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Expert Advice for Home Improvement & DIY Repair
Dishwasher Doesn’t Run

If you turn on the dishwasher and nothing happens:

1) Be sure the power is on, the door is latched, and the control is engaged. If absolutely nothing happens—in other words, nothing on the control panel lights up and there are no other signs of life—the appliance may not be receiving power.

If the dishwasher’s cord is plugged into a receptacle, check to see if it is a GFCI receptacle with a reset button. gfci receptacle outletIf it is, push the reset. If it isn’t or if the dishwasher’s cord is wired directly into the electrical box, look for any other receptacles in the kitchen that have a reset and and try resetting them. (This is a long shot but it’s easy to do and may solve the problem if the dishwasher is on the same circuit.)

To test a receptacle for power, you can also just plug a hand-held appliance into it.

2) If that doesn't work, check the electrical panel for a tripped circuit breaker or blown fuse. If you find one, switch the breaker to Off and then back to On or replace the fuse.

3) If electrical power is available to the dishwasher but the appliance doesn’t run, the problem is likely to be a defective door switch, timer, or selector switch. To solve a door switch problem, you may be able to adjust the door latch’s strike slightly, using a screwdriver (turn off the power to the dishwasher at the electrical panel first).
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