Dishwashers save us a whole lot of time and effort after a home-cooked meal leaves your household with a great big pile of dirty dishes, glasses and cutlery. However, if you’re finding that you are wiping up pools of water from underneath your dishwasher every time you put on a cycle, then it really defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?
While leaking dishwashers are certainly an inconvenience, they can also be extremely dangerous. Not only do they present a slip hazard, but kitchens tend to have a lot of electrical wiring, which can present a serious risk for your household when exposed to water.
The dishwasher door is leaking
Check to see where the water appears to be leaking from. If it’s pooling directly under the dishwasher door, then it’s likely that the door latch is bent or loose. It could also be the latch not sealing properly. Try tightening the latch with a screwdriver. If this doesn’t make a difference, you may need to either install a newer latch system or replace the gasket (the rubber sealing around your dishwasher door).
The dishwasher tub is leaking
Older models that have washed their share of dishes over the years might have corroded or deteriorated over time. This often occurs in the tub itself, where detergents and other chemicals have worn away the surface and a hole has developed.
Dishwasher water then leaks through this hole and pools underneath your dishwasher. If this is the case, your best bet is to replace the entire dishwasher – repairing the dishwasher tub itself is a costly exercise, and an old dishwasher is 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, it’s quite common for a dishwasher’s hoses and connections to shake themselves loose a little bit. Be sure to make sure your drain hoses are still tightly secured, as well as the clamps which hold the hose in place on either side. Another thing to check is your water inlet valve – if it’s stuck, copious dishwasher flooding is inevitable. As for the hoses, these are easily replaced and inexpensive.
The dishwasher isn’t horizontally level
In order to function properly, your dishwasher can’t be on a slope or tilted (otherwise it will leak water all over your kitchen floor every cycle). Try placing a level on top of your dishwasher and if it appears to be misaligned, you might need to elevate one side of your dishwasher with shims until it’s horizontally level.
You might be using the wrong dishwasher detergent
This is one of the more common reasons why a dishwasher leaks water, and yet it’s also one of the most overlooked. Dish soap is not appropriate for dishwashers – your dishwasher requires purpose-designed detergent that doesn’t bubble up too much, otherwise you’ll have big bubbly pools of water bursting out of the seams of your dishwasher door every time you put a cycle on.
Your dishwasher is taking in too much water
And finally, issues with the drain or float valve seal can cause your dishwasher to take in more water than it has the capacity to handle. And if there’s too much water in your dishwasher, you can probably guess that this water is going to escape the unit and find its way onto your kitchen floor.
Plumbform provides convenient and affordable dishwasher repairs in Brisbane and Bayside
Repairing appliances yourself can be a tricky business, and a lot of the time it can result in bigger, costlier problems. If your dishwasher is clogged, leaking water or not draining properly, Plumbform can send a qualified and experienced professional to your property for hassle-free repairs.
We provide free upfront quotes with no obligation, and we’re available 24/7 for emergency plumbing services. Our trained plumbers can also assist with gas plumbing, hot water services, gas leak detection, plumbing for new builds and more.
