this water onto the plates below.

If this trouble shooting guide hasn’t worked it may be a good idea to phone the professionals or perhaps replace your dishwasher.

More Dishwasher Problems: