Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It turns out getting your plates dry may actually be harder for your machine than getting them clean. Dishes and cups have lots of nooks and crannies that could collect dishwater preventing it from drying out, plus as your machine loses heat water condenses out of the steam.

Dishwashers also utilize a number of different means to dry your plates. Some opt for a heating element to warm the air in the machine and help with evaporation, some warm the water further nearing the final rinse, others have a fan, and certain models make use of a combination of all of these. There are consequently a variety of reasons why your machine could not be drying crockery and cutlery optimally and a variety of things you can do to rectify the situation.

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

If your dishwasher doesn’t seem to be drying properly you can enlist the help of a dishwasher repair service or first make use of this troubleshooting guide to help you identify and rectify the problem.

Top Reasons Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Crockery and Cutlery

Few things are more irritating than a home appliance that doesn’t work 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 cleaning or drying your crockery and cutlery. If you open your dishwasher to discover wet plates there are a number of troubleshooting tips to help you figure out why.

Not all dishwashers are created equal and some dishwashers perform to a better standard compared to others. However, if you notice a change in how effectively your dishwasher is working one of these faults might be the cause.

Inspect How Your Machine Has Been Loaded

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the appliance. Before assuming the appliance is faulty you should first check that you haven’t overloaded it or accidentally stacked items one inside the other. It’s also worth noting that plastic items don’t dry as well as metal, glass or ceramics.

Have a Look at The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Rinse aid plays a key role in drying your dishes therefore, if you have run out of rinse aid or your rinse aid dispenser is faulty this can result in wet crockery and cutlery at the end of the cycle.

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

Inspect The Heating Coil

Heat is essential for drying your dishes so a broken heating coil may be the reason your dishwasher is not working as it should. If your dishes don’t feel hot to touch at the end of the cycle this can mean that the heating element isn’t working as it should.

To inspect the heating coil first disconnect the dishwasher, then locate the heating element, you might need the instruction manual for this, and check for continuity using a multimeter.

Check the Thermostat

The thermostat prevents your machine overheating, regulating the heat of the water and air during drying. Therefore, if it’s faulty this can result in your dishwasher not heating up at all.

If the heating coil appears to be in working order but there’s still no heat, then the thermostat may be the problem. Once again you can check this using a multimeter.

Have a Look at The Fan and Vent

Many machines will make use of a fan and vent to suck moist air from the appliance. If either of these elements are broken then the water vapor will remain in the appliance preventing the plates from drying.

You can make use of your user manual to ascertain if your appliance has a fan and locate it. Again you need to make sure the dishwasher is disconnected before attempting to make repairs.

First look at the fan and vent to check if there is anything lodged that could stop it from functioning as it should. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Ways to Boost Drying Capability

There are a variety of methods you can use to boost your machines effectiveness at drying and make sure you need to get the drying up cloth out as little as possible.

Allow ample space between crockery and cutlery. Overcrowding the appliance inhibits the circulation of air and water decreasing the effectiveness of your appliance when it comes to both cleaning and drying your dishes. It might be tempting to stuff in as much as possible but your dishwasher will be more effective if you leave sufficient space so that crockery and cutlery are not touching.
Use rinse aid. Some detergents include a rinse aid but even if the brand you use says it does, adding a separate rinse aid to the dishwasher will do no harm. 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 your machine as soon as the program has ended. Some newer machines do this automatically, but if yours doesn’t, opening the machine at the end of the program allows warm air to evaporate and prevent water condensing on the dishes as the appliance cools down.
Have a look to see if your appliance has a heat feature and make use of it. The higher the temperature the better the drying and you might be able to choose which points in the program you increase the temperature.
Empty the bottom rack 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 crockery and cutlery below.

If you have checked all the above it could be a good idea to call in an engineer or perhaps upgrade your machine.