Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes? | Spring Appliance Repair

It turns out drying your plates could in actual fact be more difficult for your machine than getting them clean. Plates and cups have multiple nooks and crannies that may trap water stopping it from drying out, plus as your appliance cools water condenses out of the steam.

Dishwashers also make use of a number of different approaches to get your plates dry. Some opt for a heating coil to warm the inside of the machine and help with evaporation, some warm the water to a higher temperature approaching the final rinse, some make use of a fan, and certain models make use of a combination of all three. There are therefore a variety of reasons why your machine might not be drying plates fully and a variety of things you can do to improve the situation.

Plastic is less likely to dry fully than glass or ceramics as it cools down more quickly hindering the drying process, so it’s worth noting whether the drying issue is related to the material rather than the machine.

If dishes are coming out wet you can call a dishwasher repair service or first utilize this troubleshooting guide to help you identify and rectify the problem.

Top Explanations Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Dishes

There is nothing more frustrating than an appliance that doesn’t work as it’s meant to, regardless of whether its a tv, air conditioner or dishwasher we expect them to do the job they were made for. If you open the dishwasher to wet plates here are a number of places you can look to help you figure out the problem.

Not all appliances are built to the same spec and some makes and models perform to a higher standard compared to others. But if if your dishwasher has always dried your plates in the past one of these areas might be the cause.

Check How Your Dishwasher Has Been Loaded

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the appliance. Before assuming the machine is broken you should first check that you haven’t overfilled it or accidentally stacked items one inside the other. Also be aware that plastics don’t dry as well as metal, glass or ceramics.

Have a Look at The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Your appliance needs rinse aid to properly dry your crockery and cutlery thus, if you have run out of rinse aid or your rinse aid dispenser is faulty this can stop your crockery and cutlery coming out properly dry.

The best thing to do is check the dispenser for cracks and ensure that there is rinse aid inside.

Inspect The Heating Element

Without enough heat your dishes will not dry so a not working heating coil could be the reason your dishwasher is not drying plates. If your crockery and cutlery don’t feel hot when they come out of the machine this can mean that the heating element is broken.

To inspect the heating element first unplug the appliance, then locate the heating coil, you may need the manual to do this, and check for continuity using a multimeter.

Check the Thermostat

The thermostat stops your appliance overheating, determining the temperature of the water and the drying part of the cycle. However, if it’s broken this can result in your dishwasher not reaching a high enough temperature.

If you check the heating element and do not uncover an issue but your machine isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat may be the problem. Again you can make sure using a multimeter.

Check The Drying Fan and Vent

Many machines will make use of a fan and vent to suck moist air out of the machine. If the fan isn’t operating as is should or the vent is blocked then the steam will form droplets on the plates instead preventing them from drying.

You can make use of your instruction manual to ascertain if your machine uses a fan and find its location. Don’t forget to make sure the appliance is disconnected before trying to make repairs.

You can look at the fan and vent to see if there is anything lodged that might prevent it from working correctly. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Ideas to Boost Drying Power

There are a number of methods you can use to boost your appliances drying ability and make sure you have to hand dry as little as possible.

Don’t overcrowd the dishwasher. Overfilling the appliance limits the flow of both water and air decreasing the effectiveness of your dishwasher when it comes to both washing and drying your dishes. It might be tempting to cram everything in but you will get better results if you leave sufficient space so that crockery and cutlery are not touching.
Utilize rinse aid. Some dishwasher tablets include a rinse aid but even so, adding a little extra to the dishwasher can only improve matters. Rinse aid works by breaking the bond between water molecules and your plates, helping water run off quickly, speeding up drying time and giving a spot and streak free finish.
Open the door at the end of the program. Some new machines have this as an automatic function, but many do not, thus, opening the dishwasher when the cycle finishes allows warm air to evaporate thus stopping water condensing on the plates as the machine cools down.
Have a look to see if your dishwasher employs a heat feature and make sure it’s turned on. Setting a higher temperature will lead to improved drying times and you could be able to choose which points in the program you add more heat.
Think about how you unload your machine. This doesn’t affect how effective your dishwasher is, but it does stop water from cups and glasses falling on dishes below.

If none of the above solves the problem it could be necessary to phone the professionals or perhaps buy a new dishwasher.