Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes? | Lee's Summit Appliance Repair

It may not be the primary function but getting your plates dry might in actual fact be more difficult for your machine than getting them clean. Plates and glassware have multiple nooks and crannies that could trap water stopping it from evaporating, and as your appliance loses heat water droplets form from the steam.

Different machines also make use of a variety of different approaches to dry your plates. Some opt for a heating element to warm the inside of the machine and help with evaporation, some heat up the water to a higher temperature approaching the end of the cycle, certain models employ a fan, and certain models employ a combination of all three. There are consequently a number of reasons why your machine could not be drying crockery and cutlery fully and a variety of things you can do to rectify the situation.

Plastic items are more difficult to dry than glass or ceramics as it cools down more quickly hindering the drying process, so it’s worth taking note whether the drying issue is related to the material rather than the machine.

If your dishwasher doesn’t seem to be drying effectively you can enlist the help of a dishwasher repair service or first use this troubleshooting list to figure out what the issue is and with any luck fix it.

Top Explanations Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Dishes

There is nothing more annoying than a home appliance that isn’t working properly, regardless of whether its a smartspeaker, air conditioner or dishwasher we expect them to do the job they were designed for. If you open the dishwasher to wet plates there are a few places you can look to help you figure out why.

Not all appliances are created equal and some makes and models do a better job of drying your plates than others. But if you notice a change in how well your dishwasher is working one of these issues might be the cause.

Check How Your Dishwasher Has Been Loaded

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the dishwasher. Before assuming the dishwasher 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 are more difficult to dry than metal, glass or ceramics.

Check The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Rinse aid plays a key role in drying your crockery and cutlery and so if you have run out of rinse aid or your rinse aid dispenser is not working this can mean wet crockery and cutlery at the end of the cycle.

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

Have a Look at The Heating Element

Heat is essential for drying your plates so a not working heating coil could be the explanation your machine is not working as it should. If your crockery and cutlery aren’t hot when they come out of the machine this can mean that the heating coil is broken.

To check the heating coil you will need to unplug the appliance, locate the heating coil, you could need the manual for this, and use a multimeter to check it’s working.

Check the Thermostat

The thermostat ensures your dishwasher doesn’t get too hot, regulating the heat of the water and air during drying. However, if it’s broken this can result in your appliance not reaching a high enough temperature.

If the heating element seems to be working as it should but your machine isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat may be at fault. Once again you can test this using a multimeter.

Have a Look at The Fan and Vent

Many machines will utilize a fan and vent to suck moist air out of the dishwasher. If the fan isn’t operating as is should or the vent is blocked then the steam will condense on the dishes instead leaving them wet.

You can utilize your manual to check if your appliance has a fan and find its location. Again you need to ensure the dishwasher is unplugged before attempting to make repairs.

First visually inspect the fan and vent to ascertain if there is anything lodged that could stop it from working as it is supposed to. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Tips to Increase Drying Power

There are a variety of things you can do to boost how well your machine dries your dishes and make sure you need to get the drying up cloth out as little as possible.

Allow ample space between dishes. Overfilling the appliance stops the flow of both water and air making removing the dirt from and drying your plates harder. Although it’s appealing to try and stuff everything in, your machine will work better if you leave enough space so that water and air can circulate freely.
Use rinse aid. Some dishwasher tablets include a rinse aid but even if the brand you use says it does, adding a separate rinse aid to the appliance can only improve matters. Rinse aid works by breaking the bond between water molecules and your crockery and cutlery, helping water run off quickly, speeding up drying time and giving a spot and streak free finish.
Open your machine as soon as the program has completed. Some newer models have this as an automatic function, but many do not, thus, opening the dishwasher when the program completes allows warm air to escape and stop water condensing on the dishes as the dishwasher cools down.
Check if your dishwasher employs a heat feature and make sure it’s turned on. Setting a higher heat will mean improved drying times and you may be able to choose which points in the program you increase the temperature.
Unload the lower level first. This is simply because cups and glasses that are upside down on the top shelf often have a concave bottom where water can pool. Emptying the bottom rack first stops you spilling this water onto the crockery and cutlery below.

If none of the above solves the problem it may be a good idea to phone the professionals or even replace your machine.