Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It may not be the primary function but getting your plates dry may really be more difficult for your machine than removing the dirt. Crockery and cutlery and glassware have lots of nooks and crannies that could collect dishwater stopping it from evaporating, plus as your dishwasher cools water droplets form out of the steam.

Dishwashers also utilize a number of means to get your dishes dry. Certain models opt for a heating element to warm the inside of the dishwasher and help with evaporation, some warm the water further nearing the end of the cycle, others have a fan, and some use a combination of all three. There are thus a number of reasons why your machine may not be drying dishes optimally and a number of things you can do to improve the situation.

Plastic items are less likely to dry fully than glass or ceramics as it doesn’t retain heat in the same way which helps with 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 isn’t drying effectively you can enlist the help of a dishwasher repair service or first use this troubleshooting guide to figure out what the problem is and with any luck fix it.

Top Explanations Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Plates

Few things are more irritating than an appliance that doesn’t work as it should, regardless of whether its a smartspeaker, tumble dryer or dishwasher we expect them to do the job they were made for. If you open your dishwasher to discover wet plates there are a few troubleshooting tips to help you figure out the problem.

Not all dishwashers are built to the same spec and you will find that 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 may be the problem.

Check How Your Machine Has Been Loaded

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the appliance. Before assuming the dishwasher is broken you should first check that you haven’t overfilled it or accidentally stacked items one inside the other. Also be aware that plastic items are more difficult to dry than metal, glass or ceramics.

Check The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Your dishwasher needs rinse aid to properly dry your plates and so if you have run out of rinse aid or the rinse aid dispenser is not working this can mean wet plates at the end of the cycle.

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

Have a Look at The Heating Coil

Heat is essential for drying your dishes so a not working heating element may be the reason your machine is not drying dishes. If your plates aren’t hot to touch when they come out of the machine this can indicate that the heating coil is faulty.

To check the heating coil first unplug the appliance, then find the heating element, you might need the owners manual to do this, then check for continuity using a multimeter.

Inspect the Thermostat

The thermostat prevents your dishwasher overheating, adjusting the heat of the water and air during drying. Therefore, if it’s faulty this can mean your appliance doesn’t heat up at all.

If you check the heating element and do not find an issue but there’s still no heat, then the thermostat might be at fault. Once again you can test this with the help of a multimeter.

Inspect The Drying Fan and Vent

Many machines will use a fan and vent to remove the warm moist air out of the dishwasher. If either of these elements are faulty then the hot air will condense on the dishes instead preventing them from drying.

You can make use of your instruction manual to check if your appliance has a fan and find its location. Don’t forget to double check the machine is disconnected before attempting to make repairs.

You can look at the fan and vent to ascertain if there is anything lodged that could stop it from working correctly. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Ideas to Boost Drying Power

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

Don’t cram the dishwasher. Overcrowding the dishwasher limits the flow of both water and air decreasing the effectiveness of your appliance when it comes to both washing and drying your dishes. It could be tempting to cram everything in but your machine will be more effective if you leave sufficient space so that water and air can circulate freely.
Utilize rinse aid. Some dishwasher tablets include a rinse aid but even if the brand you use says it does, adding a separate rinse aid to the appliance will do no harm. Rinse aid helps reduce spotting and gives your glasses a streak-free finish but it also breaks the bond between water molecules and your plates helping the water to run off them and therefore making them dry more quickly and evenly.
Open your machine as soon as the program has finished. Some new machines have this as an automatic option, but many do not, thus, opening the door when the program finishes can help allow the water to evaporate thus stopping water condensing on the contents as the machine cools down.
Have a look to see if your dishwasher uses a heat feature and use it. The higher the heat the better the drying and it may be possible to add more heat at different points in the cycle.
Unload the bottom rack 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 crockery and cutlery below.

If you have checked all the above it could be necessary to phone an engineer or perhaps buy a new dishwasher.