Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It turns out drying your crockery and cutlery may in actual fact be more difficult for your dishwasher than cleaning them. Crockery and cutlery and glassware have multiple crevices that could collect water making it more difficult for it to dry out, and as your machine cools water droplets form from the steam.

Different machines also utilize a variety of approaches to dry your crockery and cutlery. Some will employ a heating coil to heat up the inside of the machine and assist with evaporation, some heat the water further nearing the end of the cycle, others make use of a fan, and certain models employ a mix of all three. There are therefore a number of reasons why your machine could not be drying dishes optimally and a number 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 taking note whether the items that aren’t drying are predominantly plastic items.

If your dishwasher isn’t drying effectively you can call a dishwasher repair service or first utilize this troubleshooting list to help you identify and rectify the problem.

Top Explanations Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Crockery and Cutlery

There is nothing more annoying than a home appliance that isn’t working as it should, regardless of whether its a tv, air conditioner or dishwasher we expect them to do the job they were designed for. If you open the dishwasher to wet plates here are a few troubleshooting tips to help you figure out the issue.

Not all makes and models are built to the same spec and some appliances do a better job of drying your crockery and cutlery than others. However, if if your dishwasher has always dried your dishes in the past one of these areas could be the cause.

Have a Look at How Your Machine Has Been Loaded

It might be that there is no fault with the appliance. Before assuming the appliance is not working you should look at how it has been loaded, ensuring it isn’t too full. Also be aware that plastic items don’t dry as well as metal, glass or ceramics.

Inspect The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Your dishwasher needs rinse aid to properly dry your dishes therefore, if you’ve forgotten to top up or your rinse aid dispenser is broken this can mean wet crockery and cutlery at the end of the cycle.

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

Have a Look at The Heating Coil

Without enough heat your plates will not dry so a broken heating coil may be the reason your appliance is not drying crockery and cutlery. 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 inspect the heating element you will need to unplug the appliance, find the heating element, you could need the manual for this, and check for continuity using a multimeter.

Check the Thermostat

The thermostat ensures your appliance doesn’t get too hot, adjusting the temperature of the water and the drying part of the cycle. Therefore, if it’s broken this can result in your appliance not heating up at all.

If you check the heating coil and do not uncover an fault but your appliance isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat might be at fault. Again you can test this with the help of a multimeter.

Check The Fan and Vent

Many appliances will use a fan and vent to suck moist air from the dishwasher. If either of these elements are faulty then the hot air will remain in the machine preventing the crockery and cutlery from drying.

You can make use of your manual to find out if your appliance has a fan and find its location. Don’t forget to make sure the appliance is unplugged before trying to access the fan.

You can visually inspect the fan and vent to see if anything is blocking it that might stop it from working correctly. If there is nothing obvious you can then test for continuity using a multimeter.

Tips to Increase Drying Capability

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

  1. Allow sufficient space between dishes. Overcrowding the machine inhibits the flow of both water and air making cleaning and drying your dishes more difficult. Although it’s tempting to try and cram everything in, you will get better results if you leave enough space so that crockery and cutlery are not touching.
  2. Use rinse aid. Some dishwasher tablets already have this but even if the brand you use says it does, adding a little extra to the dishwasher won’t hurt. Rinse aid works by breaking the bond between water molecules and your dishes, helping water run off quickly, speeding up drying time and giving a spot and streak free finish.
  3. Open the door at the end of the program. Some newer models do this automatically, but if yours doesn’t, opening the dishwasher at the end of the program can help allow the water to escape thus preventing water droplets forming as the machine cools down.
  4. Check if your appliance employs a heat feature and use it. The higher the heat the better the drying and you may be able to choose which points in the cycle you increase the temperature.
  5. Unload the lower level first. 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 this trouble shooting guide hasn’t worked it could be necessary to call in an engineer or even upgrade your machine.

More Dishwasher Problems:

  • Dishwasher Being Loud
  • Dishwasher Not Turning On
  • Dishwasher Not Draining
  • Dishwasher Leaking