Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes? | Naperville Appliance Repair

It may not be the primary function but drying your plates might really be more difficult for your dishwasher than getting them clean. Dishes and glassware have lots of nooks and crannies that could pool water making it more difficult for it to dry out, thus as your appliance cools water condenses from the steam.

Different machines also utilize a variety of different approaches to get your plates dry. Some opt for a heating coil to heat up the inside of the dishwasher and help with evaporation, some heat the water further approaching the final rinse, certain models have a fan, and others make use of a combination of all of these. There are therefore a number of reasons why your machine might not be drying plates fully and a number of options to improve the situation.

Plastic is more difficult to dry than other materials as it cools down more quickly hindering the drying process, so it’s worth noting whether the drying issue is related to the material rather than the machine.

If your dishwasher doesn’t seem to be drying effectively you can enlist the help of a dishwasher repair service or first utilize this troubleshooting list 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 frustrating than an appliance that isn’t working properly, regardless of whether its a smartphone, air conditioner or dishwasher we expect them to do the job they were designed for. If you open the dishwasher to 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 some dishwashers perform to a better standard compared to others. However, if you notice a change in how effectively your machine is working one of these issues might be the cause.

Have a Look at the Placement of Your Dishes

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the appliance. Before assuming the dishwasher 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 plastics are more difficult to dry than metal, glass or ceramics.

Inspect The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Your machine needs rinse aid to properly dry your dishes therefore, if you have run out of rinse aid or the rinse aid dispenser is faulty this can stop your dishes coming out properly dry.

Visually inspect the rinse aid dispenser for damage and check that there is rinse aid inside.

Have a Look at The Heating Element

Without enough heat your dishes will not dry so a not working heating coil might be the reason your appliance is not working as it should. If your crockery and cutlery aren’t hot when they come out of the machine this can be a good indicator that the heating coil is faulty.

To check the heating coil you will need to disconnect the dishwasher, find the heating coil, you may need the owners manual for this, then use a multimeter to check it’s working.

Have a Look at the Thermostat

The thermostat stops your appliance getting too hot, determining the temperature of the water and the drying part of the cycle. Therefore, if it’s broken this can result in your machine not heating up at all.

If you check the heating coil and do not uncover an issue but there’s still no heat, then the thermostat might be at fault. Once again you can check this with the help of a multimeter.

Have a Look at The Drying Fan and Vent

Many dishwashers will use a fan and vent to suck moist air out of the appliance. If either of these elements are faulty then the hot air will remain in the dishwasher preventing the plates from drying.

You can use your user manual to find out if your machine uses a fan and locate it. Don’t forget to double check the appliance is disconnected before attempting to make repairs.

First visually inspect the fan and vent to check if anything is blocking it that could prevent it from operating correctly. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Tips to Boost Drying Power

There are a number of methods you can use to increase your machines effectiveness at drying and prevent you needing to dry them by hand as infrequently as possible.

Don’t overfill the machine. Overloading the dishwasher limits the circulation of air and water decreasing the effectiveness of your machine when it comes to both cleaning and drying your dishes. It could be tempting to stuff everything in but your appliance will be more effective 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 machine 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 appliance as soon as the program has finished. Some newer machines do this automatically, but if yours doesn’t, opening the dishwasher at the end of the cycle allows warm air to escape thus stopping water condensing on the dishes as the appliance cools down.
Check if your dishwasher uses a heat feature and utilize it. Setting a higher heat will result in improved drying times and you could be able to choose which points in the program you increase the temperature.
Think about how you empty your machine. This doesn’t affect how effective your machine is, but it prevent and water spilling that has collected in the concave bottoms of cups and glasses.

If none of the above solves the problem it could be a good idea to phone the professionals or perhaps upgrade your dishwasher.