Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It may not be the primary function but getting your dishes dry may really be more arduous for your machine than cleaning them. Dishes and glassware have multiple crevices that can pool dishwater stopping it from evaporating, and as your appliance loses heat water condenses out of the steam.

Dishwashers also utilize a number of means to dry your plates. Some opt for a heating coil to warm the air in the machine and assist with evaporation, some warm the water more approaching the final rinse, certain models employ a fan, and others employ a combination of all three. There are consequently a number of reasons why your dishwasher could not be drying dishes optimally and a number of things you can do to rectify the situation.

Plastic is more difficult to dry than other materials as it doesn’t retain heat in the same way which helps with the drying process, so it’s worth noting whether the items that aren’t drying are predominantly plastic items.

If your dishwasher doesn’t seem to be drying effectively you can hire a dishwasher repair service or first make use of this troubleshooting list to help you identify and rectify the issue.

Top Explanations Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Dishes

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

Not all dishwashers are created equal and some dishwashers do a better job of drying your dishes than others. But if if your dishwasher has always dried your dishes in the past one of these issues might be the cause.

Have a Look at How Your Machine Has Been Loaded

Sometimes there is nothing actually wrong with the appliance. Before assuming the appliance is broken you should look at how it has been loaded, ensuring it isn’t overloaded. Also be aware that plastics 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 crockery and cutlery therefore, if you have run out of rinse aid or your rinse aid dispenser is broken this can stop your dishes coming out properly dry.

Visually inspect the rinse aid dispenser for cracks and ensure that it’s full.

Check The Heating Coil

Heat is essential for drying your plates so a not working heating coil may be the explanation your appliance is not drying plates. If your plates don’t feel hot when they come out of the machine this can mean that the heating coil isn’t working as it should.

To check the heating element first unplug the appliance, then locate the heating element, you may need the owners manual to do this, then use a multimeter to check it’s working.

Have a Look at the Thermostat

The thermostat stops your machine getting too hot, regulating the heat of the water and air during drying. However, if it’s broken this can result in your appliance not reaching a high enough temperature.

If the heating element appears to be working as it should but there’s still no heat, then the thermostat may be the issue. Once again you can check this with the help of a multimeter.

Check The Fan and Vent

Many dishwashers will employ a fan and vent to suck moist air from the dishwasher. If either of these elements are faulty then the steam will condense on the plates instead preventing them from drying.

You can utilize your instruction manual to find out if your appliance has a fan and locate it. Don’t forget to ensure the machine is unplugged before trying to access the fan.

First visually inspect the fan and vent to ascertain if there is anything lodged that might prevent it from functioning correctly. If there is nothing obvious you can then test for continuity using a multimeter.

Ways to Increase Drying Ability

There are a number of methods you can use to increase your machines drying ability and ensure you need to get the drying up cloth out as little as possible.

Don’t overfill the dishwasher. Overfilling the machine stops the circulation of air and water making removing the dirt from and drying your crockery and cutlery harder. It could be tempting to cram everything in but your dishwasher will work better if you leave sufficient space so that plates are not touching.
Employ rinse aid. Some detergents already have this but even so, adding a little extra to the machine will do no harm. Rinse aid helps reduce spotting and gives your glasses a streak-free shine but it also breaks the bond between water molecules and your crockery and cutlery helping the water to run off them and consequently making them dry more quickly and evenly.
Open the door at the end of the program. Some new machines have this as an automatic function, but many do not, thus, opening the door at the end of the program can help allow the water to evaporate thus stopping water droplets forming as the machine cools down.
Find out if your machine has a heat feature and make use of it. The higher the heat the better the drying and you may be able to choose which points in the program you add more heat.
Unload the lower level first. This doesn’t affect how well your dishwasher works, but it does stop water from cups and glasses falling on dishes below.

If none of the above solves the problem it might be necessary to call in the professionals or perhaps buy a new dishwasher.