Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

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

Fortunately, most everyday sources of dishwasher faults are comparatively straightforward to diagnose and mend yourself. Meaning you may not be required to hand wash the dishes for more than a day or two, wait for the repair man or need to pay a high call-out charge.

So, grab the manual if you know where it is, clean up the mess and so get something soak up any additional spills and see whether you can diagnose the problem. If you aren’t able to call us for local dishwasher repair.

Everyday Sources of Dishwasher Leaks and How to Mend Them

Many of the more common sources of dishwasher faults aren’t in fact a result of a dishwasher fault at all. Before you start getting the tools out and also looking at endless youtube videos there are a couple of issues you can take a look at first.

Investigate to see if your dishwasher is aligned. If the dishwasher isn’t aligned water can easily puddle and so spill out regardless of whether or not the dishwasher has a fault.
Check you have been using the correct detergent. You could have seen this with your washing machine. Too much detergent or the wrong type can lead an excess of bubbles, the soap suds spill over resulting in a leak.
Test your dishwasher door closes fully. If it doesn’t there may be an obstruction, or you may have to adjust the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Test the filter located at the base of the tub for any obvious obstructions as if your dishwasher isn’t draining properly this will cause it to overfill and so leak.

Once you have ruled out these issues it’s time to roll up your sleeves and begin a thorough check.

The easiest place to start is the door as well as test for any visible issues in the interior of the machine prior to moving on to the underside. If you can find and so resolve the leak without pulling out the dishwasher so much the better.

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

Door Seal

The most common place for a dishwasher to leak is around the door, thankfully it is also one of the easiest problems to resolve.

If the leakage is occasional the problem could be as straightforward as an oversized dish or another object putting pressure against the door and stopping the door from shutting correctly.

On the other hand the door seal might have come out of place or got damaged.

Check the door gasket and also check for any brittleness, mineral deposits or other debris, or any areas in which the seal has come away from the door.

Extracting the gasket and also allowing it a good scrub has been known to help in some cases or you might need to buy a new gasket and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can be a further everyday problem. The Valve is in most cases found underneath the machine so you will need to remove the kick plate and also could have to take off the door cover.

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

When the inlet valve fails to close properly this can mean that the dishwasher overfills, causing a leak.

Often water inlet valve can’t be refurbished, thus the entire part would have to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to supply, empty and redistribute water within the cycle.

Two complications could develop where hoses are concerned.

The gaskets might get damaged or the contact points could come loose thus it’s a good idea to have a look at all the connection points .
The other problem than can often develop as time goes by is that hoses may get broken or get a hole in.

If you can see that the leakage is a result of a faulty hose this will be relatively simple to replace and new hoses are readily available.

Pumps and Seals

You can visually investigate the gaskets around the pumps or motor to ascertain if there is a leakage and also replace them if there is.

The Float Switch

Either the float or the float switch may be faulty causing the dishwasher to overfill.

When operating correctly the float will lift up with the water level until the optimum or maximum water level is attained. The end piece of the float would then activate the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be your problem.

Checking the switch will require a multi-meter but it may be clearly broken in which case getting a new one should solve the problem.

Other Components that Could Result in a Leak

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

Broken or cracked tubes could likewise result in this fault as might a loose pump cover if your machine has one.

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

Top Tips to Fix Your Dishwasher

Save money by checking the seal in place of the whole component. In most instances, you can purchase the gasket without the rest of the part which saves you having to change the whole component.
Investigate the quick fixes first. There’s no point pulling the whole dishwasher out if the problem is the soap.
Take photos at each step. This can make your life easier when you come to reverse the process, explain the part you are looking for in a shop, and identify the problem to an engineer if needed.
Stay safe. Water and electricity are not good friends so unplug the machine first.
If you’re struggling get in a repair person.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Initial Investigation Fails to Identify or Mend the Leak

If the root of the issue can’t be uncovered the next step you could take is to pull out the machine to get better access underneath it and add water to the tub to find out whether the leakage becomes visible.

If you don’t find any leakages with this method your dishwasher may only show a leakage when during a cycle. If this is the case, you should find a qualified technician to pinpoint as well as mend the problem as there are safety risks of checking for faults with electrical elements exposed.