A dishwasher is one of the most popular and hardest-working appliances in the kitchen. When your dishwasher develops a problem, it can cause a huge headache, especially if you have a big dinner party coming up. It can be a time-consuming process to get your appliance to cooperate with you again. It’s important to know what the common dishwasher problems are and how you can fix them yourself before needing to call a qualified technician.
Here are some of the most common problems when it comes to your dishwasher:
Dishwasher Leaks
If you notice that your dishwasher is leaking, the first thing you should do is check the dishwasher door and gasket. There may be debris, cracks, or damages preventing the door from sealing properly. If you don’t see any cracks, give the gasket a good cleaning.
If the dishwasher is still leaking, it could be due to a faulty float switch. The dishwasher float switch monitors how much water is in the washer. When the switch becomes defective, it can allow much more water to enter the dishwasher and then leak out. You’ll need a multimeter to test the switch and determine whether that’s the cause.
Other Causes
Some other potential causes for a leaking dishwasher may include:
- Too Much Detergent: Your dishwasher may be overloaded with detergent causing it to overflow.
- Too Many Dishes: Overloading your dishwasher with too many dishes could cause water leaks.
- Worn-Out Door Seal: If the dishwasher door seal is old and worn, it could allow water to seep through.
- Pipe Connections: If the pipe connections at the back of the dishwasher aren’t fastened correctly or in good condition, this could affect the amount of water in the washer.
Dishwasher Isn’t Draining
You’ll know when your dishwasher isn’t draining properly if you open the door and water floods the kitchen floor. A potential issue could be that the dishwasher was unexpectedly turned off from a power outage or circuit break. Running the cycle again may fix this problem.
If you have a garbage disposal unit, run it to empty the water in the dishwasher. Most dishwashers drain through the same location as your garburator, and it can sometimes get clogged, which prevents the water from draining properly. If a new garburator unit has been installed, make sure the drain plug has been removed.
In some cases, the issue could be because of a clogged drain filter. Check the filter for food debris and give it a good cleaning if needed.
Dishes Aren’t Dry
If you notice that your dishes aren’t dry, check to ensure that the dishwasher has rinse aid in it. If the rinse aid level is okay, the problem could be with a faulty or malfunctioning heating element or high-limit thermostat. The heating element is responsible for heating the water, and the high-limit thermostat keeps the dishwasher from overheating. If one or both of these components are faulty, your dishes won’t dry.
Much like with the leaky dishwasher, you’ll need a multimeter to test the components to ensure they’re working.
Dishes Come Out Dirty
There’s nothing more aggravating than dirty dishes coming out after a wash cycle. Firstly, ensure that you’re not stacking or loading the dishes incorrectly, as doing so will not allow the spray arms to wash the dishes properly. Always scrape big food debris off the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.
Take a look at whether anything is obstructing the sprayer arms and make sure they aren’t dirty. To inspect the condition of the spray arms, you will need to remove them from the dishwasher and properly unclog them.
Once each spray arm is clean, check the filter for any blockages or loose pieces of debris. If the filter is blocked, it will stop the dishwasher from draining, which means your dishes are being washed with dirty water. It won’t hurt to clean the filter as well, especially if there are food particles still leftover on the dishes.
Dishwasher Smells
If your dishwasher smells bad, there may be leftover bits of food. Empty the dishwasher filter and give your appliance a good interior clean. There are some cases where a Tupperware container or a piece of plastic might melt onto the heating element, leading to a bad chemical smell. If this is the case, you will need to clean the element.
Dishwasher Won’t Start
You just put in a load, and now your dishwasher won’t start. The issue could be a faulty door latch, which causes the door to get stuck.
If the door isn’t the problem, it could be a faulty motor, especially if you can hear the motor attempting to start. However, this is a much more complicated fix that may need the help of professional dishwasher repair in Ottawa.
Dishwasher Is Noisy
It can be hard to get some quiet time if your dishwasher is making a lot of strange noises. This could be the sign of an internal issue, such as bent spray arms or bearing rings that are rattling and need to be completely replaced. If you haven’t located the source of the noise, it could be something harder to fix, such as the motor or drain pump. Much like other appliances, repairing a dishwasher that isn’t working properly can be very challenging. That’s why you need reliable appliance repair in Ottawa to get effective results. Our certified technicians are skilled and experienced and have the right tools and techniques to fix your damaged home appliances.