Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It turns out getting your crockery and cutlery dry could really be harder for your machine than getting them clean. Plates and glassware have multiple crevices that may pool dishwater stopping it from drying out, thus as your appliance cools down water droplets form from the humid air.

Different machines also utilize a variety of different means to get your dishes dry. Some opt for a heating element to warm the air in the dishwasher and help the water to evaporate, some heat up the water to a higher temperature approaching the final rinse, some use a fan, and some have a mix of all of these. There are consequently a variety of explanations why your dishwasher might not be drying crockery and cutlery fully and a variety of options to rectify the situation.

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

If dishes are coming out wet you can hire a dishwasher repair service or first use this troubleshooting guide to figure out what the problem is and with any luck fix it.

Top Reasons Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Plates

There is nothing more frustrating than a home appliance that isn’t working properly, regardless of whether its a tv, air conditioner or dishwasher we expect them to do the job they were designed for. If you open the dishwasher to wet plates there are a few troubleshooting tips to help you figure out why.

Not all appliances are created equal and some dishwashers do a better job of drying your dishes than others. However, if if your dishwasher has always dried your crockery and cutlery in the past one of these areas could be the cause.

Inspect How Your Machine Has Been Loaded

It might be that there is no fault with the dishwasher. Before assuming the appliance is faulty you should look at how it has been stacked, ensuring it isn’t too full. It’s also worth noting that plastic items are more difficult to dry than 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’ve forgotten to top up or your rinse aid dispenser is not working this can stop your crockery and cutlery coming out properly dry.

The best thing to do is check the dispenser for damage and ensure that there is rinse aid inside.

Inspect The Heating Element

Heat is essential for drying your plates so a broken heating coil could be the reason your machine is not drying plates. If your dishes don’t feel hot to touch when they come out of the machine this can indicate that the heating element isn’t working as it should.

To check the heating coil first unplug the appliance, then locate the heating element, you may need the manual for this, and check for continuity using a multimeter.

Inspect the Thermostat

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

If the heating coil seems to be working as it should but your dishwasher isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat might be the problem. Once again you can make sure using a multimeter.

Inspect The Drying Fan and Vent

Many dishwashers will utilize a fan and vent to suck moist air out of the machine. If either of these elements are faulty then the water vapor will remain in the dishwasher preventing the plates from drying.

You can use your instruction manual to find out if your machine has a fan and locate it. Don’t forget to make sure the appliance is unplugged before trying to make repairs.

First visually inspect the fan and vent to ascertain if there is anything lodged that could prevent it from working correctly. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Tips to Boost Drying Power

There are a number of methods you can use to increase your dishwashers drying ability and prevent you needing to dry them by hand as little as possible.

Don’t overfill the machine. Overcrowding the appliance limits the circulation of air and water making removing the dirt from and drying your dishes more difficult. Although it’s appealing to try and cram everything in, you will get better results if you leave enough 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 appliance 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 dishwasher as soon as the cycle has completed. Some new dishwashers do this automatically, but if yours doesn’t, opening the door when the cycle finishes can help allow the water to evaporate and stop water droplets forming as the machine cools down.
Check if your appliance has a heat feature and use it. The higher the heat the better the drying and you may be able to choose which points in the program you increase the temperature.
Empty 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 plates below.

If this trouble shooting guide hasn’t worked it may be necessary to phone an engineer or perhaps buy a new machine.