Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes? | Spokane Valley Appliance Repair

It turns out drying your crockery and cutlery might really be more arduous for your dishwasher than cleaning them. Plates and glasses have multiple nooks and crannies that could collect dishwater making it more difficult for it to dry out, and as your machine cools down water droplets form out of the humid air.

Dishwashers also make use of a variety of methods to get your crockery and cutlery dry. Some opt for a heating coil to warm the air in the machine and assist with evaporation, some warm the water to a higher temperature nearing the end of the cycle, others make use of a fan, and others use a mix of all of these. There are thus a variety of reasons why your machine might not be drying crockery and cutlery optimally and a number of things you can do to rectify the situation.

Plastic items are less likely to dry fully than other materials as it doesn’t retain heat in the same way which helps with 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 make use of this troubleshooting list to help you identify and rectify the problem.

Top Reasons Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Plates

Few things are more frustrating than an appliance that isn’t working as it should, whether that’s a smartphone that really isn’t being that smart, a washing machine that’s churning out dirty clothes, or a dishwasher that is either not cleaning or drying your dishes. If you open your dishwasher to discover wet plates here are a number of places you can look to help you figure out the issue.

Not all makes and models are built to the same spec and some makes and models do a better job of drying your plates than others. But if you notice a change in how effectively your machine is working one of these areas might be the cause.

Have a Look at the Placement of Your Plates

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the machine. Before assuming the dishwasher is faulty you should look at how it has been stacked, ensuring it isn’t too full. It’s also worth noting that plastics are more difficult to dry than metal, glass or ceramics.

Check The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Your dishwasher needs rinse aid to properly dry your dishes therefore, if you have run out of rinse aid or your rinse aid dispenser is broken this can result in wet plates at the end of the cycle.

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

Have a Look at The Heating Element

Heat is essential for drying your crockery and cutlery so a not working heating coil might be the explanation your appliance is not working as it should. If your dishes don’t feel hot at the end of the cycle this can indicate that the heating element isn’t working as it should.

To inspect the heating coil first disconnect the dishwasher, then find the heating element, you might need the owners manual to do this, and use a multimeter to check it’s working.

Inspect the Thermostat

The thermostat ensures your machine doesn’t get too hot, adjusting the temperature of the water and the drying part of the cycle. Therefore, if it’s faulty this can result in your appliance not reaching a high enough temperature.

If the heating element appears to be in working order but your appliance isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat might be at fault. Once again you can test this with the help of a multimeter.

Have a Look at The Fan and Vent

Many machines will utilize a drying fan and vent to remove the warm moist air out of the dishwasher. If the fan isn’t operating as is should or the vent is blocked then the water vapor will form droplets on the plates instead leaving them wet.

You can use your manual to ascertain if your machine has a fan and locate it. Again you need to make sure the dishwasher is disconnected before attempting to access the fan.

You can look at the fan and vent to ascertain if anything is blocking it that would 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 Boost Drying Ability

There are a variety of things you can do to increase how well your appliance dries your dishes and make sureyou need to get the drying up cloth out as infrequently as possible.

Don’t overfill the dishwasher. Overfilling the machine limits the flow of air and water making cleaning and drying your plates more difficult. Although it’s tempting to try and cram everything in, your machine will work better if you leave sufficient 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 little extra to the dishwasher 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 cycle has completed. Some new models have this as an automatic function, but many do not, thus, opening the dishwasher at the end of the cycle can help allow the water to escape and stop water condensing on the plates as the dishwasher cools down.
Have a look to see if your machine uses a heat feature and use it. Setting a higher heat will mean improved drying times and you may be able to add more heat at different points in the program.
Think about how you empty your dishwasher. This doesn’t affect how well your machine works, but it does stop water from cups and glasses falling on dishes below.

If you have checked all the above it could be time to phone the professionals or perhaps buy a new dishwasher.