Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Getting up in the morning only to find a large puddle coming from the dishwasher is never the best to start the day.

Fortunately, most commonplace explanations of dishwasher leaks are comparatively easy to pinpoint and resolve yourself. This means you may not be required to wash the dishes by hand that much, take a day off waiting for an engineer or need to pay the call-out fee.

So, if you’re feeling up to it find the instruction manual if you can, clean up the mess and get something soak up any further spills and so find out if you can 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

Many of the most common explanations of dishwasher leaks are not actually because of a dishwasher issue at all. Before you start preparing yourself for an engineering task as well as flicking through endless youtube tutorials there are a couple of problems you can take a look at first.

Check to see if your dishwasher is level. If your dishwasher is not level water can quickly pool as well as leak regardless of whether or not the dishwasher has a fault.
Check you are using the correct soap. You could have seen this with your washing machine. Too much detergent or using the wrong variety could lead to too many bubbles, the bubbles overflow resulting in a leak.
Check your dishwasher door closes properly. If it doesn’t there may be an obstruction, or you might need to replace the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Investigate the filter located in the bottom of the machine for any easy to see drainage issues because if your dishwasher isn’t emptying effectively this is likely to cause it to overfill and so leak.

If none of the above issues apply it’s time to get ready and start the investigation.

The easiest place to start is the door as well as check for any visible damage in the interior of the machine before you move on to the underside. If you can identify and resolve the problem without pulling out the dishwasher you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

And make sure you disconnect the appliance first by either unplugging it or turning off the circuit breaker for the dishwasher.

Door Gasket

The door is seemingly the most simple place for leakage as well as one of the quickest problems to solve.

If the leakage is intermittent the fault could be as straightforward as a big pan or another object pushing against the door thus preventing it from sealing fully.

Otherwise the door gasket could have come loose or got damaged.

Inspect the door seal and also check for any degradation, a build-up of limescale or other deposits, or any tracts in which the seal has come away from the door.

Taking off the seal and also giving it a thorough scrub can improve the situation in some instances or you might need to purchase a new seal and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can also be a commonly seen problem. It is generally found underneath the machine and so you will have to remove the toe board and could have to remove the door cover.

The water inlet valve opens and also closes to allow water into the machine at varying times during the cycle. The inlet valve could be showing a leak, demonstrated with a slow drip, or it might be damaged and so not functioning properly during the programme.

If the inlet valve doesn’t shut correctly this can result in the dishwasher overfilling and cause a leakage.

Generally inlet valve can’t be fixed unless it is only the rubber gasket that is damaged, and so the entire valve would have to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

Your dishwasher uses hoses to supply, empty and recirculate water along the cycle.

Two problems could present themselves when it comes to hoses.

The gaskets could break or the contact points can work loose meaning it’s a good idea to check all the connections .
The other issue than can easily develop as you use the machine is that hoses may become broken or get a hole in.

If you can determine that the leak is a result of a faulty hose this will be simple to change and spare hoses are readily available.

Pumps and Gaskets

You can visually investigate the seals around the pumps or motor to ascertain if there is a leak and change them if there is.

The Float Switch

The float itself or the float switch might be broken resulting in the dishwasher overfilling.

When working correctly the float will go up as the water level goes up until it reaches the maximum fill level. The end piece of the float will then operate the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be your issues.

Checking the switch will require electrical equipment although it could be noticeably broken in which case replacing it should fix the problem.

Other Parts that May Result in Leakage

A damaged wash arm or support may build up pressure resulting in a leak. This could also often affect how well your dishes are being cleaned.

Broken or damaged tubes might likewise result in this problem as might a loose pump cap if your dishwasher has one.

The motor shaft gasket might have degraded resulting in leakage. This will generally show as a leak coming from underneath the appliance.

Top Tips to Mend Your Machine

Save money by checking the seal rather than the entire component. In most cases, you are able to purchase the gasket separately which saves you having to replace the whole component.
Check the easy solutions first. There’s no point pulling the whole dishwasher out if it’s the detergent that’s causing the problem.
Take pictures as you go. This can assist you to put the thing back together, explain the part you are looking for in a shop, and explain the problem to an engineer if required.
Be careful. Water and electricity do not mix so unplug the machine first.
If you’re struggling get in the professionals.

What To Do Next If Your Initial Investigation Doesn’t Identify or Resolve the Leakage

If the root of the leakage can’t be uncovered the next step you could take is to pull out the machine to get a better look beneath it and fill it with water to see if the leakage can be seen that way.

If you don’t discover any leakages with this method your dishwasher may only show a leakage if the pump is running. In this case, you may wish to find a dishwasher repair person to diagnose and also mend the leak due to the safety risks of running the dishwasher with electrical components uncovered.