Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It may not be the primary function but drying your dishes may in actual fact be harder for your machine than removing the dirt. Plates and glassware have lots of crevices that can collect water preventing it from drying out, and as your dishwasher cools down water condenses from the humid air.

Different machines also utilize a number of different approaches to dry your dishes. Some opt for a heating coil to heat up the inside of the machine and assist the water to evaporate, some heat the water further approaching the final rinse, others make use of a fan, and some use a combination of all three. There are consequently a variety of explanations why your dishwasher could not be drying crockery and cutlery fully and a number of options 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 drying issue is related to the material rather than the machine.

If dishes are coming out wet you can enlist the help of a dishwasher repair service or first employ this troubleshooting guide to help you identify and rectify the issue.

Top Reasons 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, tumble dryer or dishwasher we expect them to do the job they were made for. If you open your dishwasher to discover wet plates there 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 dishwashers perform to a superior standard compared to others. But if you notice a change in how effectively your machine is working one of these faults might be the problem.

Inspect the Placement of Your Dishes

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the machine. Before assuming the machine is faulty you should look at how it has been loaded, ensuring it isn’t too full. Also be aware that plastic items are more difficult to dry than metal, glass or ceramics.

Have a Look at The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Your dishwasher needs rinse aid to properly dry your crockery and cutlery and so if you have run out of rinse aid or the rinse aid dispenser is not working this can stop your crockery and cutlery coming out properly dry.

The best thing to do is inspect the dispenser for damage and check that it’s full.

Inspect The Heating Element

Without enough heat your crockery and cutlery will not dry so a broken heating element may be the explanation your dishwasher is not working as it should. If your dishes don’t feel hot when they come out of the machine this can indicate that the heating element isn’t working as it should.

To check the heating element first unplug the dishwasher, then find the heating coil, you could need the manual for this, then use a multimeter to check it’s working.

Check the Thermostat

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

If you check the heating element and do not discover an issue but your dishwasher isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat might be the problem. Again you can check this with the help of a multimeter.

Check The Drying Fan and Vent

Many dishwashers will make use of a drying fan and vent to suck moist air from the appliance. If the fan isn’t operating as is should or the vent is blocked then the steam will remain in the dishwasher preventing the plates from drying.

You can use your manual to ascertain if your machine uses a fan and locate it. Don’t forget to double check the machine is disconnected before trying to access the fan.

You can visually inspect the fan and vent to ascertain if there is anything lodged that would prevent it from working as it should. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Tips to Boost Drying Ability

There are a variety of methods you can use to improve how well your appliance dries your dishes and make sure you have to hand dry as infrequently as possible.

Allow ample space between plates. Overfilling the appliance inhibits the circulation of air and water making removing the dirt from and drying your plates more difficult. It may be tempting to cram in as much as possible but you will get better results if you leave enough space so that crockery and cutlery are not touching.
Make use of rinse aid. Some dishwasher tablets include a rinse aid but even so, adding a separate rinse aid to the appliance will do no harm. 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 cycle has ended. Some new models do this automatically, but if yours doesn’t, opening the door at the end of the program allows warm air to evaporate thus preventing water condensing on the plates as the appliance cools down.
Check if your dishwasher has a heat feature and utilize it. Setting a higher heat will mean better drying times and it may be possible to choose which points in the cycle you add more heat.
Think about how you unload your dishwasher. 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 this trouble shooting guide hasn’t worked it could be time to call in the professionals or perhaps upgrade your dishwasher.