Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

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

Fortunately, most everyday explanations of dishwasher leaks are relatively simple to pinpoint and fix on your own. This means you might not have to hand wash the dishes for more than a day or two, stay at home waiting for an repair person or need to pay the call-out fee.

So, find the operating manual if you have it, clean up the puddle and so get something soak up any further leaks and so see whether you can’t fix the problem. If you can’t call us for local dishwasher repair.

Common Causes of Dishwasher Leaks and How to Fix Them

Many of the more commonly seen explanations of dishwasher leaks are not actually due to a dishwasher fault at all. Prior to starting preparing yourself for an engineering task and also looking at endless youtube videos there are a number of things you can troubleshoot first.

Check to see if your dishwasher is level. If your dishwasher is misaligned water will quickly puddle and so leak without there being anything that needs to be mended or replaced.
Check you have been using the proper detergent. You could be aware of this fault with your washing machine. An excess of detergent or using the incorrect variety can result in an excess of soap suds, the suds bubble over and so you get a leak.
Check your dishwasher door fully closes. If it doesn’t there may be an obstruction, or you could have to replace the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Test the filter in the bottom of the machine for any obvious obstructions because if your dishwasher isn’t draining correctly this is likely to cause it to overfill and leak.

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

To make your life easier start with the door and test for any obvious issues inside of the machine prior to moving on to the underneath. If you are able to find and so mend the problem without pulling out the dishwasher so much the better.

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

Door Gasket

The most everyday place for a dishwasher to leak is around the door, fortunately it is likewise one of the quickest issues to fix.

If the leak is periodic the problem could be as simple as a large plate or something else pushing into the door thus stopping it from shutting fully.

Otherwise the door seal could have come out of place or been split.

Check the door seal and check for any degradation, a build-up of limescale or other gunk, or any parts in which the gasket has separated from the door.

Removing the seal and allowing it a good wash has been known to improve the situation in some instances or you may have to purchase a new seal and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can also be a commonly seen issue. The Valve is in most cases located underneath the machine and so you may have to take off the toe board and also may need to unscrew the door cover.

The inlet valve opens and also closes to allow water into the machine at various times in the programme. The water inlet valve might be leaking, evidenced with a slow drip, or it might be damaged thus not functioning fully while the dishwasher is running.

In the case that the inlet valve doesn’t close properly this can mean that the dishwasher overfills, causing a leak.

Often fill valve cannot be refurbished, thus the entire valve would have to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

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

Two issues could arise when it comes to hoses.

The seals could get damaged or the contact points may come loose so it’s worth examining all the connection points .
The other fault than might easily develop as you use the machine is that hoses may become degraded or get a hole in.

Luckily damaged hoses are simple to procure as well as change.

Pumps and Gaskets

You can visually check the rubber gaskets that are part of the water pumps or motor to determine if there is a leak and also change them if there is.

The Float Switch

Either the float or the float switch might be broken causing the dishwasher to overfill.

A working float will rise as the water level goes up until it reaches the highest fill level. The tail of the float will then operate the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be causing your problem.

Checking the switch will require a multi-meter although it might be clearly broken in which case getting a new one should fix the leak.

Alternative Parts that Could Cause a Leak

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

Broken or cracked tubes can also cause this issue as might a cracked pump cover.

The motor shaft seal might have come loose causing a leak. This generally presents as a leak coming from the underside of the machine.

Top Tips to Mend Your Machine

Save money by changing the seal rather than the whole part. In many situations, you can purchase the gasket separately which saves you having to change the whole component.
Test the easy resolutions before you get more complicated. There’s no point pulling the entire dishwasher out if the problem is the detergent.
Photograph your progress. This could make your life easier when you come to reverse the process, show the part you are looking for to a sales person, and explain the fault to an engineer if required.
Be careful. Water and electricity are not good friends so unplug the machine first.
If you’re struggling call a repair person.

What To Do Next If Your Initial Investigation Fails to Identify or Resolve the Leakage

If the cause of the leak remains a mystery the thing you could do is to pull the dishwasher away from the wall to get a better look beneath it as well as add water to the tub to find out if the leak presents itself.

If you are still in the dark your appliance may only leak when it’s running. If this is the case, you may wish to employ a dishwasher repair person to pinpoint as well as fix the leak as there are safety risks of running the dishwasher with electrical parts exposed.