Dishwashers save us a huge amount of time and effort after a nice home-cooked meal has left you with a great big pile of dirty dishes, glasses and cutlery. However, if you’re suddenly having to mop up pools of water from underneath your dishwasher every time you put on a cycle, then it kind of defeats the purpose, right?
Not only are leaking dishwashers an inconvenience to deal with, but they can also pose a serious hazard in the forms of slips and electrical wiring being exposed to water. So if you’ve noticed your dishwasher water is not draining, or there’s leaking water underneath your dishwasher after a cycle, here are a few possible reasons why.
The dishwasher door is leaking
Try to figure out exactly where the water seems to be leaking from. Is it collecting directly under the dishwasher door? If so, there’s a good chance that the door latch is bent or loose. It might also be that the latch isn’t sealing properly. Try tightening the latch with a screwdriver, and if this doesn’t help, you may need to install a newer latch system or replace the rubber sealing around your dishwasher door.
The dishwasher tub is leaking
Older dishwashers that have seen their fair share of dirty dishes through the years might have corroded parts, or the whole unit has simply deteriorated over time. This tends to occur in the tub itself, where detergents and other chemicals have worn away the surface and caused a hole to develop.
Dishwasher water then leaks through this hole and collects underneath your dishwasher. If this is what’s happening, your best bet is to replace the entire dishwasher – repairing the dishwasher tub itself is a costly process, and the trouble with an old dishwasher is that it’s likely to present you with new issues in the near future anyway.
The dishwasher’s valves are either loose or damaged
After years of use, any dishwasher’s hoses and connections tend to shake themselves loose and need tightening. Try tightening your drain hoses, as well as the clamps that hold the hose in place on either side. Another thing you can assess is your water inlet valve – if it’s stuck, then copious dishwasher flooding is guaranteed. As for the hoses, these are easily replaced and inexpensive.
The dishwasher isn’t horizontally level
For a dishwasher to function properly, it can’t be on a slope or tilted. If a new dishwasher is installed this way, it will instantly leak water all over your kitchen floor from the first wash. Try placing a level on top of your dishwasher and if it appears to be crooked or misaligned, you might need to use shims to elevate one side of your dishwasher until it’s horizontally level.
You might be using the wrong dishwasher detergent
Despite being one of the most common reasons why dishwashers leak water, using the wrong detergent is also one of the most overlooked culprits. Dish soap isn’t suitable for dishwashers – your appliance needs purpose-designed detergent that doesn’t bubble up too much. Too bubbly, and it’ll burst out of the seams of your dishwasher door every time you put a cycle on. If this is what’s happening, try switching to another dishwasher detergent and see if this makes a difference.
Your dishwasher is taking in too much water
And last but not least, a possible reason for your dishwasher to be leaking is that there’s simply too much water making its way through the appliance during a wash cycle. This could be related to an issue with the drain or float valve seal, which causes your dishwasher to take in more water than it can handle. With too much water in your dishwasher, you can no doubt guess where this excess water is going to wind up.
Simoes Plumbing specialises in fast, reliable and affordable dishwasher repairs across Melbourne’s Western Suburbs
DIY appliance repairs can be a tricky business – if not executed properly, they can lead to bigger, costlier problems down the line. If your dishwasher is clogged, leaking water or not draining properly, Simoes Plumbing can help. We’ll have a qualified and experienced plumber fixing your dishwasher within hours of your call.
Our no-fuss plumbing solutions come with free upfront quotes for your peace of mind, whether it’s dishwasher repairs, blocked drains, gas heating, roofing and guttering, solar hot water repairs or any other plumbing issues we can resolve for you. Give us a call today.
