Why is My Dishwasher Leaking? | Rockford Appliance Repair

Coming downstairs only to discover a large puddle on the floor is no-one’s favorite way to start the day.

Thankfully, most everyday causes of dishwasher leaks are relatively straightforward to pinpoint and resolve on your own. This means you could 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 fee.

So, get out the operating manual if you know where it is, clean up the puddle and so get something soak up any additional leaks and see whether you can’t fix the problem. If you cannot call us for local dishwasher repair.

Everyday Sources of Dishwasher Leaks and How to Resolve Them

Many of the most simple causes of dishwasher faults are not actually due to a dishwasher issue at all. Before you start preparing yourself for an engineering task as well as watching endless online videos there are a couple of things you should take a look at first.

Investigate to find out if your dishwasher is level. If the dishwasher is not level water will easily puddle and spill out without there being anything that needs to be fixed or replaced.
Check you are using the right soap. You could have seen this with your washer. Too much detergent or the wrong variety may lead to too many soap suds, the soap suds deluge resulting in a leak.
Check your dishwasher door fully closes. If it does not you may have an object blocking it such as a large plate, or you could have to replace the hinge or the locking mechanism.
Investigate the filter located in the bottom of the tub for any obvious obstructions because if your dishwasher isn’t draining effectively this will cause it to overfill and so spill.

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

To make your life easier start with the door as well as test for any visible issues inside of the machine prior to moving on to the underneath. If you can find as well as fix the problem before you have 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 seemingly the most common place for leakage and also one of the easiest issues to solve.

If the leakage is periodic the issue may be as simple as a big pan or another object putting pressure into the door thus stopping it from shutting fully.

On the other hand the door gasket could have come loose or been cracked.

Inspect the door seal and also test for any degradation, a build-up of limescale or other deposits, or any parts where the gasket has come away from the door.

Extracting the seal and giving it a thorough clean can help in some instances or you may need to acquire a new gasket and change it.

Water Inlet Valve (Solenoid Fill Valve)

The fill valve can also be a commonplace fault. It is in most cases found under the machine therefore you may have to unscrew the kick plate and also might have to unscrew the door cover.

The water inlet valve opens and closes to allow water into the machine at different times during the cycle. The water inlet valve might be leaking, demonstrated with a slow drip, or it may be damaged thus not functioning properly during the cycle.

When the water inlet valve fails to shut properly this can result in the dishwasher overflowing.

Generally these valves cannot be fixed, which means the whole component would have to be changed.

Leaking Hoses

Your dishwasher uses hoses to supply, drain as well as recirculate water during the cycle.

Two problems may present themselves when it comes to hoses.

The seals may break or the connections may work loose so it’s a good idea to check all the connections first.
The alternative fault than might often happen as you use the machine is that hoses might be degraded or cracked.

If you can see that the leak is coming from a hose this should be relatively simple to change and replacement hoses are readily available.

Pumps and Gaskets

You are able to visually test the rubber seals around the water pumps or motor to see whether there is a leak 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.

A working float will go up as the water level goes up until the optimum or maximum water level is attained. The end piece of the float will then activate the switch. A blockage or breakage could be causing your issues.

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

Other Parts that Might Lead to Leakage

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

Broken or faulty lines could also result in this fault as might a damaged pump cover if your machine has one.

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

Top Tips to Fix Your Machine

Spend less by checking the seal in place of the whole part. In many instances, you can buy the seal separately which saves time as well as money.
Investigate the simple resolutions before you get more complicated. There’s no point pulling the whole machine out if the problem is the detergent.
Take photos at each step. This might help you reverse the process, explain the component you need in a store, as well as identify the issue to a repair person if needed.
Stay safe. Water and electricity do not mix so turn off the power first.
If in doubt get in a repair person.

The Next Steps You Should Take If Your Trouble Shooting Doesn’t Identify or Fix the Leakage

If the cause of the issue can’t be uncovered the thing you may do is to pull the dishwasher away from the wall to get better access underneath it and also add water to the tub to see if the leakage presents itself.

If this doesn’t shed any light your appliance may only leak if it’s running. In this instance, you should find a qualified technician to pinpoint and resolve the leak as there are safety risks of running the dishwasher with electrical elements exposed.