Why is My Dishwasher Leaking?

Getting up in the morning only to discover an ominous puddle on the floor is never the best to start the day.

Thankfully, most commonplace sources of dishwasher faults are comparably straightforward to determine and resolve on your own. This means you may not have to wash the dishes by hand that much, spend a day at home waiting for an engineer or have to pay a high call-out charge.

So, get out the instruction manual if you can, clean up the puddle and get a towel clean up any further spills and see if you can’t fix the problem. If you aren’t able to call us for local dishwasher repair.

Commonly Seen Causes of Dishwasher Leaks as well as How to Resolve Them

Some of the most commonly seen sources of dishwasher leaks are not actually due to a broken dishwasher . Before you start getting the tools out and looking at endless online tutorials there are a couple of things you should take a look at first.

Investigate to find out if your dishwasher is level. If your dishwasher is not level water will easily pool and leak even if the dishwasher is working perfectly.
Check you have been using the right soap. You could be familiar with this issue with your washing machine. An excess of soap or using the incorrect variety can result in an excess of bubbles, the soap suds deluge resulting in a spill.
Test your dishwasher door fully closes. If there’s a gap you might have an object obstructing it, or you may need to adjust the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Investigate the filter located in the base of the machine for any obvious obstructions because if your dishwasher isn’t draining properly this is likely to cause it to overfill and spill.

When you have eliminated these issues it’s time to get ready and begin the inspection.

The easiest place to start is the door as well as check for any visible issues in the interior of the machine prior to moving on to the underneath. If you are able to identify as well as resolve the problem before you need to pull out the dishwasher you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle.

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

Door Seal

The door is no doubt the most common area for leakage and also one of the simplest problems to solve.

If the leakage is periodic the issue could be as simple as an oversized dish or something else putting pressure into the door and preventing the door from closing properly.

Else-ways the door seal might have come out of place or got cracked.

Inspect the door seal and also check for any degradation, a build-up of limescale or other debris, or any parts in which the seal has separated from the door.

Removing the seal and giving it a thorough clean could improve the situation in some cases or you could need to acquire a new seal and replace it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The water inlet valve can be a further commonly seen problem. It is in most cases situated under the machine which means you will most likely need to unscrew the kick plate and may need to take off the door cover.

The water inlet valve opens and closes to allow water into the tub at different times in the programme. The inlet valve might be showing a leak, shown by a slow drip, or it could be broken thus not operating fully throughout the cycle.

If the water inlet valve fails to close fully this can lead to the dishwasher overfilling and cause a leakage.

Often fill valve are not able to be fixed, and so the entire component would need to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

Hoses are needed to supply, drain and recirculate water during the cycle.

Two problems might develop where hoses are involved.

The gaskets may get damaged or the contact points might come loose so it’s a good idea to check all the connection points first.
The alternative problem than may often develop over time is that hoses could become damaged or cracked.

If you are able to determine that the leak is coming from a hose this will be relatively simple to replace and new hoses are easy to procure.

Pumps and Seals

You can visually test the rubber seals that are part of the water pumps or motor to ascertain whether there is a leakage and also replace them if there is.

The Float Switch

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

A working float will go up as the water level goes up until it reaches the desired fill level. The tag of the float should then activate the switch. If something is blocking this or the float is broken this could be causing your problem.

Checking the switch will require a multi-meter but it could be clearly broken in which case getting a new one should fix the leak.

Alternative Parts that Could Result in Leakage

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

Broken or damaged lines might also cause this fault as may a broken pump cap.

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

Top Tips to Fix Your Machine

Save money by checking the gasket in place of the whole part. In plenty instances, you can buy the gasket without the rest of the part which saves time as well as money.
Test the quick solutions before you get more complicated. You don’t need to pull the whole dishwasher out if it’s the detergent that’s making the leak.
Take pictures as you go along. This could assist you to put the thing back together, describe the component you need to a sales person, and explain the problem to a repair person if required.
Stay safe. Water and electricity do not mix so unplug the machine first.
If in doubt get in the professionals.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Initial Investigation Doesn’t Identify or Resolve the Leakage

If the root of the issue remains a mystery the next step you can take is to pull the dishwasher away from the wall to get a clearer view of the beneath it and also fill it with water to see if the leak can be seen that way.

If this gives no further clues your dishwasher might only show a leakage if the pump is running. In this instance, you should find a qualified technician to pinpoint as well as fix the issue due to the safety risks of checking for faults with electrical components exposed.