Dishwasher Leaking

Using a dishwasher is a common practice as it provides higher life comfort for everyone. No need to waste time and water washing the dishes by hand. It is cost-efficient to use a dishwasher as, in total, the cost of water and electricity used for its cycle is lower than the expenses you incur when washing the dishes manually. Yet, there is one significant feature that can scare owners of a dishwasher. It is water leaking. Why is it so dangerous and what to do in case your dishwasher is leaking?

First of all, what are the reasons for a leaking dishwasher? There are several issues that could lead to this disaster ranging from the door sealing damage up to more complex breakdowns of hoses, sensors or pumps. We'll consider the most common of these in our FAQ.

What Could Happen to Your Home if Your Dishwasher Is Leaking?

• Leaking water can damage your floor covering. It could be no problem if it is a tile floor as it is waterproof. Yet, if you have carpeting, laminated flooring or wooden flooring, it will be damaged considerably. Even a small leak causes swelling of wood or laminated flooring and runs to rotting of carpeting.
• Leaking water can damage baseboards.
• Increased humidity due to dishwasher leaking can cause mold and fungus on the walls, in the corners and even on your appliances and furniture, spoiling them and causing various diseases as mold is dangerous for lungs.
• If you live in a condominium having neighbors below, dishwasher leaking can also run to flooding them.

No matter what, all these facts are both disappointing and costly. In the most optimistic case, you'll need to renovate your kitchen premises. More often, consequences are rather considerable running to extra expenses on flooring, new furniture or even appliances. And do not forget about litigation with your condo neighbors whom you'll be obliged to pay the costs for their kitchen overhaul. Thus, even a small leak in your dishwasher could lead to serious problems that might cost you thousands of dollars in total.

What to do if you have noticed your dishwasher is running wrongly or there is water on the floor near/under it? Just look through our FAQ review to get answers.

Dishwasher Leaking FAQ

What to Do if Your Dishwasher Leaks?

If you have detected your dishwasher is leaking, the first and the most important thing you should do is not to waste even a minute. Before you call a service man or while he is on the road, you need to take several measures to minimize the damage.

1. If you have noticed a leak, no matter whether the machine is running or it is turned off, unplug the dishwasher ASAP from the mains and do your best so that the leak does not come into contact with the power supplies.
2. Inspect the dishwasher to detect the leaks (at the front/back, from the door, under the machine, etc.). It is important to understand where the problem is coming from. After the place has been found, you can start eliminating the effects of the leak.
3. Take a look at the control panel. If the dishwasher has been running, you can find an error code, so the machine itself reports the cause of the breakdown. Modern dishwashers are equipped with a diagnostic system that allows you to identify a breakdown and its code. To decipher the code, you can turn to three sources: the manual provided by the manufacturer, the Internet or the serviceman you've called. For experienced craftsmen, it's enough to tell the error code to understand how and where to fix it.
4. Before the arrival of a serviceman, it is worth preparing the item for repair, namely, to free it from the dishes and other items. The technician should have free access to it and be able to turn or move it. If you can do this yourself, then you need to do it; if it is impossible to perform these actions, just wait for the specialist.

In any case, the faster you apply for dishwasher repair service, the less damage will be caused by your dishwasher leaking.

What Causes a Dishwasher to Leak?

As for reasons for a leak, there are lots of them. One of the most common is incorrect or insufficient connection of the water supply hoses to the dishwasher. Also, often the cause of the leak is the poor condition of the door seal. When it does not fit snugly, water may ooze out during the wash cycle. Another cause of the leak might be a mechanical defect in the case: if cracks or holes appear in the walls or bottom over time, water will naturally flow through them.

Besides, leakage may be caused by a defect in the hoses themselves, e.g. their kink, crack, crease or rubbing. Even if the hoses have been connected to the dishwasher correctly, leaks can occur if the gaskets are wrong or have not been replaced in time.

The human factor should not be disregarded either. A leak may be caused if you have installed the dishwasher incorrectly, used a wrong detergent, or tried to open the machine before the end of the wash cycle.

One more cause is not so obvious but not uncommon. Water might flow from the door of the dishwasher after the end of the cycle because of a breakdown of the temperature sensor. In this case, the household appliance, even after the end of washing, continues to maintain a high temperature in the tank, and this leads to the formation of a large amount of condensation on the door. It is flowing down when you open the door.

In any case, only a repairman can accurately determine the cause of the leak in your dishwasher and plan its elimination.

Can Overloading a Dishwasher Cause It to Leak?

Overloading the dishwasher, as usual, does not lead to any leaks. But, this can happen if there has been too much food debris left on the dishes, which clogged the filters. As a result, water simply cannot flow down into the drain. Please, clean the plates and pans from food remains before placing them in the dishwasher to be protected from leaks.

Why Is Dishwasher Leaking Foam?

If your dishwasher is actively leaking foam, the reason most often lies in the detergent. There are several reasons for such foam leaks:

• Incorrectly selected dishwasher detergent. It is strictly forbidden to use hand-washing detergents for washing the dishes in the dishwasher as they form a large amount of foam. Due to the technology, dishwashers use water flood under pressure, which forms foam in a proper amount.
• Gradual build-up of detergent residues. Sometimes the dishwasher does not consume a full dose of detergent. As a result, it gets accumulated in the dispenser and then leads to excessive foam formation.

Why Is There Water in the Bottom of the Dishwasher?

Water in the dishwasher pan can be accumulated both due to breakage and the design peculiarities provided by the manufacturer. For some dishwashers, the norm is about 0.4 inches of water at the bottom, as this prevents the door seals from drying out. By vaporizing, the water helps the rubber parts of a dishwasher not to overdry. If there is clearly a greater amount of water at the bottom, which previously hasn't been accumulated there, the cause may be a clogged drain, filters, a breakdown of the water level sensor or even the pump. The repairman will be able to diagnose the breakdown. You can simply check out filters and drain for a clog. In some cases, cleaning the blockage will save the situation.

How to Reset a Dishwasher After a Leak Detected?

The first step you should perform when detecting your dishwasher leaking is to reset it. In some cases, this can help to solve the problem if an error has occurred. For various brands represented on the US market, this procedure has some differences.

If you are not sure about how to reset your dishwasher, please read the manufacturer's guidance or search for actual information on the Internet.

How to Fix a Leaking Dishwasher?

The leak can be eliminated on your own only in the simplest cases. For example, if the reason is insufficiently tightly connected hoses. Also, a skilled householder may try to replace the hose gaskets on his own. Cleaning filters and drain is also quite a simple routine to do it yourself. But, more complex breakdowns should be entrusted to professionals as they require special diagnostics, tools and repair strategies. Even more, different brands have their own peculiarities only a skilled pro knows about. In this case, the risk of breaking expensive equipment is quite high, so it is much easier and cheaper if a repairman takes care of the leak.

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Leaking Dishwasher?

In practice, insurance claims cover the damage caused by water in the kitchen. That means you'll get your future kitchen renovation compensated if the flooring, walls, electricity have been damaged by the water flow coming from the leaking dishwasher. Yet, fixing a leaking dishwasher is not covered by any policy. In the US, owners of HO-3 and HO-5 policies can apply for insurance if the dishwasher is leaking due to the damage in the kitchen. You should also be aware that the insurance company can initiate your appliance diagnostics to get convinced the leak is sudden and you haven't delayed its repair. If your dishwasher's housing appears rotten and the leak is long-standing, the insurance company can refuse to compensate for the damage.