Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Entering the kitchen to find an ominous puddle on the floor is no-one’s chosen way to start the day.

Fortunately, most everyday sources of dishwasher leaks are comparably simple to diagnose and fix on your own. This means you might not be required to wash the dishes by hand for too long, take a day off waiting for an repair person or have to pay a high call-out charge.

So, find the instruction manual if you have it, find a towel to clean up the leak and get something clean up any further leaks and so find out if you can’t find a do it yourself solution. If you can’t call us for local dishwasher repair.

Common Explanations of Dishwasher Leaks and How to Resolve Them

Some of the more commonly seen causes of dishwasher leaks aren’t actually due to a broken dishwasher at all. Prior to starting getting the tools out as well as flicking through endless YouTube tutorials there are a couple of problems you should take a look at first.

Check to see whether your dishwasher is level. If the dishwasher is not level water will quickly puddle and leak without there being anything that needs to be resolved or replaced.
Investigate you have been using the correct soap. You may have seen this with your washer. Too much detergent or using the incorrect variety could result in an excess of suds, the soap suds bubble over and 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.
Check the filter in the bottom of the machine for any visible obstructions as if your dishwasher isn’t draining properly this can cause it to overfill and spill.

If you have looked at these possible causes it’s time to get ready and really start the inspection.

The easiest place to start is the door and test for any obvious problems in the interior of the machine before you move on to the underneath. If you can identify as well as resolve the issue 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 most usual place for leakage is around the door, luckily it is likewise one of the simplest problems to resolve.

If the leakage is occasional the issue may be as straightforward as an oversize dish or something else pushing against the door and stopping the door from shutting fully.

Otherwise the door gasket might have been dislodged or got damaged.

Inspect the door seal and also test for any cracks, a build-up of limescale or other debris, or any areas in which the seal might have separated from the door.

Extracting the gasket and also allowing it a comprehensive scrub might improve the situation in some cases or you could be required to acquire a new seal and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The water inlet valve can also be a commonly seen fault. The inlet is generally found underneath the machine and so you will have to remove the toe board and also might need to unscrew the door cover.

The inlet valve opens and also closes to let water into the machine at different times in the program. The fill valve could be damaged, evidenced with a slight drip, or it could be damaged and not opening or closing properly throughout the program.

If the water inlet valve doesn’t shut fully this can mean that the dishwasher overfills, causing a leak.

In General water inlet valve cannot be refurbished unless it is only the rubber seal that is damaged, thus the whole valve would have to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

Your dishwasher uses hoses to supply, empty as well as redistribute water during the program.

Two complications could arise when it comes to hoses.

The seals can go or the contact points could work loose meaning it’s a good idea to check all the connections first.
The alternative fault than may easily happen over time is that hoses can become broken or cracked.

Luckily broken hoses are simple to get hold of as well as replace.

Pumps and Gaskets

You are able to visually test the rubber gaskets around the pumps or motor to ascertain if there is a leak as well as change them if that’s the case.

The Float Switch

Either the float or the float switch might be faulty resulting in the dishwasher overfilling.

A working float will lift up with the water level until it reaches the desired 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.

Testing the switch will require a multi-meter but it could be clearly broken in which case getting a new one should resolve the issue.

Other Parts that May Result in a Leak

A broken wash arm or support could push water under the door resulting in leakage. This will also often result in your dishes not being cleaned as effectively as they should.

Broken or faulty lines might also cause this problem as might a broken pump cover if your dishwasher has one.

The motor shaft seal may have cracked causing a leak. This generally presents as a puddle coming from underneath the machine.

Top Tips to Sort Out Your Dishwasher

Spend less by replacing the gasket in place of the whole part. In many cases, you are able to buy the gasket without the rest of the part which saves you having to change the whole component.
Check the simple fixes before you get more complicated. You don’t need to pull the whole machine out if it’s the detergent that’s causing the issue.
Take photos as you go. This may help you reverse the process, describe the component you are looking for to a sales person, as well as explain the fault to an engineer if needed.
Stay safe. Water and electricity are not good friends so unplug the machine first.
If in doubt get in a repair person.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Trouble Shooting Fails to Identify or Fix the Leak

If the root of the problem remains a mystery the thing you can do is to pull out the machine to get a better look beneath it and add water to the tub to find out if the leak can be seen that way.

If this doesn’t shed any light your appliance could only leak when during a cycle. If this is the case, your best bet would be to get a qualified technician to determine and mend the leak as there are safety risks of running the dishwasher with electrical components uncovered.