Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It turns out getting your plates dry could actually be harder for your machine than cleaning them. Crockery and cutlery and glasses have multiple nooks and crannies that can pool dishwater stopping it from drying out, thus as your dishwasher loses heat water condenses from the humid air.

Dishwashers also utilize a variety of different means to get your plates dry. Some will employ a heating element to heat up the inside of the dishwasher and assist the water to evaporate, some heat the water more approaching the final rinse, some employ a fan, and certain models use a mix of all of these. There are therefore a number of explanations why your machine may not be drying plates fully and a variety of things you can do to rectify the situation.

Plastic items are more difficult to dry than other materials as it cools down more quickly hindering the drying process, so it’s worth taking note whether the items that aren’t drying are predominantly plastic items.

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

Top Reasons Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Dishes

There is nothing more frustrating than an appliance that doesn’t work as it should, regardless of whether its a tv, washing machine or dishwasher we expect them to do the job they were designed for. If you open the dishwasher to wet plates here are a number of troubleshooting tips to help you figure out the issue.

Not all makes and models are created equal and you will find that some makes and models perform to a superior standard compared to others. However, if you notice a change in how well your dishwasher is working one of these issues could be the problem.

Have a Look at the Placement of Your Crockery and Cutlery

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the appliance. Before assuming the machine is faulty you should first check that you haven’t overfilled it or accidentally stacked items one inside the other. It’s also worth noting that plastic items are more difficult to dry than metal, glass or ceramics.

Have a Look at The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Rinse aid plays a key role in drying your crockery and cutlery and so if you’ve forgotten to top up or your rinse aid dispenser is not working this can mean wet dishes at the end of the cycle.

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

Have a Look at The Heating Coil

Heat is essential for drying your crockery and cutlery so a faulty heating element may be the reason your dishwasher is not working as it should. If your dishes don’t feel hot to touch when they come out of the machine this can indicate that the heating coil is broken.

To inspect the heating coil first disconnect the machine, then locate the heating coil, you could need the manual to do this, then check for continuity using a multimeter.

Check the Thermostat

The thermostat ensures your machine doesn’t overheat, regulating the heat of the water and air during drying. Therefore, if it’s faulty this can result in your appliance not reaching a high enough temperature.

If the heating element appears to be working as it should but there’s still no heat, then the thermostat could be at fault. Again you can test this using a multimeter.

Check 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 preventing them from drying.

You can utilize your instruction manual to check if your dishwasher has a fan and locate it. Again you need to ensure the machine is disconnected before attempting to make repairs.

First visually inspect the fan and vent to see if anything is blocking it that could stop it from working as it is supposed to. If there is nothing obvious you can then test for continuity using a multimeter.

Ideas to Increase Drying Ability

There are a variety of things you can do to increase how well your appliance dries your dishes and prevent you needing to dry them by hand as little as possible.

Allow ample space between plates. Overloading the machine inhibits the circulation of both water and air making removing the dirt from and drying your crockery and cutlery harder. Although it’s appealing to try and cram everything in, you will get better results if you leave enough space so that plates are not touching.
Make use of rinse aid. Some detergents already have this but even if the brand you use says it does, adding a separate rinse aid to the dishwasher won’t hurt. 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 your appliance as soon as the cycle has completed. Some newer dishwashers do this automatically, but if yours doesn’t, opening the machine at the end of the cycle can help allow the water to escape and stop water condensing on the plates as the appliance cools down.
Check if your appliance uses a heat feature and make sure it’s turned on. The higher the temperature the better the drying and it could be possible to add more heat at different points in the cycle.
Think about how you unload your machine. This doesn’t affect how well your machine works, but it does prevent water from cups and glasses falling on dishes below.

If none of the above solves the problem it could be time to call in the professionals or even buy a new dishwasher.