Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It may not be the primary function but getting your dishes dry might in actual fact be more difficult for your machine than removing the dirt. Plates and cups have lots of nooks and crannies that can collect water making it more difficult for it to dry out, plus as your appliance loses heat water condenses from the steam.

Dishwashers also make use of a variety of different approaches to get your crockery and cutlery dry. Certain models will have a heating element to warm the inside of the machine and help the water to evaporate, some warm the water further near the end of the cycle, some employ a fan, and certain models make use of a combination of all three. There are consequently a number of explanations why your machine could not be drying crockery and cutlery optimally and a number of options to improve the situation.

Plastic is less likely to dry fully than glass or ceramics 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 dishes are coming out wet you can call a dishwasher repair service or first use this troubleshooting guide to figure out what the issue is and with any luck fix it.

Top Explanations Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Crockery and Cutlery

There is nothing more annoying 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 crockery and cutlery. If you open the dishwasher to wet plates there are a number of places you can look to help you figure out why.

Not all dishwashers are created equal and you will find that some makes and models do a better job of drying your plates than others. But if if your dishwasher has always dried your plates in the past one of these faults might be the problem.

Have a Look at How Your Dishwasher Has Been Loaded

It might be that there is no fault with the dishwasher. Before assuming the dishwasher is not working you should first check that you haven’t overloaded it or accidentally stacked items one inside the other. Also be aware that plastics don’t dry as well as metal, glass or ceramics.

Check The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Your machine needs rinse aid to properly dry your plates thus, if you have run out of rinse aid or your rinse aid dispenser is broken this can stop your plates coming out properly dry.

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

Check The Heating Coil

Without enough heat your plates will not dry so a not working heating coil may be the reason your machine is not drying plates. If your plates aren’t hot when they come out of the machine this can be a good indicator that the heating element isn’t working as it should.

To inspect the heating element first unplug the appliance, then find the heating coil, you could need the manual for this, and check for continuity using a multimeter.

Have a Look at the Thermostat

The thermostat ensures your dishwasher doesn’t overheat, determining 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 the heating element seems to be in working order but there’s still no heat, then the thermostat may be the problem. Again you can make sure using a multimeter.

Check The Fan and Vent

Many dishwashers will utilize a 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 hot air will condense on the dishes instead leaving them wet.

You can use your user manual to ascertain if your dishwasher has a fan and locate it. Don’t forget to double check the dishwasher is unplugged before trying to make repairs.

You can visually inspect the fan and vent to check if there is anything lodged that might stop it from functioning as it should. If there is nothing obvious you can then test for continuity using a multimeter.

Tips to Boost Drying Ability

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

Don’t overload the machine. Overloading the appliance stops the circulation of air and water decreasing the effectiveness of your machine when it comes to both washing and drying your dishes. Although it’s tempting to try and stuff everything in, your dishwasher will be more effective if you leave sufficient space so that water and air can circulate freely.
Make use of rinse aid. Some dishwasher tablets already have this but even if the brand you use says it does, adding a separate rinse aid to the machine 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 dishwasher as soon as the program has ended. Some new machines do this automatically, but many do not, thus, opening the machine when the program finishes can help allow the water to evaporate thus stopping water droplets forming as the appliance cools down.
Have a look to see if your dishwasher employs a heat feature and utilize it. The higher the temperature the better the drying and you could be able to add more heat at different points in the cycle.
Think about how you unload your machine. This doesn’t affect how effective your machine is, but it does prevent water from cups and glasses falling on dishes below.

If this trouble shooting guide hasn’t worked it may be time to phone the professionals or perhaps buy a new dishwasher.