Ideally, you should expect a good decade’s service from your dishwasher, free from breakdowns, although of course it’s perfectly possible that your appliance may develop problems earlier. With models increasingly complex, faults are not always easy to diagnose or put right yourself. Here are some of the things we see most often:
- Dishes still dirty or covered in residue after washing
Is something blocking the spinning motion of the spray arms? It may be worth taking them out and cleaning them with an old toothbrush. It’s also a good idea to check whether plates have been properly scraped before being loaded, and that they have been loaded properly. If there are water marks, you may just need to use some rinse aid. If your crockery and glassware have a white residue, add a water softener. It may also be worth trying using more detergent.
If plates are dry as well as dirty, your machine isn’t filling with water. Is the hot water stop valve under your sink fully open? Does it need to be cleaned?
If none of these works and you are still having problems with your machine, pick up the phone to a local dishwasher engineer.
- Dishwasher leaks on to the floor
If your machine is leaking, it may be down to something simple like overloading on detergent or poorly stacked items, but it could also be down to something more serious.
Look for damage to the door of your appliance, including any cracks or anything that could be stopping it from sealing properly.
The door hinge, which allows for smooth opening and closing of the product, probably has a pulley arrangement to stop the door from coming open and slamming on to the floor – or a foot! So if the door feels too loose or heavy, the side panels need to be removed so the hinge mechanism can be investigated. This is a fairly advanced job, and probably one best left to a dishwasher repair professional.
- Dishes aren’t dry at the end of a cycle
There could be an issue with the machine’s heating element, in which case you’ll probably need to call out a dishwasher repair specialist. However, it could also be that your rinse aid just needs topping up, or isn’t dispensing properly.
- A bad smell is coming from the dishwasher
There could be some food stuck somewhere in your dishwasher, especially on the filter which sits at the base of the machine to catch the bigger food particles before they reach the machine’s inner workings and create blockages. Filters are designed to clip out easily for no-nonsense cleaning. Try and run the tap over yours every week. However, seriously dirty filters or those which are missing if you’ve bought second-hand, can be replaced pretty easily.
More seriously, a chemical smell could mean something plastic has melted on to the heating element.
If you are struggling to find the source of the problem, you’ll need to contact a local dishwasher repair specialist.
- My dishwasher is making a lot of noise
This problem always needs attention. See if a wash arm is bent, or any internal components seem to be malfunctioning. Seals and bearing rings may also need replacing. Other loose or worn parts may also be the cause of the problem, or it may just be that you have not stacked the plates perfectly. So just be sure nothing has been rattling around your appliance.
Another thing to check is that your dishwasher is resting on an even surface. Or if the noise is a ‘thump’, the water inlet valve may have gone.
Clearly, if these things don’t help, talk to a local dishwasher repair firm.
- Dishwasher isn’t draining properly
It’s normal to have a little water left in your dishwasher, but it shouldn’t be sloshing about after each use. Try running it a second time. It could have turned off unexpectedly, for example because of a power outage, and that may be why water is left inside your machine.
Another reason could be that the drain pump, which drains away dirty water, could be blocked with built-up food debris or any shards of broken crockery or glass. The pump is at the base of your dishwasher, and if you feel confident doing so, you can try removing it, cleaning it and putting it back together. But you will need to remember how to reassemble your machine!
- The dishwasher doesn’t start
Check power sources, and be sure you haven’t blown a fuse. Try unplugging and then plugging it back in, and be certain the door is working properly.
