My dishwasher has just sprung a small leak and I don’t want to use it until I find out why it’s leaking and if it can be fixed. I am in need of dishwasher repair!  This is something we are used to hearing at Fred’s Appliance Service and we do our best to diagnose the issue.

During the inspection, the service technician noticed that it was extremely cold under the dishwasher. It was an older home and the homeowner said they had not had the time to upgrade the insulation. After a few preliminary tests, the appliance repair technician explained why the dishwasher was leaking and that repairing it would be easy on the wallet. The repair tech went on to further explain that because of a lack of proper insulation, and because it was so cold, water was freezing in the body of the water inlet valve. In fact, there was a thin sheet of ice under the dishwasher.

The question remains: Are your floors and walls insulated enough to keep the warm air in and the cold winter air from entering your kitchen?

What happens when the water inlet valve freezes? A certain amount of water will remain in the fill valve after the dishwasher completes its cycle. Water expands when it freezes and as it does, the valve body, which is mostly plastic, is prone to crack. Eventually, water is spraying all over your hardwood or linoleum floors.

What if the body of the fill valve is intact and shows no signs of wear and tear? The water inlet valve functions to intermittently shoot water into the tub of the dishwasher. Sometimes a defective valve will get stuck in the open position and water will continue to fill the tub with more water than it can hold. Since water inlet valves are not repairable a new part will need to be installed.

If water is leaking from the dishwasher, we need to ask when in the cycle is it leaking, where is it leaking, and why. One method that can help figure out where is to place a sheet of cardboard under the dishwasher. Turn the dishwasher on long enough for it leak. Turn it off, unplug it, and inspect the sheet of cardboard to see approximately which part of the dishwasher the leak is coming from. Sometimes it’s just that simple. For more service repair tips contact Freds Appliance today.