Dishwashing
Dishwasher Repair: Drain, Leak and Cleaning Problems
Plenty of dishwasher problems end at a clogged filter or a disposal knockout plug nobody removed. We rule those out, then test the pumps, heater and valves before quoting.
Booking online works too. With the dishwasher's model number in the form, we can check part availability before we come.
First the appliance and its location, then your contact details. We follow up to schedule.
One cycle, start to finish
A dishwasher opens an inlet valve for a measured amount of water, and a circulation pump pushes that water through the spray arms again and again while a heater brings it up to temperature. Between washes, a drain pump sends the dirty water out through the hose, usually into a garbage disposal or a sink tailpiece. The final rinse carries rinse aid, and drying comes from leftover heat, a fan, or on some models a door that pops open at the end.
Owners tend to forget the filter in the floor of the tub. Most current models use a manual filter that needs rinsing now and then. When it clogs, water circulates dirty, grit lands back on the dishes, and draining slows. Below the tub sits a base pan that catches leaks, and many models, Bosch among them, have a float switch there that stops the cycle and shows a code when water collects.
The controls lean on sensors: one that judges how cloudy the water is, a thermistor for temperature, and a door switch. That's why a small fault, such as a latch that doesn't quite catch, can stop the whole machine.
- Built-in 24-inch
- Compact 18-inch
- Panel-ready
- Dishwasher drawers
- Third-rack models
- Portable
Dishwasher symptoms and common causes
Check the filter first for almost every one of these. After that, the likely causes split by symptom.
- Water standing in the bottom
- Clogged filter or sump, drain hose kinked or plugged, new disposal with its knockout plug still in, failed drain pump, stuck check valve
- Dishes gritty or cloudy
- Dirty filter, spray arm holes plugged with scale or debris, weak circulation pump, low fill, detergent or rinse aid problems
- Water on the floor
- Worn or dislodged door gasket, overfilling from a faulty inlet valve, loose hose clamp, cracked sump, hand soap causing suds
- Stops with a leak code (Bosch E15 and similar)
- Water in the base pan from a leak or a suds overflow, which trips the float switch
- Won't start
- Door latch or switch, child lock or delay start set, blown thermal fuse, control fault, no power at the outlet or disposer switch
- Dishes wet at the end
- Rinse aid empty, heater or fan not working, plastics loaded where they can't dry, auto-open door or vent not working
- Grinding or loud humming
- Debris in the pump impeller, failing wash or drain motor
Try these before booking
- Pull out the bottom filter and rinse it under the tap. If it's greasy, scrub it gently with a soft brush.
- If a garbage disposal was just installed, check that the knockout plug in its dishwasher inlet was removed.
- Run the kitchen tap until the water is hot before starting a cycle, so the first fill isn't cold.
- Spin the spray arms by hand and look for plugged holes. A toothpick clears most of them.
- Look for a child lock, delay start or control lock icon on the panel, and check the manual for how to clear it.
- If the machine showed a leak code, think about whether hand dish soap got in by mistake, and switch to proper dishwasher detergent.
Before you touch anything: Shut off the dishwasher's breaker, or pull its plug if it's corded under the sink, before you remove the kick plate or reach into the sump. Go carefully around the filter area, because broken glass tends to end up there. If water has reached the floor near any wiring, cut the power first, then close the supply valve under the sink.
When a technician should take over
- Water still sits in the tub after the filter and drain hose are clear.
- The tub or floor keeps getting wet and the door gasket looks fine.
- Dishes stay cold, or the cycle never finishes.
- A leak code comes back after you've dried out the base.
- There's a burning smell, or the breaker trips.
A dishwasher repair visit, step by step
We begin with the cycle itself: the technician watches it fill, measures the water temperature and listens to the pumps. Many models have a service test that runs each component in turn. For drain problems, the sump, check valve and pump come first. For leaks, the kick plate comes off so the base can be inspected with the door shut and the machine running.
Sometimes the dishwasher has to slide out of its opening, which means disconnecting the water line, drain and power, and we'll explain that before doing it. You get a diagnosis and a quote, and nothing goes ahead until you approve the price. Parts are matched to the model number.
Repair or buy a new dishwasher?
Drain pumps, inlet valves, door latches, gaskets, float switches and heaters are usually worthwhile repairs. A failed control board or wash motor on a basic model can get near what a new machine costs, and we'll say so when it does.
Premium machines such as Bosch and Miele, and panel-ready units with a custom door front, often justify a bigger repair, because replacing them means refitting the panel. If you do replace, measure the opening carefully; a machine that doesn't sit right in an older kitchen can leave the door rubbing on the cabinets next to it.
Why Book Us for Dishwasher Repair
Filter and drain checked first
A lot of dishwasher calls come down to a clog, so the simple causes are ruled out before a pump or board is quoted.
Leaks traced to the source
The base is inspected with the machine running, so the repair addresses where the water actually comes from.
Honest advice on older machines
If a repair would cost close to a new dishwasher, you'll hear that before you spend anything.
See the Maryland neighborhoods and ZIP codes we cover, or request a dishwasher repair.
Dishwasher Repair in Houses, Townhomes and Condos
Most dishwashers here run on WSSC Water, and like any municipal supply it leaves mineral scale over time on spray arms, inlet screens and heating elements. Kitchens in older Chevy Chase and Hyattsville houses often had a dishwasher squeezed in during a later remodel, sometimes with a drain loop or air gap that isn't quite right. In a condo, a slow leak can reach the ceiling below. And in College Park rentals, a machine that runs every day for several housemates wears faster.
How a Dishwasher Repair Visit Works
Book the Visit
Let us know whether dishes come out dirty, wet or gritty, or whether water stays in the tub or ends up on the floor.
Find the Fault
We look at the filter and sump, the drain pump and hose, the spray arms, fill valve and heater, and read any stored fault codes.
Approve the Price
Detergent or water problems get explained rather than billed as parts. For a real fault, you get a price before work.
Fix and Check
A short cycle runs after the repair, and the base and hoses are checked for drips while it fills and drains.
Related Services
More appliances, brands and areas on this site.
Dishwasher problems we repair
The dishwasher faults we diagnose, from drain and leak trouble to heating, drying and control errors.
- Not Cleaning Properly
- Not Draining
- Door Won't Close
- Making Unusual Noise
- Not Filling with Water
- Leaking Water
- Dishwasher Won't Start
- Leaving Residue on Dishes
- Not Cleaning Dishes Well
- Not Filling with Water
- Overfilling with Water
- Leaking from Door
- Leaking from Bottom
- Soap Dispenser Not Opening
- Rinse Aid Not Dispensing
- Dishes Not Drying Properly
- Heating Element Failure
- Spray Arms Clogged
- Spray Arm Not Spinning
- Wash Pump Failure
- Drain Pump Failure
- Mineral Scale Buildup
- White Spots on Dishes
- Cloudy Glassware
- Dishwasher Smells Bad
- Drain Filter Clogged
- Door Latch Failure
- Control Board Failure
- Cycles Running Too Long
- Stopping Mid-Cycle
- Error Code Displayed
- Grinding Noise from Pump
- Humming but Not Starting Cycle
- Water on Floor Under Dishwasher
- Rust Inside Dishwasher Tub
- Rack Tines Rusting
- Top Rack Not Cleaning
- Bottom Rack Not Cleaning
- Touchpad Not Responding
- Door Spring Broken
- Fills and Immediately Drains
- Running Constantly / Cycle Won't End
- Detergent Tablet Not Dissolving
- White Deposits on Plastic Containers
- Dishwasher Interior Rusting
- Cloudy Film Inside Tub
- Glassware Permanently Etched
- FH / Water Inlet Error (Whirlpool/KitchenAid)
- Leak Detection System Tripped
- Air Gap Clogged
- Garbage Disposal Connection Problem
- Hard Food Disposer Failed
- Starting Intermittently
- Exterior Too Hot to Touch
- Steam Escaping from Door
- Built-In Water Softener Not Working
- Food Particles on Dishes After Washing
- Salt Indicator Light On
- Child Lock Activated and Stuck
- Poor Results After Switching Detergent
- Not Using Hot Water at All
- Three-in-One Dishwasher Tablet Not Working Properly
- Knocking During Wash Cycle
- High-Temperature Wash Not Working
- Delay Start Feature Not Working
- Burning Smell from Dishwasher
- Control Panel Getting Wet
- Spray Arm Spin Test Failed
- Bottom Spray Arm Missing or Broken
- Third Rack Not Cleaning (Third-Rack Models)
- Not Filling with Enough Water
- Sanitize Indicator Not Illuminating
- Spray Arm Hitting a Dish During Cycle
- Steam Wash Option Not Working
- Cycle Selector Knob Broken
Dishwasher brands we service
Notes on the dishwasher brands people ask about most, then everything we cover.
- Bosch dishwasher repair
- Whirlpool dishwasher repair
- GE Appliances dishwasher repair
- KitchenAid dishwasher repair
- Samsung dishwasher repair
- LG dishwasher repair
- Miele dishwasher repair
- Frigidaire dishwasher repair
Where we repair dishwashers
Each area page adds notes on the dishwashers we see in its homes, plus its ZIP codes. Or book below.
More reading on dishwashers
Dishwasher Repair Questions
The questions that come up most often. Anything not covered here, ask us when you call, or add it to the booking form's notes field.
Have a different question?
Tell us what make it is and what's going wrong. A few things can be settled over the phone, and anything else gets looked at during the visit.
Most often it's a clogged filter, a kinked drain hose, or a new disposal whose knockout plug was never removed. If all three are clear, the drain pump or the check valve may be at fault. Pull the filter and look at it first; it's the quickest thing to rule out.
E15 means the float switch in the base pan has detected water, so the machine stopped to keep a small leak from becoming a big one. Sometimes the water is just suds from the wrong soap. Other times there's a real leak from a hose, the sump or the pump. Drying the base can clear the code for a while, but if it comes back, the leak needs to be found.
Usually it's the filter, blocked spray arms or cool incoming water. Detergent matters too, since old pods and powder lose strength. Mineral scale also builds up over time and coats the inside of the machine; a dishwasher cleaner used as the manual recommends helps. If cleaning stays poor after all that, the circulation pump or heater may be weak.
Most repairs don't involve the panel at all. If the machine has to come out of its opening, we'll explain what needs to be removed before anything is moved.
Stop the cycle, kill the dishwasher's breaker, and close the water valve under the sink. Let building management know so they can check the unit below. Then call or book online, and tell us what access rules your building has.