Is your dishwasher making funny noises, leaking a bit of water, creating soap spots or just not running at all? Don't rush to pick up the phone to call a repairman; by simple maintenance, service or parts replacement, you can repair a dishwasher by yourself.
If your dishwasher is leaking, makes too much noise, puts spots on your glasses or doesn't heat the water temperature high enough, don't call the repairman. Straightforward instructions on how to repair a dishwasher on your own are available for the medium-adventurous DIYer.
Home Improvements & Maintenance : How to Fix a Dishwasher That Will Not Drain
Step 1: Understand How a Dishwasher Works
Despite the fancy bells and whistles they've developed over the years, dishwasher mechanics have remained basically unchanged for the past two decades.
- A dishwasher draws in water from the hot water heater in your home, uses a water inlet value.
- Once filled, the tub mixes the water with the detergent, heats it up and sprays it against the dishes.
- The dirty water is then pumped out.
- Clean water, sometimes mixed with a rinse agent, is used to rinse the dishes.
- The water is pumped out again.
- An electric heating element heats the interior of the dishwasher, drying and the dishes are dried.
Step 2: Basic Operation Checks in Dishwasher Repair
- Before you take everything apart, check to make sure that there are no simple problems hindering the functioning.
- Check to see that it is properly plugged in and that the cord and outlet is in working order
- Check the switches that control the outlet
- Make sure the door latches tightly
- Make sure the water is turned on
- Make sure the controls are properly set
- If you haven't located the problem yet, it's time to get into the machine. Unplug it, and shut off the water control beneath the sink supplying water to the machine before proceedings.
Step 3: What You Can Do Yourself
Many of the valves, rotors and hoses can be cleaned and/or replaced. The following links are to pages that will help you disassemble and clean or replace these parts. If cleaning and replacing the parts doesn't work, or if after all this the dishwasher simply won't run at all, you should have a professional in to look at the motor.
Dan Vandervort's Home Tips: Dishwasher Troubleshooting & Repairs
ACME How To: How To Fix A Dishwasher
How Stuff Works: How to Repair a Dishwasher
Part Select: Free Dishwasher Repair Guide
Conclusion
For most problems associated with a dishwasher—leaks, spots, temperature issues and noise issues—you can do the repair yourself, with a little help from the DIY crowd.
