Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It turns out drying your dishes might really be more arduous for your dishwasher than cleaning them. Crockery and cutlery and cups have lots of nooks and crannies that may collect water preventing it from evaporating, and as your machine cools down water droplets form out of the humid air.

Dishwashers also utilize a variety of means to get your crockery and cutlery dry. Certain models will employ a heating coil to warm the air in the dishwasher and assist the water to evaporate, some warm the water more nearing the final rinse, certain models employ a fan, and certain models use a mix of all three. There are consequently a number of reasons why your dishwasher could not be drying plates optimally and a variety of options to rectify the situation.

Plastic is less likely to dry fully than other materials as it cools down more quickly hindering the drying process, so it’s worth taking note 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 employ this troubleshooting list to help you identify and rectify the problem.

Top Reasons Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Crockery and Cutlery

Few things are more frustrating than an appliance that doesn’t work 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 removing the dirt from or drying your crockery and cutlery. If you open the dishwasher to wet plates here are a number of places you can look to help you figure out why.

Not all makes and models are created equal and some dishwashers perform to a superior standard compared to others. But if you notice a change in how effectively your machine is working one of these areas may be the problem.

Check How Your Dishwasher Has Been Loaded

It might be that there is no fault 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.

Have a Look at The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Rinse aid plays a key role in drying your crockery and cutlery thus, if you’ve forgotten to top up or the rinse aid dispenser is not working this can result in wet plates at the end of the cycle.

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

Check The Heating Element

Without enough heat your crockery and cutlery will not dry so a faulty heating element could be the explanation your dishwasher is not drying plates. If your crockery and cutlery aren’t hot when they come out of the machine this can indicate that the heating coil is faulty.

To inspect the heating element first disconnect the dishwasher, then find the heating element, you may need the instruction manual for this, then use a multimeter to check it’s working.

Have a Look at the Thermostat

The thermostat ensures your appliance doesn’t get too hot, adjusting the heat of the water and air during drying. Therefore, if it’s not working this can mean your machine doesn’t heat up at all.

If the heating element seems to be working as it should but your appliance isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat may be the issue. Once again you can make sure with the help of a multimeter.

Have a Look at The Drying Fan and Vent

Many machines will utilize a drying fan and vent to suck moist air from the dishwasher. If the fan isn’t operating as is should or the vent is blocked then the water vapor will remain in the appliance preventing the dishes from drying.

You can utilize your manual to find out if your appliance has a fan and locate it. Don’t forget to ensure the machine is disconnected before attempting to make repairs.

You can visually inspect the fan and vent to see if there is anything lodged that could stop it from operating correctly. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Tips to Boost Drying Capability

There are a variety of things you can do to boost your appliances effectiveness at drying and prevent you needing to dry them by hand as little as possible.

Don’t cram the dishwasher. Overcrowding the dishwasher stops the circulation of both water and air decreasing the effectiveness of your appliance when it comes to both washing and finishing your dishes. It could be appealing to stuff in as much as possible but your dishwasher will be more effective if you leave enough space so that crockery and cutlery are not touching.
Make use of rinse aid. Some dishwasher tablets include a rinse aid but even so, adding a little extra to the dishwasher can only improve matters. Rinse aid works by breaking the bond between water molecules and your plates, helping water run off quickly, speeding up drying time and giving a spot and streak free finish.
Open the door at the end of the cycle. Some newer dishwashers do this automatically, but if yours doesn’t, opening the door at the end of the program can help allow the water to evaporate and prevent water droplets forming as the dishwasher cools down.
Find out if your machine employs a heat feature and make sure it’s turned on. Setting a higher heat will mean improved drying times and it could be possible to add more heat at different points in the cycle.
Think about how you unload your machine. This doesn’t affect how effective your dishwasher is, but it prevent and water spilling that has collected in the concave bottoms of cups and glasses.

If this trouble shooting guide hasn’t worked it could be time to phone the professionals or perhaps buy a new machine.