How to Check Your Dishwasher


Dishwasher repairs

When I moved into my first apartment I was so excited that it had a dishwasher and washer and dryer in unit. I soon came to find out that I was in need of major dishwasher repairs as well as dryer repairs which I had not been told about. Dishwasher repairs are not a fun thing because it’s hard to tell what’s wrong. All I knew is that when I press the on button the machine would make a whirring noise, really snow water and then give off at electrical burning smell. If only I had needed oven repairs. As an 18 year old I didn’t use the oven very much and probably wouldn’t have cared but as an 18 year old I hated washing dishes. My dishwasher repairs had more to do with the wiring than the actual dishwasher but yours maybe something else. Let’s take a look at how to diagnose what is wrong with your dishwasher.

If your dishwasher does not work at all the first thing that you want to do is check the fuses as well as the circuit breaker’s and make sure that nothing has been blown or tripped. Also make sure that the dishwasher is properly plugged into the outlet. You would be surprised at how many people call a plumber to come and look at your dishwasher only to find out that the machine isn’t even plugged in.

The next step is to check the wiring for any breaks or damage. If this is the case all that may be necessary is replacement of an electrical cord.

If neither of those things are the problem then it might be that one of the mechanical components are broken. If that’s the case you want to inspect the door latch to make sure it’s working as well as testing the door and selector switches with the multi meter tester. At the same time you can also test the timer and motor inside the dishwasher.

If the motor is whining but the dishwasher still doesn’t start then check the motor and pump to see if there are any obstructions. If so then you’ll need to clear the blockage and also check the belts for any damage.

If the dishwasher will not fill or during the filming process is draining then check that the water supply to the appliance is turned on and that there aren’t any leakages.

Any kinks in the silver line will prevent the dishwasher for filling properly so make sure that everything is straight and properly aligned.

Something like this could also be caused by the drain valve arm. Try to move the valve arm up and down. It should go smoothly but if it doesn’t the springs of the arm might be damaged or missing. However, if there’s nothing wrong with the arm but it isn’t moving correctly you’ll need to remove the connecting wires in order to change the solenoid.

If the water is not draining at all, then you must again check drain hoses for kinks and any other kind of damage or obstruction. The drive belt and hoses should also have no damage or tears. At this point you could test the resistance of the drain valve as well as the timer motor if you feel it’s necessary.

If water soap is leaking from your dishwasher then make sure that the detergent you were using is actually for dishwashers and not regular dish soap. If you are using the correct detergent then check all the seals as well as the door latch and hinges.

If your dishwasher is running through the cycle seemingly fine with the dishes are not clean this may be a problem with the water pressure or temperature and cleaning all the filters should fix that. If it doesn’t then check the detergent dispenser and valves to make sure that they are working properly.

As you can see there are a number of things that can be wrong with the dishwasher but thankfully they’re easier to find than washing machine repairs or refrigerator repairs. If you have any doubt about examining or checking your dishwasher then call it a professional to do your dishwasher repairs. Let the experts do their job, it will probably save you a lot of headache, time and money.


Leave a Reply