How to fix dishwasher problems with running, filling, draining, leaking, and more.
By Don Vandervort, HomeTips
Do you need to repair your dishwasher? If your dishwasher stops working properly, it isn't the end of the world, but it does put the kibosh on one of the luxuries that adds to your quality of life. Because fixing a dishwasher isn't usually an emergency, you have the opportunity to troubleshoot problems and try to solve them yourself before calling an appliance repairperson. The following should help you handle basic dishwasher repair.
HomeTips Pro Tip: Before you start, unplug the dishwasher or shut off its electrical circuit. Turn off the dishwasher's water supply valve. Don’t work inside the dishwasher immediately following a cycle because the electric dish-drying element at the bottom may still be hot.
Dishwasher Does Not 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. If 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 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).
Dishwasher Does Not Fill
If your dishwasher runs but doesn’t fill, either something is wrong with the water supply system or it is draining water too soon.
1) First make sure the water is turned on. Check the hot water supply stop valve, normally located under the sink. Open it all the way by turning it counterclockwise. If there is no reason this would have been turned off since the last time the dishwasher worked, go on to the next step.2) Turn off the power to the dishwasher.
3) When the dishwasher is cool (in other words, not right after a wash cycle), look for the float inside the dishwasher; this is usually a small plastic dome or cylinder mounted inside at the tub’s base, near the front. When you move most types of floats up and down, you can hear them click because they trip a lever (they are spring-loaded).
Lift out the float mechanism, and clean around the float tube. Many floats must be disconnected from below; to do this you’ll have to remove the lower access panel. Rinse off the float, replace it in the tube, and make sure it moves up and down freely.
4) Shut off the hot water valve to the appliance. Locate the water intake valve, behind the dishwasher’s bottom front panel.
Disassemble the valve to reveal the screen. Clean any debris from the screen and reassemble the valve. If the screen doesn’t appear to be blocked, call a repairperson. Any of several parts—including the water inlet valve, pressure switch, and the timer or selector switch—may be faulty.
Dishwasher Does Not Stop Filling
If the water flow to the dishwasher doesn’t automatically shut off, the float switch is faulty, the timer is stuck on Fill, or the water inlet valve is stuck open. To test the float switch, you’ll need an inexpensive volt-ohm meter (or multi-tester). .
1) Unplug the dishwasher.
2) Reach into the cabinet and lift up the dome-shaped plastic float switch. If it doesn’t lift up, remove the plastic top from the stem, scrub the stem clean, and then replace the dome. If it moves up and down freely, go on to Step 3.
3) Note which wires are attached to the float switch’s terminals, and, using small pieces of tape, label them for future reference should you need to replace the switch.
4) Set the volt-ohm meter’s dial to Rx100 and touch the two probes to the terminals. When you lift up the float, the tester’s needle should show an infinity reading, and, when you let the float drop, the needle should show a 0 reading. If it doesn’t, the switch is broken and needs replacing. Unscrew it from the tub, take it to your local hardware store or home improvement center, buy an identical replacement part, and then install it and hook it up.
Dishwasher Does Not Drain
Following a cycle, a small pool of clean water inside the tub is normal. An excessive amount of water means the pump isn’t pumping water out properly, the drain hose isn’t carrying it to the drainpipe, or the house’s drain lines are backed up.
If dirty water spews from the air gap, the drain line is kinked or clogged. (If you’ve recently installed a garbage disposer, be sure the knockout plug for the dishwasher was removed when the connection was made; see your disposer instructions.)
1) Remove the cover from the air gap at the top of the sink (usually a short chrome domed cylinder that sits at the back of the sink), and, using a stiff wire, clean it out. Also check the entire length of the drain hose for kinks or blockages, especially at the drain connection to the disposer or drain line.
2) Once the dishwasher is cool, shut off the power to it, and—if your dishwasher is made to allow this—remove the strainer (shown at right), located under the bottom spray arm at the base of the cabinet. Unscrew the hubcap, lift the spray arm off, and remove any clips that hold the strainer to get it out. Scrub it clean with a brush and then replace it.
3) Determine whether the sink trap or house drain line is clogged.
4) If the dishwasher still doesn’t drain properly, the drain hose may be clogged or the drain valve may need replacement. You can check the drain hose for obstructions, but this sometimes involves pulling the dishwasher out from under your counter to access the hose, disconnecting the hose at both ends, flushing it out with a faucet or garden hose, or replacing it with a new hose.
Dishwasher Leaks Water
If you have nuisance water leaks around the base of your dishwasher, you may be using a detergent that is sudsing too much. Cut back on the amount of detergent you use and see if that makes a difference.
Water that spills through the door vent is usually caused by improperly loaded dishes. Leaks from the door itself may be caused by a faulty door gasket or faulty door tightness adjustment.
Also make sure the dishwasher is sitting level (you can adjust the front feet up or down, and many units have some type of levelers at the rear).
Water under the dishwasher may be originating from a leaky hose or loose hose connection. Remove the lower front panel and check the hoses. The pump seal may be defective, too; replacing this is a job for a repairperson.
An older dishwasher may have become corroded at the bottom, but this is a fairly uncommon problem. However, if this is the case with your dishwasher, it’s definitely time to invest in a new one.
Dishwasher Makes Noise
Noise can come from faulty parts, but it also may be caused by improperly loaded dishes. Check your owner’s manual for proper loading methods.
When the dishwasher is cool (in other words, not right after a wash cycle), look in the openings around the pump at the bottom of the dishwasher’s interior to be sure no implements or hard debris such as bones, fruit pits, or silverware are stuck in them.
Also check that your dishwasher is sitting level. Adjust the feet beneath the unit by screwing them up or down. If there are locknuts on the feet, make sure they are tight.
A thumping or chattering sound during the filling cycle usually indicates that the inlet valve needs to be replaced.
