Is Your Dishwasher Not Drying Dishes?

It may not be the primary function but drying your dishes might really be more arduous for your machine than getting them clean. Dishes and glasses have multiple nooks and crannies that could collect water making it more difficult for it to evaporate, thus as your machine cools water droplets form from the humid air.

Dishwashers also employ a variety of means to dry your dishes. Some opt for a heating element to heat up the inside of the machine and help with evaporation, some warm the water further nearing the final rinse, others have a fan, and some have a mix of all of these. There are thus a number of reasons why your machine may not be drying plates fully and a variety of things you can do to improve the situation.

Plastic is 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 noting whether the drying issue is related to the material rather than the machine.

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

Top Reasons Your Dishwasher Isn’t Drying Crockery and Cutlery

Few things are more frustrating than a home appliance that doesn’t work as it’s meant to, regardless of whether its a smartspeaker, tumble dryer or dishwasher we expect them to do the job they were designed for. If you open your dishwasher to discover wet plates here are a number of places you can look to help you figure out the problem.

Not all makes and models are created equal and you will find that some dishwashers do a better job of drying your dishes than others. But if you notice a change in how well your machine is working one of these issues might be the cause.

Check How Your Machine Has Been Loaded

It might be that there is no fault with the dishwasher. Before assuming the dishwasher is not working you should first check that you haven’t overloaded it or accidentally stacked items one inside the other. Also be aware that plastic items don’t dry as well as metal, glass or ceramics.

Check The Rinse Aid Dispenser

Rinse aid plays a key role in drying your plates and so if you’ve forgotten to top up or your rinse aid dispenser is broken this can mean wet dishes at the end of the cycle.

Visually inspect the rinse aid dispenser for cracks and check that there is rinse aid inside.

Inspect The Heating Coil

Without enough heat your plates will not dry so a not working heating element could be the explanation your dishwasher is not working as it should. If your crockery and cutlery don’t feel hot to touch when they come out of the machine this can be a good indicator that the heating coil is faulty.

To inspect the heating coil first unplug the dishwasher, then locate the heating coil, you could need the manual to do this, then use a multimeter to check it’s working.

Check the Thermostat

The thermostat ensures your appliance doesn’t overheat, determining the temperature of the water and the drying part of the cycle. Therefore, if it’s faulty this can mean your machine doesn’t heat up at all.

If you check the heating element and do not uncover an fault but your dishwasher isn’t getting hot, then the thermostat might be the issue. Once again you can check this using a multimeter.

Inspect The Drying Fan and Vent

Many machines will employ a drying fan and vent to suck moist air from the machine. If either of these elements are faulty then the steam will remain in the dishwasher preventing the dishes from drying.

You can employ your instruction manual to check if your machine has a fan and locate it. Again you need to ensure the dishwasher is unplugged before trying to access the fan.

First look at the fan and vent to check if there is anything lodged that would stop it from working as it should. And again testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Ways to Boost Drying Capability

There are a number of things you can do to improve your dishwashers drying ability and prevent you needing to dry them by hand as little as possible.

Don’t overfill the dishwasher. Overcrowding the dishwasher stops the circulation of air and water decreasing the effectiveness of your dishwasher when it comes to both washing and finishing your dishes. Although it’s appealing to try and cram everything in, you will get better results if you leave enough space so that water and air can circulate freely.
Utilize rinse aid. Some dishwasher tablets already have this but even so, adding a little extra to the appliance won’t hurt. 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 your appliance as soon as the program has finished. Some newer models do this automatically, but many do not, thus, opening the door when the program completes can help allow the water to evaporate thus stopping water condensing on the dishes as the appliance cools down.
Find out if your machine employs a heat feature and make sure it’s turned on. Setting a higher heat will mean better drying times and it may be possible to add more heat at different points in the cycle.
Think about how you empty your dishwasher. This doesn’t affect how well your dishwasher works, but it stop and water spilling that has collected in the concave bottoms of cups and glasses.

If this trouble shooting guide hasn’t worked it may be a good idea to phone the professionals or perhaps buy a new dishwasher.