How to Diagnose Dishwasher Problems

Unlike some of your other household appliances, your dishwasher will give your specific symptoms to indicate what's wrong with it. By diagnosing the problems with your dishwasher, you can save money by cutting down on repair times. You may even be able to take care of the simpler problems yourself. Read the tips listed below and learn about how you can diagnose dishwasher problems yourself [source: WN].

A leaking dishwasher can indicate several problems.

Overloading By putting too many dishes in each load, you may cause the machine to leak. Try fitting in less dishes and see if the leak persists.
Faulty Door Seal Check the plastic seal around the door of your dishwasher. If there are cracks or holes, it may cause the machine to leak. Replacing the seal is an easy and cheap problem to fix.
Excessive Detergent Check your detergent tray. If there's a soap residue left over, you're putting in too much soap per load and causing your machine to leak.
Faulty pipe connections Check the pipes in the back of your machine. By tightening any loose pipes, you may be able to stop your dishwasher's leaking.

If your dishes are coming out of the dishwasher dry and still dirty, it means that your dishwasher isn't filling with soap and water. This can be caused by one of the following:

The hot water valve isn't open. Check under your sink to see if the hot water value is fully open. If it's not, opening the valve will allow your dishwasher to fill with water.
The inlet valve is clogged. If the valve is plugged with debris and residue, cleaning it will repair the machine and enable the dishwasher to fill.

A little water in the bottom of your dishwasher is normal. But if you think there is an excessive amount of water, you may have a problem with your drain hose. Refer to your machine's manual to find your dishwasher's drain hose. Check that the drain hose has no holes, isn't damaged in any way and is free of debris or soap residue [source: Home Serve].

If your dishwasher's problems persist, call a professional to repair the problems.