Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It turns out drying your crockery and cutlery could really be more arduous for your dishwasher than getting them clean. Dishes and cups have lots of nooks and crannies that may pool dishwater stopping it from evaporating, plus as your dishwasher cools down water condenses out of the steam.

Different machines also utilize a variety of means to get your dishes dry. Certain models opt for a heating element to warm the inside of the machine and help the water to evaporate, some warm the water more near the end of the cycle, others employ a fan, and certain models have a combination of all three. There are therefore a number of reasons why your dishwasher might not be drying plates optimally and a variety of options to rectify the situation.

Plastic is less likely to dry fully than glass or ceramics as it cools down more quickly hindering the drying process, so it’s worth seeing whether the drying issue is related to the material rather than the machine.

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

Top Reasons Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Dishes

There is nothing more annoying than a home appliance that isn’t working 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 dishes. If you open your dishwasher to discover wet plates here are a number of troubleshooting tips to help you figure out the problem.

Not all dishwashers are created equal and some appliances do a better job of drying your crockery and cutlery than others. However, if you notice a change in how effectively your dishwasher is working one of these areas might be the cause.

Have a Look at How Your Machine Has Been Loaded

It might be that there is no fault with the machine. Before assuming the machine is broken you should look at how it has been stacked, ensuring it isn’t overloaded. Also be aware that plastics 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 have run out of rinse aid or your rinse aid dispenser is not working this can mean wet plates at the end of the cycle.

Visually check the rinse aid dispenser for damage and check that it’s full.

Have a Look at The Heating Element

Heat is essential for drying your dishes so a faulty heating coil could be the reason your dishwasher is not working as it should. If your dishes aren’t hot to touch when they come out of the machine this can be a good indicator that the heating coil is broken.

To inspect the heating element first unplug the appliance, then find the heating coil, you could need the instruction manual for this, and use a multimeter to check it’s working.

Inspect the Thermostat

The thermostat stops your dishwasher getting too hot, determining the heat of the water and air during drying. However, if it’s faulty this can mean your appliance doesn’t heat up at all.

If you check the heating coil and do not uncover an issue but there’s still no heat, then the thermostat could be the issue. Again you can test this with the help of a multimeter.

Inspect The Fan and Vent

Many appliances will utilize a drying fan and vent to remove the warm moist air out of the dishwasher. If either of these elements are broken then the hot air will remain in the appliance preventing the crockery and cutlery from drying.

You can employ your instruction manual to ascertain if your machine has a fan and find its location. Don’t forget to ensure the appliance is disconnected before trying to make repairs.

First visually inspect the fan and vent to check if anything is blocking it that could stop it from functioning correctly. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Ideas to Boost Drying Capability

There are a variety of things you can do to boost your dishwashers effectiveness at drying and make sure you have to hand dry as little as possible.

Allow ample space between crockery and cutlery. Overfilling the machine stops the flow of air and water making removing the dirt from and drying your plates more difficult. It could be tempting to stuff everything in but you will get better results if you leave enough space so that crockery and cutlery are not touching.
Use rinse aid. Some detergents 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 crockery and cutlery, helping water run off quickly, speeding up drying time and giving a spot and streak free finish.
Open your appliance as soon as the cycle has finished. Some newer models do this automatically, but if yours doesn’t, opening the machine at the end of the program allows warm air to escape thus preventing water condensing on the contents as the appliance cools down.
Check if your dishwasher uses a heat feature and utilize it. The higher the heat the better the drying and you might be able to choose which points in the program you increase the temperature.
Think about how you unload your dishwasher. This doesn’t affect how effective your dishwasher is, but it does stop water from cups and glasses falling on dishes below.

If none of the above solves the problem it might be a good idea to phone the professionals or perhaps buy a new machine.