Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes? | Duluth Appliance Repair

It may not be the primary function but drying your dishes could in actual fact be more arduous for your machine than removing the dirt. Dishes and glasses have multiple crevices that can trap water stopping it from evaporating, thus as your machine cools water condenses out of the humid air.

Dishwashers also utilize a variety of means to dry your dishes. Some opt for a heating coil to warm the inside of the machine and assist with evaporation, some warm the water further near the end of the cycle, some have a fan, and some use a combination of all of these. There are therefore a number of reasons why your machine could not be drying plates optimally and a number of options to rectify the situation.

Plastic is more difficult to dry than glass or ceramics as it doesn’t retain heat in the same way which helps with the drying process, so it’s worth seeing 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 hire a dishwasher repair service or first make use of this troubleshooting list 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 annoying than a home appliance that doesn’t work as it’s meant to, regardless of whether its a smartphone, tumble dryer or dishwasher we expect them to do the job they were designed for. If you open your dishwasher to discover wet plates there are a number of troubleshooting tips to help you figure out the issue.

Not all appliances are built to the same spec and you will find that some appliances do a better job of drying your plates than others. But if if your dishwasher has always dried your crockery and cutlery in the past one of these faults could be the problem.

Have a Look at How Your Dishwasher Has Been Loaded

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the dishwasher. Before assuming the machine is not working you should look at how it has been loaded, ensuring it isn’t too full. Also be aware that plastic items are more difficult to dry than metal, glass or ceramics.

Inspect The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Rinse aid plays a key role in drying your plates and so if you’ve forgotten to top up or your rinse aid dispenser is broken this can stop your crockery and cutlery coming out properly dry.

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

Have a Look at The Heating Coil

Without enough heat your dishes will not dry so a not working heating element may be the explanation your machine is not working as it should. If your dishes aren’t hot at the end of the cycle this can indicate that the heating coil is faulty.

To inspect the heating coil you will need to unplug the appliance, find the heating element, you may need the owners manual to do this, then use a multimeter to check it’s working.

Inspect the Thermostat

The thermostat ensures your dishwasher doesn’t overheat, adjusting 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 you check the heating element and do not discover an issue but your dishwasher isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat could be at fault. Again you can test this with the help of a multimeter.

Check The Fan and Vent

Many machines will use a fan and vent to remove the warm moist air from the dishwasher. If the fan isn’t operating as is should or the vent is blocked then the steam will remain in the appliance preventing the dishes from drying.

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

You can look at the fan and vent to check if there is anything lodged that would stop it from operating as it is supposed to. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Tips to Increase Drying Power

There are a variety of methods you can use to boost how well your machine dries your dishes and prevent you needing to dry them by hand as infrequently as possible.

Allow sufficient space between plates. Overloading the machine limits the flow of both water and air decreasing the effectiveness of your machine when it comes to both cleaning and drying your dishes. Although it’s tempting to try and cram everything in, you will get better results if you leave sufficient space so that dishes are not touching.
Utilize rinse aid. Some detergents already have this but even if the brand you use says it does, adding a separate rinse aid to the dishwasher can only improve matters. Rinse aid works by breaking the bond between water molecules and your plates, helping water run off quickly, speeding up drying time and giving a spot and streak free finish.
Open the door at the end of the program. Some newer models do this automatically, but many do not, thus, opening the machine when the cycle finishes can help allow the water to evaporate thus preventing water droplets forming as the machine cools down.
Check if your dishwasher employs a heat feature and make sure it’s turned on. Setting a higher heat will lead to better drying times and you might be able to choose which points in the cycle you add more heat.
Empty the lower level before the top. 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 may be time to phone an engineer or even buy a new machine.