Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Coming downstairs to discover a large puddle coming from the dishwasher is no-one’s favorite manner to start the day.

Thankfully, most commonly seen sources of dishwasher faults are comparably easy to determine and mend on your own. This means you may not need to hand wash the dishes for more than a day or two, wait for the repair man or have to pay the call-out fee.

So, if you’re feeling up to it find the manual if you know where it is, get a towel to clean up the mess and get something clean up any further leaks and so see if you can’t find a do it yourself solution. If you can’t, call us for appliance repairs related to leaking dishwashers.

Commonly Seen Sources of Dishwasher Leaks and How to Resolve Them

Some of the most commonly seen explanations of dishwasher faults are not actually due to a broken dishwasher at all. Prior to starting preparing yourself for an engineering task and flicking through numerous online tutorials there are a couple of problems you can troubleshoot first.

Investigate to see whether your dishwasher is level. If your dishwasher is not level water will easily pool and spill out without there being anything that needs to be fixed or replaced.
Test you are using the correct soap. You could be aware of this fault with your washer. Too much soap or the wrong variety can lead to too many soap suds, the soap suds overflow resulting in a spill.
Check your dishwasher door fully closes. If there’s a gap you may have an object blocking it such as a large plate, or you might need to adjust the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Check the filter located in the base of the tub for any easy to see obstructions as if your dishwasher isn’t emptying correctly this is likely to cause it to fill too much and spill.

Once you have looked at these possible causes it’s time to roll up your sleeves and begin a thorough check.

To make your life easier start with the door as well as investigate for any visible problems in the interior of the machine prior to moving on to the underneath. If you are able to identify and mend the issue before you have to pull out the dishwasher you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

Before you do anything else make sure you unplug the appliance.

Door Seal

The most common place for leakage is around the door, fortunately it is also one of the quickest problems to solve.

If the leak is periodic the issue could be as easy as a large plate or something else pushing into the door and preventing it from shutting properly.

On the other hand the door gasket might have been dislodged or been split.

Examine the door gasket and also check for any cracks, mineral deposits or other debris, or any areas in which the seal might have separated from the door.

Taking off the gasket and giving it a thorough scrub might help in some instances or you could have to purchase a new gasket and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The inlet valve can be a further simple problem. The Valve is usually found underneath the machine therefore you may have to remove the toe board and could need to remove the door cover.

The fill valve opens and closes to allow water into the dishwasher at various times during the cycle. The water inlet valve might be damaged, evidenced with a slight drip, or it might be broken and not opening or closing fully while the dishwasher is running.

When the inlet valve fails to shut properly this can lead to the dishwasher leaking.

Usually water inlet valve are not able to be fixed unless it is just the rubber seal that is faulty, thus the whole component would need to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

Your dishwasher uses hoses to supply, drain as well as redistribute water within the cycle.

Two problems could arise where hoses are the cause.

The seals may break or the contact points could come loose thus it’s worth having a look at all the connections .
The alternative issue than can easily develop as you use the machine is that hoses might get degraded or get a hole in.

If you can identify that the leakage is coming from a hose this should be easy to change and spare hoses are easy to come by.

Pumps and Seals

You are able to visually test the rubber seals surrounding the water pumps or motor to determine whether there is a leak as well as replace them if there is.

The Float Switch

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

When operating as it should the float will lift up with the water level until it reaches the optimum fill level. The tag of the float would then turn on the switch. A blockage or breakage could be causing your problem.

Checking the switch would need electrical equipment but it may be obviously broken in which case getting a new one should solve the leak.

Other Components that May Cause Leakage

A broken wash arm or support could build up pressure causing leakage. This can also often result in your dishes not being cleaned as effectively as they should.

Broken or cracked tubes might also result in this issue as may a damaged pump cover if your dishwasher has one.

The motor shaft gasket could have cracked resulting in leakage. This generally presents as leakage coming from underneath the appliance.

Top Tips to Mend Your Dishwasher

Save money by changing the seal in place of the whole part. In most situations, you are able to buy the seal separately which saves you having to change the whole component.
Investigate the quick solutions before you get more complicated. You don’t need to pull the whole dishwasher away from the wall if the problem is the detergent.
Photograph your progress. This can assist you to reverse the process, explain the component you are looking for to a sales person, and explain the fault to an engineer if required.
Stay safe. Water and electricity do not mix so turn off the power first.
If you’re not sure call the professionals.

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

If the root of the leak is still a mystery the next step you could take is to pull the machine away from the wall to get a clearer view of the underneath it as well as fill it with water to see whether the leakage can be seen that way.

If this doesn’t shed any light your machine might only leak if during a cycle. In this case, you should employ a dishwasher repair person to determine as well as mend the leak due to the safety risks of checking for faults with electrical elements uncovered.