Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Coming downstairs only to step in a large puddle on the floor is never a great to start the day.

Fortuitously, most commonplace explanations of dishwasher leaks are relatively simple to diagnose and mend by yourself. This means you might not have to wash the dishes by hand that much, wait for the repair man or need to pay a high call-out charge.

So, if you’re feeling up to it get out the operating manual if you know where it is, grab a towel to clean up the mess and get something clean up any further spills and find out whether you can diagnose the fault. If you cannot call us for local dishwasher repair.

Simple Sources of Dishwasher Leaks as well as How to Resolve Them

Many of the most common sources of dishwasher faults are not in fact because of a broken dishwasher at all. Before you start getting the tools out and also watching numerous youtube videos there are a few problems you can rule out first.

Investigate to find out if your dishwasher is aligned. If the dishwasher is wonky water can easily puddle and so spill out without there being anything that needs to be resolved or replaced.
Check you have been using the right soap. You might have seen this with your washer. Too much soap or using the wrong variety may result in to too many suds, the bubbles spill over and so you get a spill.
Check your dishwasher door fully closes. If there’s a gap there may be a blockage, or you might have to adjust the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Investigate the filter at the base of the tub for any easy to see obstructions because if your dishwasher isn’t emptying properly this will result in overfill and spill.

If you have looked at these issues it’s time to roll up your sleeves and really begin the inspection.

To make your life easier start with the door and investigate for any obvious problems within of the machine before you move on to the underside. If you can find as well as mend the problem before you have to pull out the dishwasher you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

And make sure you disconnect the appliance first by either unplugging it or turning off the circuit breaker for the dishwasher.

Door Seal

The most commonly seen place for a dishwasher to leak is on the door, fortunately it is also one of the easiest issues to fix.

If the leak is periodic the fault could be as easy as an oversized dish or something else pushing against the door thus preventing it from shutting correctly.

Otherwise the door seal might have come loose or been split.

Check the door seal and also test for any degradation, mineral deposits or other deposits, or any parts in which the gasket might have come away from the door.

Taking off the gasket and also allowing it a good scrub can improve the situation in some instances or you could be required to acquire a new seal and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The inlet valve can also be a commonplace issue. The inlet is generally found under the machine and so you will need to unscrew the toe board and might have to take off the door cover.

The inlet valve opens and closes to let water into the machine at different parts of the cycle. The inlet valve could be showing a leak, shown by a slow drip, or it may be broken and not operating properly during the cycle.

When the inlet valve doesn’t close correctly this can mean that the dishwasher overfills, causing a leak.

Often these valves are not able to be repaired, and so the entire part would need to be replaced.

Leaking Hoses

Your dishwasher uses hoses to fill, empty and redistribute water within the cycle.

Two complications could arise where hoses are involved.

The gaskets may break or the connections may work loose meaning it’s worth checking all the connection points first.
The other issue than might easily happen as time goes by is that hoses may be degraded or cracked.

If you can identify that the leak is a result of a faulty hose this should be easy to change and replacement hoses are easy to come by.

Pumps and Seals

You can visually investigate the rubber gaskets around the pumps or motor to see whether there is a leak as well as change them if there is.

The Float Switch

Either the float or the float switch could be broken causing the dishwasher to overfill.

A working float will lift up with the water level until the desired or highest water level is attained. The tag of the float will then activate the switch. A blockage or breakage could be causing your problem.

Checking the switch will require electrical equipment but it may be clearly broken in which case replacing it should solve the leak.

Alternative Components that Could Result in a Leak

A broken wash arm or support can resulting in a leak. This can also often affect how well your dishes are being cleaned.

Broken or faulty lines may also cause this issue as could a cracked pump cap.

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

Top Tips to Fix Your Dishwasher

Spend less by changing the gasket instead of the entire part. In most cases, you are able to buy the gasket separately which saves time as well as money.
Check the quick solutions before you get more complicated. You don’t need to pull the entire machine out if it’s the detergent that’s causing the leak.
Take pictures at each step. This may assist you to reverse the process, show the component you need in a shop, and explain the fault to an engineer if needed.
Be careful. Water and electricity are not good friends so unplug the machine first.
If you’re not sure call the professionals.

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

If the root of the problem is still a mystery the thing you could do is to pull out the machine to get a clearer view of the beneath it as well as add water to the tub to see if the leak becomes visible.

If this doesn’t shed any light your machine could only show a leakage when the pump is running. In this instance, your best bet would be to hire a service engineer to determine and fix the leak as there are safety risks of running the dishwasher with electrical elements exposed.