Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes? | Baton Rouge Appliance Repair

It may not be the primary function but getting your crockery and cutlery dry may really be more difficult for your machine than cleaning them. Plates and cups have multiple nooks and crannies that can pool dishwater making it more difficult for it to evaporate, plus as your dishwasher cools water condenses from the steam.

Dishwashers also make use of a number of different methods to dry your crockery and cutlery. Some will employ a heating coil to heat up the air in the machine and help with evaporation, some heat the water more nearing the final rinse, others use a fan, and some use a mix of all of these. There are therefore a number of reasons why your machine could not be drying dishes fully and a variety of options to rectify the situation.

Plastic items are less likely to dry fully than other materials as it cools down more quickly hindering the drying process, so it’s worth noting 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 Dishes

Few things are more irritating than a home 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 removing the dirt from or drying your plates. If you open the dishwasher to wet plates here are a number of troubleshooting tips to help you figure out the problem.

Not all makes and models are created equal and 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 areas might be the cause.

Inspect How Your Machine Has Been Loaded

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the machine. Before assuming the appliance 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.

Inspect The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Rinse aid plays a key role in drying your plates thus, if you have run out of rinse aid or your rinse aid dispenser is faulty this can stop your crockery and cutlery coming out properly dry.

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

Check The Heating Element

Heat is essential for drying your dishes so a faulty heating coil may be the reason your machine is not drying crockery and cutlery. If your crockery and cutlery aren’t hot when they come out of the machine this can mean that the heating element is broken.

To inspect the heating element first disconnect the appliance, then find the heating element, you may need the owners manual to do this, and check for continuity using a multimeter.

Inspect the Thermostat

The thermostat prevents your machine overheating, determining the temperature of the water and the drying part of the cycle. However, if it’s broken this can mean your machine doesn’t heat up at all.

If the heating element appears to be in working order but your dishwasher isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat may be at fault. Again you can make sure using a multimeter.

Have a Look at The Drying Fan and Vent

Many machines will utilize a fan and vent to suck moist air from the dishwasher. If either of these elements are broken then the water vapor will remain in the dishwasher preventing the crockery and cutlery from drying.

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

First visually inspect the fan and vent to check if there is anything lodged that might stop it from working as it should. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Ways to Increase Drying Power

There are a variety of things you can do to improve your machines effectiveness at drying and prevent you needing to dry them by hand as infrequently as possible.

Allow sufficient space between plates. Overloading the appliance stops the circulation of both water and air decreasing the effectiveness of your machine when it comes to both cleaning and finishing your dishes. It could be appealing to cram in as much as possible but your machine will work better if you leave sufficient space so that plates are not touching.
Make use of rinse aid. Some detergents include a rinse aid but even so, adding a little extra to the dishwasher can only improve matters. Rinse aid helps reduce spotting and gives your glasses a streak-free shine but it also breaks the bond between water molecules and your crockery and cutlery helping the water to run off them and thus allowing them to dry faster.
Open the door at the end of the program. Some newer machines do this automatically, but if yours doesn’t, opening the machine when the program finishes can help allow the water to evaporate thus preventing water droplets forming as the dishwasher cools down.
Check if your dishwasher has a heat feature and utilize it. Setting a higher temperature will mean improved drying times and you might be able to choose which points in the program you add more heat.
Think about how you empty your machine. 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 plates below.

If none of the above solves the problem it might be necessary to call in an engineer or perhaps replace your machine.